India ADR Week: AI Training Young Lawyers for 2035 Legal Skills

• At India ADR Week 2026 in Mumbai, legal experts discussed how AI will redefine practitioner training by 2035.
• Panelists predicted that skills like sending faxes, using Excel, and producing generic draft memos will become obsolete.
• Conversely, human traits such as reading a courtroom, maintaining independence, and exercising strategic judgment will become the most valuable professional assets.
• The discussion emphasized that artificial intelligence is fundamentally changing legal education and the skills required for future lawyers.
• Law firms and legal departments must re-evaluate training programs to prioritize uniquely human skills over tasks susceptible to AI automation.

Law firms and legal departments must re-evaluate their training programs to emphasize human skills like strategic judgment and courtroom presence, as AI will automate routine tasks, shifting the focus of legal practice by 2035.

The future of legal training in India is poised for a significant overhaul, with artificial intelligence set to redefine how practitioners are educated and developed. This critical shift was a central theme at the India ADR Week 2026, held in Mumbai, where a panel of distinguished experts convened to discuss "The Last Apprentice: Who Trains the Lawyers and Experts of 2035?" The session, moderated by Neeti Sachdeva, the Registrar and Secretary General of the MCIA, brought together leading voices from various sectors of the legal profession to explore the profound implications of AI on legal skills and professional development.

The discussion featured a diverse group of panelists, including Bindi Dave, Co-Managing Partner at Wadia Ghandy & Co; Andrew Cannon, Partner at Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer; Karthik Balisagar, Senior Managing Director at FTI Consulting; and Nicholas Peacock, an Arbitrator at Peacock Arbitration. Their collective insights underscored a consensus: the traditional model of legal apprenticeship and skill acquisition is rapidly evolving, necessitating a proactive approach to preparing the next generation of legal talent for an AI-driven landscape.

During a rapid-fire segment, Sachdeva challenged the speakers to identify specific skills that would become obsolete by 2035, alongside those that would significantly increase in value. This exercise illuminated the stark contrast between tasks susceptible to automation and the enduring importance of uniquely human attributes in legal practice, highlighting the need for a strategic re-evaluation of AI training for young lawyers in India.

As artificial intelligence continues its integration into legal workflows, experts predict a significant shift in the competencies required for successful legal practice by 2035. Panelists at the India ADR Week 2026 highlighted several practices and skills that are destined for obsolescence. Nicholas Peacock, for instance, pointed to outdated communication methods, noting that the ability to send a fax is a skill he has not needed for several years and is likely to disappear entirely. Similarly, Karthik Balisagar targeted data-intensive tasks, asserting that Excel skills would soon become obsolete, if they haven't already, due to advanced automation. Andrew Cannon further emphasized the automation of routine writing, predicting that the capacity to produce competent generic first drafts would be largely handled by AI.

In stark contrast to these disappearing technical proficiencies, the discussion underscored the enduring and increasing value of distinctively human traits. The ability to "read a courtroom," for example, was identified as a critical asset that AI cannot replicate. Maintaining professional independence and exercising strategic judgment were also highlighted as invaluable qualities that will become the most prized professional assets for lawyers by 2035. This perspective suggests that while AI will handle the repetitive and data-driven aspects of legal work, the nuanced, interpersonal, and strategic elements will remain firmly within the human domain, demanding a different kind of legal education future in India.

The insights from the India ADR Week 2026 panel present a clear mandate for law firms and legal departments: a fundamental re-evaluation of their training programs is urgently needed. The anticipated impact of AI on legal practice by 2035 necessitates a strategic shift in how new legal talent is developed and what skills are prioritized for future success. As AI automates routine tasks, the focus of legal practice will inevitably shift, demanding that young lawyers cultivate a different set of core competencies.

This strategic re-evaluation means moving beyond traditional curricula that emphasize rote learning or basic document drafting. Instead, legal education and ongoing professional development must increasingly prioritize uniquely human skills such as critical thinking, complex problem-solving, ethical reasoning, negotiation, and, crucially, the strategic judgment and courtroom presence identified by the panelists. The obsolescence of skills like generic memo drafting and basic data manipulation underscores that the future lawyer will be a strategic advisor and a nuanced advocate, rather than a processor of information. This proactive adaptation in lawyer training is essential to ensure that the legal profession remains robust and effective in an increasingly AI-driven world, addressing concerns about legal skills obsolescence due to AI.

Law firms and legal departments should re-evaluate training programs to emphasize human skills like strategic judgment and courtroom presence, as AI will automate routine tasks, shifting the focus of legal practice by 2035. This necessitates a strategic shift in how new legal talent is developed and what skills are prioritized for future success.

Source: Original reporting via India ADR Week 2026 discussions.