Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming the business world, and the practice of law is no exception. In a matter of seconds, it is now possible to obtain a summary of a legal rule, a first draft of a contract or an answer to a legal question. This is a remarkable development, and it opens the door to new ways of working for businesses and professionals alike.
Against that backdrop, one question comes up more and more often in our conversations with clients: "With artificial intelligence, will we still need a lawyer?"
In our view, the answer is yes — though probably not for the same reasons as ten years ago.
Artificial intelligence does not mark the end of the legal profession. It marks the beginning of a new way of creating value.
More than ever, a lawyer's value lies in the ability to exercise judgment, to understand a client's reality and to guide that client through decisions with a concrete impact on their business, their assets or their plans.
It is precisely this shift that strikes us as both energizing and full of promise for the future of our profession.
Our approach to artificial intelligence
At Gervais Maison d'Affaires, we use artificial intelligence in our own day-to-day practice. Used responsibly, it is a remarkable tool: it helps us structure certain research, compare alternative wordings, summarize lengthy documents and speed up repetitive tasks. In other words, it makes us more efficient and frees up more time for the work that creates real value for our clients.
This shift is part of a broader transformation of legal practice, one supported by organizations such as the Barreau du Québec and the Centre d'accès à l'information juridique (CAIJ), which publish resources, guides and tools to help professionals use artificial intelligence responsibly.
At Gervais Maison d'Affaires, we integrate these technologies in full compliance with our professional and ethical obligations, particularly with respect to competence, confidentiality, professional secrecy and the protection of confidential information. Artificial intelligence remains a tool; our professional judgment remains irreplaceable.
Information has become accessible. Judgment has not.
For a long time, part of a lawyer's value rested on the ability to find information.
Today, that information is largely accessible. Within moments, anyone can ask an artificial intelligence tool to explain a legislative provision, summarize a judgment or even generate a first draft of a contract. That is a remarkable advance.
There is, however, a fundamental difference between getting an answer and making a sound decision. That difference is judgment. A lawyer's role is not simply to explain what the law says, but to guide a client through an analysis tailored to their reality, their objectives and the risks specific to their situation.
It is precisely this capacity for analysis, discernment and contextual understanding that cannot be automated.
The law is rarely the only variable
In practice, a legal decision is rarely purely legal.
It is often shaped by financial, tax, operational, commercial and human considerations. Should you negotiate or walk away from the discussions? Accept a certain level of risk or invest more to eliminate it? Amend a shareholders' agreement today or wait a few months? The answer rarely turns on a single section of a statute; it rests on the business context specific to each client. That is why two companies facing exactly the same issue may well receive two entirely different recommendations.
Every business is unique, as are its objectives, its structure, its risk tolerance, its partners and its vision. A lawyer therefore does more than interpret a rule of law: they exercise judgment.
The current limits of artificial intelligence
Despite the impressive progress of recent years, artificial intelligence remains imperfect. It can misread a question, miss an important nuance or generate inaccurate information delivered with a great deal of confidence. This is what is known as a "hallucination" — a phenomenon in which an artificial intelligence tool produces an incorrect answer or invents information while giving it every appearance of credibility.
The real risk, then, is not that artificial intelligence may be wrong; no tool is infallible. The risk is that its answers may seem accurate and convincing. For someone without the necessary legal knowledge, these errors can be difficult to detect. That is why artificial intelligence should never be treated as a standalone source of legal advice. It is an excellent starting point, but it replaces neither the analysis, nor the validation, nor the judgment of a professional.
A lawyer's obligations remain the same
Using artificial intelligence does not reduce a lawyer's professional responsibilities in any way. On the contrary, it calls for heightened vigilance and rigour.
On this point, the Canadian Bar Association reminds lawyers that they remain bound by all of their ethical obligations, including their duties of competence, confidentiality, independence, supervision and verification of results. Whether an analysis comes from an articling student, a colleague or an artificial intelligence tool, it is always the lawyer who remains responsible for the advice given to the client.
The Barreau du Québec takes the same approach. It encourages professionals to adopt artificial intelligence thoughtfully and responsibly, while reiterating that human judgment, the protection of confidential information and the verification of generated content remain essential.
In other words, artificial intelligence does not replace a lawyer's obligations; it makes them all the more important.
Beyond the legal answer
Ultimately, clients do not consult a lawyer solely to obtain a legal answer or a well-drafted document. What they are looking for, above all, is an advisor who can understand their reality, their objectives and the issues specific to their situation, and guide them through decisions that will sometimes have significant consequences for their operations, their assets or their future. They want to be able to rely on a professional who knows how to ask the right questions before a problem even arises, who anticipates risks, who exercises judgment and who gives them the peace of mind to move forward with confidence.
Beyond legal analysis, clients are also looking for a genuine trusted partner — a professional who can coordinate the various people involved in a file, including the accountant, the tax specialist, the banker, the notary, the insurance broker and any other advisor, so that every decision fits within a coherent overall strategy aligned with the client's objectives. It is this broader perspective, grounded in experience, judgment and a deep understanding of the client's reality, that creates real added value. And it is precisely this profoundly human dimension that no technology can replicate.
A profession that evolves
Every technological revolution has transformed professions without eliminating the human expertise that defines them. The printing press did not replace authors. Calculators did not replace accountants. Design software did not replace architects. In the same way, artificial intelligence will inevitably transform the practice of law. Some tasks will be automated, others will be completed far more quickly, and that is excellent news. By reducing the time spent on repetitive tasks, it will allow professionals to devote more energy to the work that truly creates value: thinking, advising, negotiating, anticipating risks and supporting clients through their decisions.
In our view, the future of the legal profession will not be less human; it will be more so. As information becomes more accessible, the qualities that gain the most value are precisely those no algorithm can replicate: judgment, experience, listening, ethics, strategic thinking and the relationship of trust built over time.
Artificial intelligence will certainly change the way we practise our profession. It will not, however, change the fundamental mission of that profession. A lawyer's role will remain that of helping clients make the right decisions, at the right time and for the right reasons. It is this deeply human responsibility that will continue to give our practice its full meaning.
This article is published for information purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Every situation is unique and deserves an analysis tailored to its particular context.