Despite the advances of AI, attorney Matthew Plau emphasizes the role of skilled paralegals and how they remain irreplaceable. He speaks out on how empowering paralegals with technology, rather than replacing them, is key to modern legal practice.
-- In an era dominated by rapid advances in legal technology and AI tools, one truth remains clear to practicing attorneys: no machine, no matter how advanced, can replace the value of a well-trained paralegal.
“As attorneys, we rely on paralegals not just for support, but for judgment, insight, and proactive problem-solving,” said Matthew Pfau, a Nevada-based civil litigation attorney and instructor at Paralegal Institute. “AI is a powerful tool that I use every day, but it lacks the human intelligence and context-awareness that paralegals bring to every case.”
While AI excels at repetitive and administrative tasks—document review, calendaring, or summarizing—it falls short where it matters most: in understanding legal nuance, reading the room, and managing human emotion.
Many who believe that AI will soon replace paralegals fundamentally misunderstand what a great paralegal does in an efficiently run law firm.
“The misconception is that paralegals are just legal secretaries or document processors,” said Pfau. “In reality, top-tier paralegals operate as strategic partners within a case team. They don’t just do tasks—they think critically, manage information, maintain ethical boundaries, and keep cases moving under pressure.”
While AI may handle basic administrative tasks like scheduling or document formatting, it cannot replace the human judgment, adaptability, or institutional memory that seasoned paralegals provide.
“Replacing a paralegal with AI might work—if all you ever needed was someone to categorize information from documents or respond to correspondence,” Pfau noted. “But in real practice, the value of a skilled paralegal is in understanding the context of the information gathered by AI or the proper context of legal correspondence.”
Pfau outlined six core reasons why paralegals remain irreplaceable:
- Strategic Alignment: Paralegals anticipate attorney needs and align with case strategy—something AI can’t infer from prompts or data alone.
- Precision Under Pressure: Legal filings require more than speed—they demand accountability. AI doesn’t understand consequences. Paralegals do.
- Tech Leadership: AI is a tool. Paralegals are the power users who integrate, audit, and operationalize those tools effectively.
- Human Communication: Paralegals manage clients, coordinate teams, and de-escalate tension with emotional intelligence no machine can mimic.
- Ownership Mentality: Paralegals take initiative, reprioritize on the fly, and treat every file like it’s their own reputation on the line.
- Ethical Judgment: AI doesn’t understand confidentiality, risk, or legal ethics. Paralegals do—and they act accordingly.
“The future of legal practice isn’t about replacing people with AI,” said Pfau. “It’s about equipping the right people with the right tools. A skilled paralegal using AI is a force multiplier. Replacing them with AI is malpractice in the making.”
As firms adopt more legal tech, Pfau urges decision-makers to recognize the irreplaceable human layer in legal service: “If you're building a modern law firm, invest in your paralegals. Empower them with AI, but never assume AI can replace them.”
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Name: Matthew Pfau, Esq.
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Organization: Paralegal Institute
Address: 710 S 9th St St #3, Las Vegas, NV 89101
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