Mid-Career Legal Professionals Eye Exits Over AI Underperformance

A significant portion of mid-career legal professionals are prepared to leave their organizations if artificial intelligence tools fail to meet expectations, according to new research that highlights growing tension between AI promises and workplace reality.

Twenty-four percent of mid-level lawyers and other legal professionals say they would change jobs within two years if AI doesn't deliver on key priorities like reclaiming time and finding greater meaning in their work, according to Thomson Reuters' 2026 Future of Professionals report released Monday. Fourteen percent are considering leaving within the next 12 months.

The findings, based on a survey of 1,816 professionals across legal, risk, compliance, tax, accounting and global trade industries conducted between March and April 2026, suggest that AI adoption challenges extend beyond technology to fundamental questions of organizational strategy and change management.

The tooling gap

Access to appropriate AI technology appears to be part of the problem. While 74% of respondents use AI several times weekly, 41% report they cannot access AI tools specifically designed for professional work and built on verified professional content.

The lack of sanctioned tools hasn't stopped professionals from seeking AI assistance elsewhere. Thirty-four percent admit to using shadow AI tools their organizations haven't approved, working in ways leadership cannot monitor.

"Some of the gaps, the disillusionment of some of the talent, is not just about the tools," said Ragunath Ramanathan, president of Thomson Reuters' legal professionals business. "Part of this is also how does the law firm, for example, transform because of the use of the tools. And this is a gap not in technology, but a gap in strategy or a gap in change management."

Client expectations outpace delivery

The pressure on legal organizations intensifies as corporate clients grow increasingly dissatisfied with AI-enabled service improvements. Seventy-six percent of corporate clients say receiving AI-enabled quality improvements from outside counsel is very important or essential, yet only 6% report getting this from most or all of their service providers.

Ramanathan noted a fundamental shift in the client-firm dynamic around AI. "In the early years, the law firms jumped ahead, they were the early [AI] adopters," he said. "In-house legal counsel have pivoted from education to expectation, and they are now clearly saying they're unhappy."

Why it matters

The potential departure of mid-career professionals threatens to create a mentorship vacuum precisely when junior lawyers need guidance navigating AI-transformed legal practice. Seventy-one percent of survey respondents believe early-career professionals need structured support from experienced colleagues to build skills AI risks displacing. Nearly half express concern about AI's impact on developing independent judgment, while 45% worry about junior roles learning through experience and 28% about mentorship quality. This talent drain could compound existing challenges in legal workforce development at a moment when the profession is undergoing its most significant technological transformation in decades.

The survey included 736 legal professionals from law firms, corporate in-house departments, and government positions. The complete findings were first reported by Thomson Reuters in its 2026 Future of Professionals report.