Happy Sunday Reader:

Late last year, an articling student posted on Facebook about their struggle to find a living wage in law.

The post went viral, sparking heated debate about whether firms are being exploitative or realistic.

Here's what many are missing and that I addressed in my video response to the group, this entry-level employment challenge is just the canary in the coal mine – it signals a fundamental shift in how legal careers will unfold.

From my dual perspective as both a lawyer and employer, I'm seeing a clear pattern emerge:

• Firms are shifting toward performance-based pay models due to economic uncertainty, moving away from guaranteed base salaries
• New lawyers are caught in a tough spot – they need to earn a living while also investing time in building their career foundation

This creates a growing disconnect: employers and job seekers simply can't find common ground that satisfies both sides' essential needs – whether financial or professional.

While I talked about strategies to address this disconnect in the above video, I received a flood of messages from legal professionals seeking guidance. Out of numerous messages I received, one from an internationally trained lawyer captured the essence of our profession's transformation.

​While I gave a video response, this person's story highlighted a more critical and fundamental truth: While firms desperately need innovative thinking and diverse experience, even seasoned professionals with valuable transferable skills are finding it difficult to thrive in today's legal landscape - even if they bring exactly these qualities.

This reality haunts me, especially as AI continues to reshape our profession.

Let me share a perspective from my home life.

My sons, despite being born into the digital age, need years to master handwriting. This simple observation holds a powerful lesson: Just because a tool seems simple doesn't mean mastering it is quick or easy.

My deep dive into AI workflows over the past 18 months has revealed something critical: The difference between basic AI use and true mastery lies not in the tools themselves but the approach and mindset of the user.

In the same way that a 9 year old writing with a pen for a few years has a very different competence when compared to Leonardo Da Vinci.

In 2025, I encourage you to commit to a two-year journey of AI mastery. Not because it's trendy or vogue, but because of the mere (but increasing) possibility that its use will become as fundamental to legal practice as research and writing.

On that note... Our AI Assisted Workflows Workshop Is on Wednesday!

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Obviously the above images are AI generated.

However due to overwhelming demand after last Wednesdays email, our Modern Lawyer’s AI Toolkit workshop will begin with a demonstration of how you too could train an AI to generate images like the above (as well as those in my last email) at the drop of the hat.

We'll use this learn by doing experience as the foundation to show a) the power of the technology, b) the risks of the technology and c) proactive steps you can take to address those steps.

You can learn more about the workshop and get access using the button below. However don't wait too long: you need to take 15 minutes to do some preparation work to make maximum use of the workshop.

What else happened on Youtube

Here are a couple of other videos on our Youtube channel:

• I had a chat with Josephine De Whytell about how remote work and technology has enabled her to run her Indigenous Law practice while also being a mother to her toddler.
• In addition to the other videos, I had a mentorship minute with a junior lawyer about why hiring staff is not the solution to reducing chaos in solo practice.

Be the first to know about our Youtube videos by subscribing to our Youtube channels.

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