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Dos and Don'ts for Using AI in Your Legal Job Search

If you elect to use AI to assist in your legal job search, here are some Dos and Don’ts to remember.

DO:

  • Always check first whether an employer prohibits or restricts the use of AI and/or requires disclosure of the use of AI.
  • Use AI to simplify a job description
    • Ex: Please clarify and simplify the job description below for a [insert job title]. I'd like to better understand this role's essential requirements, responsibilities, and qualifications. Use bullet points. {Paste job description}
  • Use AI to research the legal job market[1]
    • Research a specific industry
    • Create curated lists
      • Ex: Please give me a list of law firms and governmental agencies that do regulatory work in the areas of transportation or infrastructure.
    • Research a specific employer or compare specific employers
      • Ex: Pulling from information found on Chambers Associate, Firm Prospects, Vault, American Lawyer, and Law360.com, please compare and contrast the law firms of Sidley Austin and Latham & Watkins in the areas of salary, bonus, benefits, associate satisfaction, billable hours, and pro bono work.
      • Ex: Give me a list of the 10 largest U.S. legal aid nonprofit agencies that do housing rights work in the areas of eviction, housing discrimination, and public housing access.
  • Use AI to improve your resume and/or cover letter
    • Tailor your resume and/or cover letter to a specific job or area of legal practice
    • Identify gaps in your resume or areas for skills improvement
    • Help proofread your resume and/or cover letter
  • Use AI to optimize your LinkedIn profile
    • Ex: Review my LinkedIn profile [insert link to profile] and provide suggestions for how I can best highlight my work experience and skills to make me a stronger candidate for public defender jobs.
  • Use AI to craft questions for informational interviews
  • Use AI to stage a mock interview

DON’T:

  • Rely on AI without fact checking
    • It has inaccuracies
    • It’s biased
    • It has limited information to pull from
  • Use content solely generated by AI as your own work product or cut and paste language directly from AI
  • Neglect to proofread and edit documents generated by AI
  • Neglect to get human review of your application materials
  • Give AI confidential information without carefully managing your privacy settings

 

[1] Review our list of example questions for AI to use when researching the legal job market.