Advice to Young Lawyers: Don’t Make Copy-Paste a Crutch

Young lawyers: don’t just copy and paste.

It’s easy to take an old complaint or discovery request and reuse it as a template. Everyone does it. But if that’s all you’re doing, you’re missing the most important part of your development.

And with AI tools that are becoming more prevalent, there is an even greater risk of lawyers overly relying on tools without doing the necessary critical thinking.

You’re not a secretary. You’re not a document processor.

You’re an advocate. A strategist. A problem-solver.

Every phrase, every count, every word you put in a pleading or discovery request matters. And if you don’t understand why something is there, you’re doing yourself a disservice.

Understanding the “why” is how you grow.

Why did we plead that count?

Why did we phrase the interrogatory that way?

Why did we request these documents for this time period?

Why did we include this topic in our 30(b)(6) notice?

Knowing the answer to those questions is what separates the lawyers who advance quickly from those who stay dependent on others to think for them.

Use the templates as a starting point. Use AI tools to help you get started on a draft or to refine what you’ve written. But don’t just go through the motions. If you want to be great and set yourself apart, dig deeper.

Do you agree? Join the conversation with me on LinkedIn.