Harvey CEO: The AI Revolution Will Make Junior Lawyers Outpace Senior Partners

Winston Weinberg, CEO of the $5 billion legal AI startup Harvey, is strongly advocating for the indispensable value of junior lawyers in the age of artificial intelligence. Speaking at TechLaw Fest in Singapore, Weinberg asserted his "100%" commitment to hiring and training young attorneys, countering industry speculation that AI may erode the traditional apprenticeship model.

Weinberg, the 31-year-old founder, predicts that young legal professionals—who have grown up utilizing AI tools—will soon surpass senior partners in terms of AI fluency and adaptability. He suggests that junior talent is "very willing to try new tools" and more "agile" at adopting new playbooks. Furthermore, he noted that young lawyers can engage in "more high-risk things sooner," which fosters massive professional growth, concluding that these juniors will become "a way better partner" in 10 years.

Rather than replacing junior staff, Weinberg sees AI making their training more vital, transforming AI systems into effective "education platforms." Harvey, which has approximately 340 employees since launching three years ago, demonstrates this commitment by hiring junior lawyers in every new market, including its Asia-Pacific (APAC) office in Sydney, which opened this month with plans to hire about 15 people this year.

This perspective aligns with a broader shift reported in the legal industry. An American Bar Association survey from April revealed that more than 6% of 2024 law school graduates have already defected to business and industry roles. While 54% still landed in law firm positions, others are pivoting to legal-tech startups, viewing it as a "career-enhancing move."

The practical application of this view is evident at major firms like PwC, a Harvey partner. A PwC partner and chief AI officer noted that the Harvey AI tool has become so essential to junior attorneys—allowing them to skip manual legislation review and focus on more qualitative work—that "if we took Harvey away from our staff, there'd be a riot." Harvey’s platform, which uses large language models to help with document analysis and research, is now utilized in 53 countries and has strategic partnerships with industry leaders like PwC and Microsoft Azure, having reached $100 million in Annual Recurring Revenue in just three years.