As AI tools continue to make inroads in the law, so-called soft skills like emotional intelligence and collaboration are increasingly critical to career success, according to a new survey.
But roughly half of the law students and associates in the study use “fair” or “poor” to describe their institution’s support in developing these types of skills.
The BARBRI-sponsored report, “Envisioning Success: The 2026 Career Aspirations Survey,” is based on an ATL survey of more than 300 law students, associates, partners, and law firm staff about their career goals, the impact of AI on those goals, and the effectiveness of the professional skills training offered by their schools and firms.
Seventy-seven percent of law students, 75% of associates, and 58% of partners believe that AI has made soft skills more critical for professional advancement, according to the report.
Yet not everyone feels that these needs are being met.
Fifty-two percent of students say their school does only a “fair” or “poor” job developing soft skills. And while many associates describe their firm’s efforts as “good” or “excellent,” 46% rate them “fair” or “poor.”
For more insights on the challenges of career development in the AI age, download a copy of the report.