Generative AI and Legal Aid: Results from a Field Study and 100 Use Cases to Bridge the Access to Justice Gap

The study “Generative AI and Legal Aid: Results from a Field Study and 100 Use Cases to Bridge the Access to Justice Gap” examines how AI tools can improve access to justice for low-income Americans who lack legal help. Researchers gave ninety-one participants up to two months of access to paid AI tools, with a randomly selected subset receiving added “concierge” support that included peer use cases and assistance. Ninety percent of participants reported higher productivity and three-quarters intended to continue using AI tools, especially for lower-risk tasks such as document summarization, first-draft writing, and translation.

The study also found that before the trial, men were much more likely than women to use or value AI tools, but this gender gap disappeared by the end. Participants who received concierge support achieved better outcomes across productivity, satisfaction, and continued use. The authors concluded that generative AI can augment rather than replace lawyers and could expand the reach of legal aid when introduced thoughtfully. They recommend regulatory sandboxes and voluntary certification programs for legal aid bots and released a database of one hundred real use cases to guide broader adoption.

1. Ninety percent of legal aid lawyers who used generative AI reported productivity gains, with many citing time savings on summarization, drafting, and translation tasks, and seventy-five percent planned to continue using AI after the trial.

2. Participants who received extra support through concierge services such as office hours and curated use cases achieved higher satisfaction, quality, and frequency of use than those without assistance.

3. Gender disparities in initial AI adoption disappeared after the trial, showing that structured access and training can equalize benefits and encourage wider, more equitable use of generative AI in legal aid settings.

This study matters because it provides the first real-world evidence of how generative AI can increase productivity and efficiency for legal aid lawyers serving low-income clients. It demonstrates that structured support and training can make AI adoption more equitable across gender and experience levels. It also shows that generative AI can safely augment, rather than replace, the work of lawyers, helping to close the nation’s access to justice gap.

1. Legal aid organizations can boost efficiency and reach more clients by integrating generative AI tools for tasks like summarizing documents, drafting forms, and translating legal language.

2. Providing structured onboarding, peer examples, and ongoing support greatly improves adoption and outcomes when introducing AI to legal professionals.

3. Regulators and funders should explore certification programs and sandbox environments to ensure quality, safety, and equitable access to AI-powered legal aid tools.