Legal aid organizations are adopting AI twice as fast as other lawyers, new study reveals

A study examining the adoption of artificial intelligence in legal aid organizations found that these resource-constrained nonprofits are adopting AI technology at almost twice the rate of the legal profession as a whole, driven by the urgent need to serve millions of underserved Americans.

The investigation, The AI ​​Advantage: How Technology Can Help Close the Justice Gapwas conducted by Everlaw in partnership with the National Legal Aid and Defense Association (NLADA), Paladinand LawSites.

The study finds that 74% of legal aid organizations are already using AI in their work – an adoption rate significantly higher than the 37% adoption rate recently reported across the legal profession for generative AI tools.

AI as a solution to the justice deficit

The most striking finding from the study concerns legal aid professionals’ optimism about the potential impact of AI: 88% of respondents believe AI can help close the gap in access to justice to some extent, and 34% say it can help “to a great extent.”

This widespread belief in the transformative potential of AI comes against the backdrop of a serious legal crisis in the United States. According to the study, 92 percent of civil law problems faced by low-income Americans receive no or insufficient legal help, and the United States ranks only 107th out of 142 countries in affordability and accessibility to civil justice.

As I said in the study:

“This survey reveals that AI adoption is not just happening at well-funded BigLaw firms – it is being driven by organizations serving our most vulnerable populations. When 88% of legal aid professionals view AI as a tool to address gaps in justice, it highlights its potential to fundamentally democratize access to legal services.

Regular use of AI

The survey found significant integration of AI into the daily operations of legal aid organizations. Among the 112 legal aid professionals surveyed in May 2025:

• 40% said they use AI at least once a week.
• 26% use it daily.
• 12% use it several times a day.

Common applications include document summarization, legal research, analysis, translations and development work – demonstrating the versatility of AI in different aspects of legal aid practice.

Increased customer capacity

The Legal Services Corporation estimates that nearly one in two people eligible for legal aid are refused help due to a lack of resources.

For those legal aid organizations struggling with overwhelming workloads, perhaps one of the survey’s most compelling findings is that 90% of respondents said using AI to its full potential would allow them to serve more clients.

When asked to quantify the potential impact, respondents provided specific projections:

• 46% believe they could serve 1-25% more customers.
• 27% thought they could serve 26 to 50% more customers.
• 17% plan capacity increases of more than 50%.

“AI presents a generational opportunity to fundamentally expand access to justice, but it is not inevitable,” said Joanne Sprague, director of Everlaw for Good. “By equipping these essential legal organizations with AI tools, we can make a real difference in the lives of millions of people. »

Implementation challenges remain

Despite widespread optimism, the survey identified significant barriers to the full implementation of AI. The main areas of concern, ranked by severity, include:

1. Privacy and data confidentiality (5.8 out of 10 on the concern scale).
2. Hallucinations and AI quality (5.6 out of 10).
3. Ethical and professional responsibility (5.0 out of 10).
4. Prohibitive cost (3.6 out of 10).
5. Lack of technical resources (3.2 out of 10).

These challenges highlight the complex considerations legal aid organizations face when implementing AI, particularly given their ethical obligations to vulnerable client populations and their limited financial resources.

Spotlight on North Carolina

The report highlights Legal Aid of North Carolina (LANC) as an example of innovative AI implementation. The state’s largest nonprofit law firm serves 300,000 people each year who seek help for issues like domestic violence and illegal evictions.

LANC is currently testing an AI-based voice agent for initial intake, which operates 24/7 in multiple languages, addressing accessibility concerns for customers in rural areas or those with transportation issues.

By automating this fundamental step, LANC’s 200 attorneys statewide can focus on high-value work such as court appearances and client advocacy, the survey notes.

“We will never find our way out of this access to justice crisis,” Scheree Gilchrist, LANC’s chief innovation officer, said in the investigative report. “AI is a force multiplier to evolve our services.”

A powerful tool for legal aid

According to experts cited in the report, the study’s findings align with broader observations about the democratizing potential of AI in legal services.

“Generative AI offers a rare chance to solve this crisis,” said Kristen Sonday, co-founder and CEO of Paladin. “This can democratize legal information, simplify processes and deliver useful legal tools at scale.” »

The survey results suggest that legal aid organizations view AI not as a threat to legal employment, but as a crucial tool for expanding access to justice. Technology appears to allow these organizations to further optimize their limited resources while maintaining quality representation for vulnerable populations.

“Professionals in the access to justice community are embracing this technology as a crucial ally in the long-term fight to close the persistent justice gap,” the report concludes.

“It’s not about automating work or taking work away from lawyers; it is about providing lawyers with a powerful new tool to manage complex cases, streamline tasks and strengthen their ability to serve a greater number of clients more effectively. »

Methodology and participants

The survey was conducted in May 2025 by Everlaw in partnership with NLADA, Paladin and LawSites.

She surveyed 112 legal aid society professionals, examining their AI usage patterns, their perceptions of AI’s potential to support access to justice, and their views on how AI could help their organizations better serve people facing housing, family, employment, and other critical legal issues.