“Identical Drafts from Six Young Lawyers. All AI Generated”: Dr Bhasin Says Legal Training Is Collapsing

At the India Law, AI and Tech Summit 2025 held on 29 November, Dr Lalit Bhasin, President of the Society of Indian Law Firms, delivered one of the starkest warnings the legal fraternity has heard in recent years. He said that India’s legal education and professional training are collapsing under the weight of artificial intelligence, convenience based learning and the rapid digitisation of practice.

Dr Bhasin began with an anecdote that stunned the audience. At his firm, six young lawyers were recently asked to draft a basic legal notice. All six submitted the same document. “Identical drafts from six young lawyers. All AI generated,” he said. “The language was good, but the legal reasoning was absent. What does this indicate. We have virtually become slaves to technology. There is very minimal application of mind. This is a dangerous course for our profession.”

His assessment set the tone for a larger critique of how technology is reshaping the justice system. While acknowledging the benefits of e filing, virtual hearings and digital convenience, Dr Bhasin said the legal community must confront an uncomfortable truth. The digital shift has not improved core justice delivery. Pendency has increased, not reduced.

He recalled sharing a stage with former Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud, who praised the technological advances made during the pandemic. “But what about the disposal of cases,” Dr Bhasin asked. “Justice, social, economic and political, is the soul of our Constitution. Are citizens receiving the justice they deserve.”

Citing official figures, he noted that more than five crore cases were pending in Indian courts in 2023 and 2024. The number has grown despite the expansion of digital systems. “People are filing and filing, but matters are piling. This is not the judiciary’s fault. Our inherent system is broken,” he said. The root problems, according to him, lie in the legal framework itself. India has too many laws, outdated laws, overlapping laws and poorly drafted laws. “That may be good for the legal profession because it creates disputes. But it is bad for the country and bad for the economy.”

Drawing from six decades in practice, Dr Bhasin contrasted the present with the 1960s. Courts did not face today’s crushing pendency. Even the Supreme Court moved at a manageable pace. “Today, court corridors are overflowing with files. Many tribunals do not have space for litigants or lawyers. Only the files have room. This is the reality across the country,” he said.

On artificial intelligence, his position was blunt. AI may assist with research, but it cannot think, interpret or apply judgment. “How does AI tackle the disposal of matters,” he asked. “It can be a research tool. It cannot apply mind.” He expressed concern that law students are losing the ability to think independently. Open book examinations and AI generated answers have created a generation of lawyers who rely on systems rather than their own reasoning.

His comments on dispute resolution were equally uncompromising. “Litigation has failed in this country. Arbitration has failed to take off. There are no strong institutions.” He noted that large Indian corporates now prefer Singapore over India for arbitration. To restore balance, he urged senior lawyers and General Counsels to revive the culture of settlement and mediation. “Samjhota is the only answer within the framework of our Constitution,” he said, invoking India’s long tradition of consensual justice.

Concluding, Dr Bhasin said technology must remain a tool, not a substitute for human intellect. “Reliance on technology is fine to an extent,” he said. “But it can never be a replacement for the human brain.”

Event: India Law, AI and Tech Summit 2025

Speaker: Dr Lalit Bhasin, President, SILF

Date: 29.11.2025