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Technology

Jul. 2, 2026

From Gutenberg to Generative AI: Why lawyers remain essential

Despite predictions that AI's accessibility to legal information will make attorneys obsolete, history says otherwise. Parallels between Gutenberg's press and today's AI revolution show that judgment, strategy, advocacy, trust, and accountability are irreplaceably human qualities clients seek.

George Brandon

President

Email: george@legalxcellence.com

George Brandon is president of LegalXcellence.com. He is a seasoned management, business development, marketing and IT professional with over 30 years of experience in the legal services industry, as well as an experienced business development attorney coach and marketing director with a proven track record of helping lawyers achieve their business development goals.

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From Gutenberg to Generative AI: Why lawyers remain essential
Johannes Gutenberg (right) in engraving from 1881. Photo credit: Shutterstock

In the mid-15th century, Johannes Gutenberg introduced a technology that would permanently alter human civilization. The printing press dramatically reduced the cost of producing books, accelerated the spread of knowledge, expanded literacy and transformed the way information was shared. Historians often regard it as one of the most significant inventions in human history.

Today, the legal profession faces a technological development that may pr...

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