[EDRM Editor’s Note: The opinions and positions are those of Sheila Grela.]
In the Art of War, Sun Tzu teaches that “[i]n the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity.” As we enter 2025, the rapid changes in the legal and tech fields can feel overwhelming, like navigating through the fog of war. Yet, within this uncertainty lies opportunity.
While automation and AI grab headlines, what truly sets top professionals apart are human strengths—adaptability, critical thinking, and emotional intelligence. Even the most sophisticated machines can’t replicate these skills. Studies show that these “durable skills” appear in over 80% of job postings, emphasizing their value in the workplace. Whether solving legal challenges or embracing tech innovations, these abilities are what turn obstacles into success.
But how do we know these skills truly make a difference? Let’s explore the data that highlights their growing importance in today’s job market.
Data Insights Supporting Durable Skills
Every innovation brings a learning curve. America Succeeds emphasizes that while technical skills are essential, durable skills are indispensable in achieving long-term success across many industries. The intersection of technology on the one hand, and durable skills– such as critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity—on the other, is pivotal in adapting to a changing work environment.
Notably, the top five durable skills identified by America Succeeds are:
- Leadership: Guiding teams, making decisions, and inspiring others.
- Character: Demonstrating integrity, ethical behavior, and responsibility.
- Collaboration: Working effectively with others to achieve common goals.
- Communication: Conveying information clearly and listening actively.
- Creativity: Generating innovative ideas and solutions.
The top five durable skills are sought 4.7 times more frequently than hard skills. In the legal realm hard skills include items such as:
- Legal Research and Writing: Efficiently research laws and draft clear legal documents.
- Technology Proficiency: Use legal software, e-discovery, and automation tools.
- Case and Project Management: Organize case files, deadlines, and workflows.
- Billing and Time Management: Track billable hours and ensure accurate invoicing.
- Analytical and Data Management Skills: Analyze legal data to support decisions.
Clearly, durable skills are not just desirable—they are essential. But why do they matter so much in an evolving job market? The answer lies in their ability to bridge the gap between technical expertise and human-centric capabilities.
Why Durable Skills Matter
As industries continue to evolve, workers equipped with these enduring skills will have “the right stuff” to forge their success. By fostering adaptability, communication and problem-solving, legal professionals can enhance their effectiveness in every facet of their career. This is because durable skills bridge the gap between technological competence and human-centric capabilities.
Durable skills bridge the gap between technological competence and human-centric capabilities.
Sheila Grela.
The rise of generative AI is reshaping roles within the legal profession. As AI continues to reshape the professional landscape, the question is no longer whether legal and tech professionals should develop these skills—but how they can do so effectively.
Why Legal and Tech Professionals Must Hone Durable Skills
My prediction for paralegals and legal professionals for the many trends articles for 2025? “Durable skills will take center stage.”
As we start 2025, one key theme stands out for me: the urgent need for legal and tech professionals to adapt to rapidly evolving challenges in the industry.
This isn’t just about keeping up; it’s about staying ahead. I believe that in 2025, legal and tech professionals will face a growing demand to acquire or hone durable skills like adaptability, problem-solving, and communication. To stay ahead of industry changes, professionals need a structured approach to skill development. The Durable Skills Advantage Framework provides just that—offering a roadmap for mastering these critical competencies.
The Durable Skills Advantage Framework
Developed by America Succeeds, in partnership with CompTIA, this informational framework standardizes the language around non-technical, essential skills across industries. It demonstrates a structured approach to skill development, providing valuable guidance. These competencies enable legal professionals not only to anticipate emerging technological advancements but also to exceed client expectations and meet complex challenges
Legal professionals can use this framework to advance essential core abilities.
| # | Ability | Description |
| 1. | Adaptability | Responding flexibly to change, uncertainty, and evolving circumstances while maintaining productivity and effectiveness. |
| 2. | Character | Personal and professional conduct, encompassing integrity and ethical behavior crucial in the legal field. |
| 3. | Collaboration | Teamwork and connection, vital for working with clients, colleagues, and other stakeholders in legal settings. |
| 4. | Communication | The ability to effectively exchange information, engage, inform, and persuade an audience. |
| 5. | Creativity | The ability to generate new ideas and novel solutions, beneficial for developing innovative legal arguments and strategies. |
| 6. | Critical Thinking | The capacity to analyze issues critically and devise effective strategies, essential for problem-solving in legal contexts. |
| 7. | Fortitude | Constitution and inspiration, enabling resilience and perseverance in challenging legal matters. |
| 8. | Growth Mindset | Improvement and aspiration, fostering continuous learning and adaptability in the evolving legal landscape. |
| 9. | Leadership | Directing efforts and delivering results, important for guiding teams and managing legal projects. |
| 10. | Mindfulness | Interpersonal and self-awareness, aiding in understanding client needs and maintaining professional relationships. |
But does the data support the necessity of these skills? Let’s examine research-backed insights that reinforce their critical role in today’s workforce.
Data Supporting the Need for Durable Skills
An analysis of 80 million job postings from 2020-2021 revealed that seven of the ten most requested skills are characterized as durable. Adaptability and resilience are valued alongside technical expertise. This shift is particularly evident in the legal profession, where the ability to adapt, communicate, and think critically is more important than ever. How can legal professionals apply these durable skills to navigate industry changes?
Navigating Change with Durable Skills in the Legal Profession
The data highlights the growing demand for durable skills, which enhance not only work performance but career development. Durable skills function as a cornerstone for thriving in times of transformation and uncertainty.
Durable skills outpace technical skills in job postings: not just “soft skills” but enduring capabilities that give professionals insight and flexibility. Notably, data from America Succeeds reveals that over 80% of job ads for legal professionals include at least one durable skill as a requirement, and 69% include two or more, an astonishing revelation of their growing importance in the modern workplace. Further, the Durable Skills Advantage Framework underscores how competencies like leadership, communication, and critical thinking are consistently among the top skills requested by employers.
Notably, data from America Succeeds reveals that over 80% of job ads for legal professionals include at least one durable skill as a requirement, and 69% include two or more, an astonishing revelation of their growing importance in the modern workplace.
Sheila Grela.
By adopting the Durable Skills Advantage Framework, legal professionals can expand their ability to address client needs, adapt to innovative tools, and remain competitive in the ever-changing legal landscape.
But beyond theory, how do these skills translate into everyday professional success? Let’s explore their practical applications in legal and tech environments.
Practical Applications in Legal and Tech Fields
Having established the importance of durable skills, let’s explore their application within the legal profession.
By adopting this Framework, legal professionals and organizations can:
- Standardize Evaluations: Implement consistent assessments for hiring and professional development.
- Enhance Training: Design targeted programs to cultivate these competencies.
- Improve Client Relations: Leverage skills like communication and empathy to better serve clients.
For a comprehensive understanding and practical application, the full Framework is available here: Durable Skills Advantage
One area where durable skills are proving indispensable is legal technology. As firms integrate AI and automation, professionals must balance innovation with essential human expertise.
The Impact of Durable Skills in Legal Technology
The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2023 notes that by 2027, 44% of workers’ core skills are expected to change, emphasizing the growing importance of resilience, adaptability, and creativity. Additionally, 60% of companies expressed concerns about skills gaps, underscoring the necessity for professionals to seek training to emerge as competitive candidates.
In the words of wellness expert, author and coach, Sonya Sigler:
“As an attorney and advocate for career success and wellness, I see durable skills as the cornerstone of professional longevity. In a world where generative AI is reshaping the legal profession, it’s our judgment, empathy, and strategic thinking that set us apart. Mastering AI tools isn’t just about keeping up—it’s about freeing ourselves to focus on high-value tasks, cultivating deeper client relationships, and driving impactful outcomes. Durable skills ensure we thrive, not just survive, in times of uncertainty.”
This is particularly relevant in the age of generative AI, where automation is transforming how professionals approach their work. Let’s examine how AI is reshaping roles and the skills required to stay competitive.
Below is a list of references to the nexus between durable skills and hiring that reinforces the necessity of these skills:
- American Bar Association (ABA) Legal Technology Survey:
- With growing reliance on AI, collaboration, ethical reasoning, and digital communication have become essential for legal professionals.
- With growing reliance on AI, collaboration, ethical reasoning, and digital communication have become essential for legal professionals.
- World Economic Forum Future of Jobs Report:
- By 2025, half of all employees will need reskilling, with problem-solving and adaptability topping the list.
- By 2025, half of all employees will need reskilling, with problem-solving and adaptability topping the list.
- CompTIA’s Durable Skills Framework:
- Durable skills dominate job postings, with resilience, adaptability, and strategic communication listed as critical for success.
- Durable skills dominate job postings, with resilience, adaptability, and strategic communication listed as critical for success.
- NALA Compensation Survey:
- Employers increasingly value problem-solving, project management, and cross-functional teamwork.
- Employers increasingly value problem-solving, project management, and cross-functional teamwork.
- America Succeeds Data:
- More than 80% of legal job ads require at least one durable skill, and 69% require two or more, underscoring their importance in hiring decisions.
- More than 80% of legal job ads require at least one durable skill, and 69% require two or more, underscoring their importance in hiring decisions.
- McKinsey Global Institute:
- Demand for social and cognitive skills is expected to rise by 25% by 2030.
While the ABA Legal Technology Survey tracked AI adoption in law firms, that does not diminish the fact that legal experts in corporate, government, education and service providers widely emphasize the importance of collaboration, ethical judgment, and adaptability in an AI-driven legal world.
Generative AI and Its Impact on Professional Roles
Expert legal writers will continue to bring critical thinking skills to AI’s structured content, working in partnership. By combining these elements, professionals can create innovative solutions while maintaining the rigor and depth required in the legal and tech industries. This collaboration demonstrates the immense potential of pairing human expertise with technological advancements.
Busy professionals who are in demand for presentations can enable reuse of content. “You can infuse your personal tone and persuasive tactics,” Jackie Van Dyke, The Paralegal Writer, suggests, “to evolve your presentation into amazing writing.”
Looking ahead, how will these shifts shape the industry in 2025 and beyond? Experts weigh in on what to expect.
Introduction to Predictions and Their Importance
Predictions serve as valuable markers for understanding the rapid evolution of industries, especially with the integration of watershed technologies like AI and automation. By examining predictions, individuals and organizations can proactively prepare for these transformations, welcoming them as opportunities in the technology-driven future.
Arming Yourself for 2025
The yearly Relativity Prediction Webinar always offers an engaging look into the future for our legal community. The recent webinar confirmed my prediction regarding 2024:
“Litigation teams will be adding more paralegals or paraprofessionals when they evaluate their workflow to address AI.”
Sheila Grela.
I deeply appreciate the insightful dialogue between David Horrigan of Relativity and Stephanie Wilkins of Legaltech Hub. Their forward-thinking perspectives, rooted in industry trends, provide invaluable clarity. Adding to the intrigue, their discussions bring to light the innovative visions of several prominent industry leaders for the year ahead.
The Transformative Role of Generative AI
Predictions for 2025 and Beyond
Of all the predictions, one stood out as both profound and refreshingly human. Joy Heath Rush, CEO of ILTA, declared:
In 2025, kindness will be the single most important trait for the people we hire, develop, and retain.
Who knew the future of talent management could be summed up with such elegant simplicity?
Professor William “Bill” Hamilton, University of Florida Levin College of Law offered:
In 2025, we will see increased integration of e-discovery professionals, including paralegals and lawyers, as search and document analysis become an increasingly creative endeavor, as GenAI facilitates the use of quick summaries and reports in all phases of litigation.
Dazza Greenwood, Research Head, Law.MIT.edu added:
Legal AI will undergo a dual transformation. First, integrated agent-driven frameworks will unlock the full potential of AI capabilities, making them more accessible to lawyers through intuitive interfaces and automated workflows. Second, significant advances in the underlying technology—including more sophisticated frontier models—will dramatically expand what’s possible in legal AI applications.
I anticipate that the future will require legal professionals to keep pace with rapid technological advancements by relying on durable skills such as critical thinking, creativity, and adaptability, in addition to continuing their technical education. These competencies will be essential for coping with uncertainties, sparking innovation, and maintaining a competitive edge in a cutting-edge industry.
Professionals must sharpen their critical thinking to interpret intricate datasets and reinvent ways to devise strategies. Durable skills such as adaptability, communication, and leadership can make the routine usable– perhaps even transformational– in a sophisticated practice.
While innovation brings exciting opportunities, it also introduces new challenges. The key to navigating this evolving landscape lies in balancing technical advancements with human-centric skills.
Balancing Innovation and Challenges in Professional Roles
In accelerating efficiency, technology simultaneously simplifies and complicates the way we do our job. It introduces challenges that demand innovative solutions.
The 2024 predictions regarding the impact of generative AI on the role of paraprofessionals emphasize a critical trend: the growing need for durable skills to complement rapid technical advancements. Predictions draw our attention to how these competencies encourage professionals to address challenges and seize opportunities that AI alone cannot.
As industries incorporate AI and other groundbreaking technologies, professionals must look beyond technical expertise to remain indispensable. Automation reshapes professional roles in far-reaching ways. Durable skills help individuals stay relevant, deliver a superior work product, and retain a competitive edge in an increasingly technology-centric world.
Understanding the importance of durable skills, however, is just the beginning. How can these skills be applied effectively in real-world legal and tech settings? How do professionals navigate the rise of AI and automation while maintaining the human expertise that sets them apart?
As AI reshapes the legal and tech industries, I recommend developing the durable skill of metacognition by reflecting on how you will sharpen your durable skills and remain indispensable. According to MIT, metacognition is the “process by which learners use knowledge of the task at hand, knowledge of learning strategies, and knowledge of themselves to plan their learning, monitor their progress towards a learning goal, and then evaluate the outcome.”
Durable skills are more than just ‘soft skills’—they are the foundation for professional success in an AI-driven world. The data is clear: those who invest in these abilities will lead the transformation of their industries.
Durable skills ensure we thrive, not just survive, in times of uncertainty.
Sonya Sigler.
In the next section, we will explore how durable skills intersect with AI, legal technology, and the evolving workforce. We will examine practical applications, expert insights, and strategies for integrating these competencies into everyday legal practice.
To remain competitive in 2025, professionals must actively develop these skills. Begin by assessing your current skill set, seeking training opportunities, and implementing these principles in your daily work.
Assisted by GAI and LLM Technologies per EDRM GAI and LLM Policy.
