Financial Review: “MinterEllison has become the first major Australian law firm to admit out loud a growing fear across the world: artificial intelligence-led automation may hurt lawyer numbers, and graduates will be hit first. Minters has cut its graduate cohort for 2025-26 by almost a third from the previous year, to 72, partly because artificial intelligence automates routine lower-level work. “Client demand remains strong, but the way work gets done is changing, and we are being deliberate about how we shape our workforce,” MinterEllison chief people officer Rachel Banks said. “Responsible use of AI is improving efficiency in some of the more routine work graduates traditionally start on, while demand continues to shift towards complex matters. That combination has led us to take a more targeted approach to intake this year.” Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer, Norton Rose Fulbright, Allens and Mallesons also cut their graduate numbers for this financial year. But all said AI was not the main driver of the reduction, and pointed instead to factors such as seasonal variations and earlier over-hiring…”