AI exposure Legal
Will AI replace administrative law judges?
Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers. US occupation 23-1021.
The reading
30.5%
of the time administrative law judges spend on their work goes on tasks where AI is already being used to do that work.of administrative law judges' working hours go on tasks AI has already started taking off their plate.
Ranked 65 of 756 US occupations. More exposed than 91% of them.Further along than 91% of them.
Per cent of working time Square-law scale
Average US job 7.7%
One of the most exposed jobs in the country.Front of the queue for an AI assistant.
What AI already does for administrative law judgesWhat administrative law judges no longer do alone
O*NET lists 14 tasks for administrative law judges. AI use at work shows up in 3 of them. Each score runs from 0.5, where every observed use helps a person with the task, to 1, where every use does the task outright.
- Research and analyze laws, regulations, policies, and precedent decisions to prepare for hearings and to determine conclusions.Core task mostly automated 0.87
- Prepare written opinions and decisions.Core task automated and assisted 0.83
- Determine existence and amount of liability according to current laws, administrative and judicial precedents, and available evidence.Core task automated and assisted 0.79
What it does not touch, yetWhat still needs a human
11 of the 14 tasks show no AI use at work in the data.
- Conduct hearings to review and decide claims regarding issues, such as social program eligibility, environmental protection, or enforcement of health and safety regulations.Core task
- Explain to claimants how they can appeal rulings that go against them.Core task
- Issue subpoenas and administer oaths in preparation for formal hearings.Core task
- Monitor and direct the activities of trials and hearings to ensure that they are conducted fairly and that courts administer justice while safeguarding the legal rights of all involved parties.Core task
- Review and evaluate data on documents, such as claim applications, birth or death certificates, or physician or employer records.Core task
- Rule on exceptions, motions, and admissibility of evidence.Core task
Show the other 5
- Schedule hearings.Core task
- Authorize payment of valid claims and determine method of payment.
- Conduct studies of appeals procedures in field agencies to ensure adherence to legal requirements and to facilitate determination of cases.
- Confer with individuals or organizations involved in cases to obtain relevant information.
- Recommend the acceptance or rejection of claims or compromise settlements according to laws, regulations, policies, and precedent decisions.
How that compares
Among the 7 legal occupations, administrative law judges rank 2. The group averages 21.6%, and its most exposed job is Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates at 31.1%. The average US occupation sits at 7.7%.
Just above in the ranking
- 62Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks 31.0%
- 63Business Teachers, Postsecondary 30.7%
- 64Health Information Technologists and Medical Registrars 30.6%
Just below
What this does and does not mean
Exposure is observed use, not a forecast. Anthropic maps work conversations with Claude onto the tasks O*NET lists for each job and asks, of the tasks AI could speed up, which are actually being used for at work. A use that does the task outright counts in full and a use that assists a person counts half. The task scores are averaged into the occupation figure by the share of time spent on each task.
A high figure means AI is already part of how this work gets done. It does not mean anyone has been replaced. Anthropic's own reading of the labour market finds no systematic rise in unemployment among exposed workers so far, and about 14% fewer 22 to 25 year olds starting exposed jobs.No measurable rise in unemployment among exposed workers so far, and about 14% fewer 22 to 25 year olds starting these jobs. Gap years for everyone. Labor market impacts, 5 March 2026.
Task list and titles from O*NET 31.0 by the US Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 licence. Scores from the Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY). Checked 1 November 2026. How the ranking works.