With Day Zero 2027 for India’s top law schools just weeks away, campuses are bracing for one of the most uncertain placement seasons in recent years. Rapid AI adoption and geopolitical tensions in the Gulf are prompting law firms to rethink hiring, even as students complain of shrinking opportunities and opaque recruitment processes.
Industry insiders say the associate zero (A0) base—the entry-level rung at law firms—has shrunk as AI increasingly handles routine legal work, while firms also seek to recover the costs of deploying these technologies.
Rohit Jain, managing partner at Singhania & Co, says placements may face “a selective squeeze, not a collapse”. While the Gulf conflict could hurt employer confidence through higher oil prices, inflation and currency volatility, he adds that “companies implementing AI will increasingly seek AI-skilled freshers.”
Aashna Jain, career strategist and founder, RisGraph, says AI is only one part of the story.
“Law firms are generating strong revenues but hiring remains muted. After the post-Covid hiring spree of 2022, firms are still correcting. They are also reluctant to overstaff at the junior level when AI can perform much of the routine work, and are less willing to invest in training fresh graduates,” she says.
Students say the recruitment process itself has become far less predictable.
Earlier, pre-placement offers (PPOs) and Day Zero hiring across the top National Law Universities (NLUs) followed a relatively transparent schedule. This year, firms are approaching campuses individually and at different times, often insisting that students keep the process confidential.
“Firms are reaching out at different times, creating chaos on campuses,” says a faculty member at a leading law school.
A final-year student at a top NLU and member of the recruitment coordination committee says firms are giving little clarity on hiring numbers through either PPOs or Day Zero.
The student also alleges that some firms are reneging on commitments.
“I’ve seen firms withdraw offers citing restructuring, delay recruitment for months, or offer assessment internships without meaningful assessments. Students lose out on other opportunities in the process,” the student says.
Aashna Jain says such complaints have become common.
“I’ve received numerous distress calls from students whose PPOs have been withdrawn. Many firms are unusually cagey about hiring plans. One reputed law firm even instructed students not to disclose its recruitment drive to other campuses.”
The developments have drawn comparisons with engineering placements. Following large-scale job losses among IIT graduates, the All IITs Placement Committee recently introduced norms requiring recruiters to honour offers or compensate candidates with three months’ salary, failing which they face a placement ban.
“It is time the NLUs considered a similar framework,” the student says.
Recruiters, however, argue that AI has changed the nature of hiring more than its overall volume.
While legal hiring has not fallen dramatically, firms increasingly expect candidates to be comfortable with AI-enabled workflows and legal technology platforms. Beyond legal knowledge, graduates are now expected to understand which AI tools are relevant to their practice areas and how to use them effectively.
Multinational corporations have become more cautious about entry-level hiring while continuing to recruit at the mid and senior levels. Start-ups and global capability centres (GCCs), meanwhile, continue to hire younger lawyers who are technologically adept and able to shoulder wider responsibilities.
Interview conversations now routinely include questions on legal technology and AI. Candidates who can demonstrate practical familiarity with these tools enjoy a clear advantage.
Meanwhile, AI is steadily taking over routine work such as drafting, document review, due diligence and term-sheet analysis, reducing the volume of tasks traditionally assigned to junior associates. As a result, firms are hiring fewer freshers but expecting more from those they recruit.
“This shift is especially visible in GCCs, FMCG, IT, healthcare, insurance and BFSI,” says Shweta Vora Sheth, partner and head of the Compliance Hiring Practice, In-House & Corporate Functions at Vahura. “These employers want lawyers who combine legal expertise with technology adoption and operational efficiency.”
Macroeconomic uncertainty is adding another layer of caution. Funding pressures and market volatility have made start-ups more conservative in expanding legal teams.
Kanika Chugh, managing partner at SKV Law Offices, believes the market is evolving rather than weakening.
“This year’s placement season will look different, but not because hiring is collapsing. AI and geopolitical uncertainty are changing what firms hire for, not whether they hire. Disputes, regulatory and energy practices remain active, while candidates with strong fundamentals and genuine AI fluency will stand out. Firms may hire fewer juniors, but those recruited will get more substantive work earlier.”
Amar Sinhji, executive director at Khaitan & Co, says firms must strike the right balance.
“This is a time for the profession to demonstrate responsibility towards young graduates. The focus should be on thoughtful and balanced hiring rather than aggressive expansion.
