Dragonfly Thinking
Harvard Center for the Legal Profession
AI and the Future of Law
Anthea Roberts & David Wilkins

The Pyramid Transformation

Up and Out — Roberts & Wilkins, 2026

As AI automates the profession's base, the defining pyramid structure deforms. Three convergence forces press from different directions. Three possible shapes emerge.

Structural Shapes
Traditional Pyramid
Obelisk
Barbell
Diamond
The T
Convergence Forces
From Below
Laterally
From Clients
Training Pathway
Theme
The Traditional Pyramid
Many juniors subsidise fewer partners
GETS
    RISKS
      TRAINING PARADOX
      CHRISTENSEN RISK
      — Roberts & Wilkins, "Up and Out" (2026)
      KEY ACTORS
      EVIDENCE