Apple has unleashed its latest MacBooks, sparking the annual flurry of excitement and analysis. Tech blogs and YouTube channels buzz with reviews, often tailored to “prosumers” (video editors, photographers, and other creatives) whose workflows dominate the conversation. Lawyers and researchers, however, are frequently overlooked, their needs dismissed as less demanding or conflated with basic tasks such as emailing or word processing. The reality is far more nuanced: Legal professionals rely on robust machines to handle multitasking, research, and document-intensive workflows that rival the complexity of any creative endeavor.
This article dives into the 2024 Mac lineup from a lawyer’s perspective, cutting through the hype to assess what’s truly necessary. Spoiler alert: You might not need the maxed-out beasts videographers rave about, but you’ll want more than the entry-level options bloggers often recommend for “casual” users. We’ll explore the new M4 MacBook Pros, compare them to the MacBook Airs, and break down key specs—RAM, display quality, NPU, and more—to help you choose a machine that enhances your productivity without breaking the bank.
Setting Expectations: What Lawyers Need
Lawyers’ workflows vary widely, from on-the-go case prep to office-based research marathons. Unlike videographers, who prioritize GPU power for rendering, or musicians needing multicore CPUs for audio processing, legal professionals demand snappy single-core performance, ample RAM for multitasking, and displays that ease the strain of long reading sessions. Here’s how we’ll categorize the needs:
- Simple work on the go. Basic tasks—email, calendars, light document editing—done while traveling or meeting clients.
- Semiserious work on the go. Mobile research, drafting, and multitasking with moderate document loads.
- Hybrid office/remote workflow. A hybrid setup for heavier research and other work, using multiple apps and occasionally multiple displays.
- Office-only workflow. Stationary, document-heavy work with extensive multitasking and large screens.
Apple’s 2024 lineup—featuring the M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max chips—promises significant upgrades, particularly in base RAM (now 16 GB minimum) and neural processing units (NPUs) for AI tasks.
The Reality: New MacBooks in Context
Simple Work On the Go: MacBook Air vs. M4 MacBook Pro
For lawyers needing a portable machine for basic tasks—checking emails, managing calendars, or drafting quick notes—the MacBook Air has been a go-to. Its M2 and M3 models now ship with 16 GB of RAM minimum, a welcome leap from the 8 GB bottleneck that plagued earlier versions. This baseline handles light multitasking without choking, making it a solid choice for travel. Prices for the MacBook Air start at $1,099.
Yet, the entry-level M4 MacBook Pro (starting at $1,599 for 16 GB RAM and 512 GB SSD) edges out the Air for legal work. Why? Two reasons: display quality and longevity. The Pro’s 14-inch Liquid Retina XDR display boasts a 120 Hz refresh rate and higher resolution (3024 x 1964) compared to the Air’s 60 Hz, lower-res panel (2560 x 1664). For lawyers reading dense documents, the Pro’s sharper text and dimmable blacks (thanks to mini-LED tech) reduce eye strain—a critical factor during long hours of work. The Air, with its always-on backlight and scaling issues (where rendered resolution doesn’t perfectly match the screen’s pixels), renders fonts slightly blurry. Side by side, the Pro’s text looks crisp, whereas the Air’s text looks subtly fuzzy.
The Pro’s larger chassis might deter some, but its superior screen and future-proof M4 chip make it my pick for lawyers over the Air—especially because the Air awaits an M4 refresh, likely in April 2025. If mobility is paramount and you’re upgrading now, the M4 MacBook Pro is the smarter buy.
Semiserious Research On the Go: MacBook Pro M4 and M4 Pro Options
For lawyers juggling research and serious writing on the move (think case law lookups, drafting memos, and managing multiple apps), 14-inch MacBook Pro models with either the M4 chip and upgraded RAM or with the M4 Pro chip strike a balance of power, portability, and price. Mobility demands efficiency, so power consumption matters: the M4 draws less energy, while the M4 Pro, with more cores, draws slightly more but delivers snappier performance.
RAM is the linchpin here. A typical workflow—mail, calendar, Word, Excel, a browser with ten tabs, Grammarly, and an AI tool such as ChatGPT—can easily consume 20 GB to 25 GB. The base 16 GB M4 model discussed above suffices for light loads, but 24 GB (available on the 14-inch models either as an upgrade with the M4 chip or as the baseline with the M4 chip) ensures smoother sailing when apps pile up. Why? MacOS thrives on RAM, which is used to cache open programs and desktops. With less than 24 GB, the chip leans on the SSD for virtual memory, slowing things down and wearing the drive over time. For semiserious mobile work, I’d recommend the 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M4 Pro chip, 24 GB RAM, and 1 TB SSD—portable yet potent; this configuration costs $2,399.
Hybrid Office/Remote Workflow: Scaling Up
In a hybrid setup—part mobile, part desk-bound—screen real estate and multitasking escalate. The 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M4 Pro chip remains viable, but the 16-inch MacBook Pro with the M4 Pro chip beckons. The 16-inch display (3456 x 2234) lets you view three full documents side-by-side without shrinking text to illegible sizes. On the 14-inch, you’re stuck with two windows at two-thirds scale or a cramped 50-50 split—fine for short bursts, less so for all-day research.
RAM needs to climb, too. With 30 GB to 35 GB often in use (add PDF readers, messaging apps, and cloud syncing), 36 GB keeps macOS humming. The M4 Pro’s single-core speed ensures quick app launches and navigation, while its NPU powers AI tools such as Apple’s Writing Tools or Grammarly, which chew through RAM as background agents. For this workflow, the 16-inch MacBook Pro with the M4 Pro chip, 36 GB RAM, and 1TB SSD is ideal—mobile enough for occasional travel and robust enough for remote digs. This configuration costs $3,099.
Office-Only Workflow: Go Big
Stationary lawyers tethered to desks—think litigators prepping trials or researchers buried in briefs—benefit from the 16-inch MacBook Pro with the M4 Max chip. With up to 128 GB RAM and a top-tier NPU, it handles sprawling workloads: 500 browser tabs, multiple Microsoft Office apps, AI assistants, and external 4K displays in clamshell mode. The 16-inch screen shines here, offering unmatched document visibility. If you rarely leave the office, get a 16-inch MacBook Pro with the M4 Max chip and at least 48 GB RAM and 1 TB SSD to future-proof your setup; this configuration costs $3,999.
