Law firms launch AI training programmes

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Travers Smith LLP and Linklaters LLP have both launched new AI training programmes to boost employee understanding, improve the expertise of their lawyers and keep up with the fast-paced nature of the evolving technology space.

Travers Smith’s Artificial Intelligence Academy was announced last week, and incorporates mandatory modules to leverage the firm’s market-leading expertise and innovative approach to AI. As well as the four modules, the training programme is made up of in-depth live sessions and access to reference materials, such as bitesize learning videos and further reading.

The firm’s chief technology officer, Oliver Bethell, said the programme demonstrates Travers Smith’s “commitment to ensuring our people not only keep pace with, but also stay ahead of the technological curve”. 

The AI Academy marks “the beginning of an ongoing, firm-wide commitment to grow, adapt and excel in the ever-evolving landscape of artificial intelligence”, added Emily Tearle, head of knowledge management and coordinator of the firm’s AI Academy.

Meanwhile, magic circle law firm Linklaters launched its expert generative AI training programme earlier this month, which was designed to “enhance the technical and practical expertise of its lawyers in generative AI”.

Linklater’s expert programme marks the firm’s commitment to incorporating cutting-edge technology into its legal practice and builds on the launch of its foundational generative AI training. The new programme – GenAI Expert Training – was created as part of a collaboration between the firm’s generative AI programme team and The Dickson Poon School of Law at King’s College London, and aims to take proficiency to the next level.

The training will consist of classroom sessions taught by internationally renowned experts, as well as practical learning exercises. The goal is for participants to be able to identify use cases for their practice groups and functions, and to bring those use cases to life with the support of data science and development teams

This expert programme makes up one-third of Linklater’s three-tiered generative AI training package, with an advanced online course being developed in-house.

Speaking about the launch, partner and head of the firm’s client tech and AI offering, Shilpa Bhandarkar, said: “This unique collaboration underlines the firm’s continued commitment to investing in GenAI. Offering a global cohort of our people the opportunity to learn from leading academics and each other will help embed GenAI expertise across our business. We've already built the foundation on which this cohort can now bring their knowledge and creativity, identifying use cases and designing solutions that will help them transform the way they work and deliver client service.”