With AI cropping up on people’s radars like never before, and adoption across the legal industry accelerating at a rapid rate, it’s clear that the industry is undergoing a significant transformation. It’s therefore vital that legal education reflects and keeps up with this development.

Our very own General Counsel, Harry Borovick, who sits right at the intersection of law and technology, is doing his bit to help upskill future workers, lecturing on the application of legal technology at Queen Mary University and having written his own book on maximising value from AI whilst minimising legal risks (available for pre-order now!). So, we decided to get his thoughts on how to equip lawyers with the necessary AI skills. Here’s what he had to say…

Why are AI skills so important in today’s climate?

As technology becomes increasingly widespread in the workplace, there’s a growing expectation to use it effectively in order to increase efficiency and reduce costs. This is particularly poignant for the legal profession, with traditionally expensive services and the expectation to provide maximum value in return for these fees.

Just like stockbrokers who transitioned from shouting loudly in an exchange to trading via screens using algorithms, the role of the lawyer is evolving. That’s not to say AI is replacing legal professionals, but those not harnessing this technology in order to maximise competitivity risk being left behind.

What role does AI play in early-stage training?

The use of AI will transform how young professionals learn and develop. With a tool like Luminance automating repetitive, low value work, junior employees will not just be wading through repetitive contracts but will be able to apply and hone their legal skills and knowledge. By freeing up junior professionals to focus on more complex thought-engaged tasks at an earlier stage in their career, as well as offering a centralised source of knowledge to learn from, AI actively facilitates learning and development.

Meanwhile, more experienced professionals will have their own focus narrowed and assisted, so they can provide more hands-on training (human-to-human skills being the hardest for AI to replicate effectively – such as communicating with trust).

What does AI upskilling look like?

One of the most important aspects to educate people on is understanding how to use AI effectively. We’re faced with an information surplus, and it can be difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff. For example, in a specialist field such as the law, specialist technology is a must. Generalist models such as ChatGPT scrape information from across the entire internet and have been trained to give an answer at all costs, which is what leads to the infamous ‘hallucinations’ – an unacceptable pitfall in the legal industry, where accuracy is paramount. Understanding why this happens is the first step to avoiding it.

How can professionals develop their technical competencies?

For those at the start of their careers, my top tip would be to really consider a company’s approach to technology. From the get-go, interrogate a company on what technology they’re using, what you’ll get exposure to and when - and express your interest! For companies looking to educate themselves on AI, I would recommend selecting a vendor that will guide you through the implementation process and provide ongoing support to help users get maximum value and apply it correctly.

How can legal professionals support legal education?

Current legal professionals are best placed to encourage tech-focussed education. By hiring for this skill set, not only does this put pressure on educational institutes (with a key goal being to create employable graduates), but it also means that this knowledge can be distilled upwards; whilst longer-standing lawyers will have almost certainly not benefitted from an AI-focussed curriculum during their studies, employing young professionals who have had more tech exposure to can benefit the whole company in digitalisation.