In a significant move towards embracing the future of legal practice, major global law firms including Norton Rose, Hogan Lovells, and nine others have joined forces with SkillBurst Interactive.

SkillBurst Interactive is a company that provides on-demand learning programs for law firms and corporations. The consortium aims to develop courses that will equip legal professionals with the necessary skills to effectively use emerging tools in the field of generative AI.

Much of the current education for using generative AI is either too general, not applicable to the specific use cases of legal professionals, or too technical. This partnership seeks to address these issues by providing bespoke solutions tailored to the needs of legal professionals.

“The legal tech vendors are instrumental; they’re the ones creating these tools that everyone is going to use, but they are not experts in learning content for lawyers and law firms,” Anusia Gillespie, chief strategy and growth officer at SkillBurst, said. “There needs to be a neutral third-party content that is delivered internally so the people feel it’s a firm initiative, not a specific product training.”

The consortium includes other notable law firms such as Eversheds Sutherland, Taft, Thompson Coburn, White & Case, and Womble Bond. These firms have recognized the importance of staying ahead in the rapidly evolving legal landscape by investing in AI training.

Leaders at Thompson Coburn said they’re working with the firm’s innovation committee to avail its lawyers of the first two modules, according to Norma Jackson, the firm’s chief diversity and professional development officer.

When it comes to generative AI, ”we’re looking at a topic that doesn’t have defined terms,” Matt Braunel, a Thompson Coburn partner and chair of the firm’s innovation committee, said. “Everyone is trying to come down to an agreement as to what those means,” Braunel added. “One of those first modules is facts and foundations. I think that’s going to make a great foundation to build from. The other one is risk and foundations, which is great for anyone in an outside law firm setting.”

This collaboration is expected to yield substantial benefits for the participating firms. By gaining early access to SkillBurst Interactive’s training generative AI modules, these firms are championing the importance of taking advantage of technological advancements in the legal field.

“The idea is we’re not training people how to use any specific tools,” SkillBurst CEO Steve Gluckman said. “What we heard is they want to use these tools … in an effective, safe, ethical way and keeping in mind confidentiality as well. We started with some basics, and from there we get deeper into topics.”

As many leaders of law firms grapple with the creation of internal policies, programs are being developed to train their employees in the use of generative AI. This is happening in a context where many prominent law firms have chosen to prohibit the use of generative AI platforms that are publicly available, such as ChatGPT.

The move also signifies a broader trend in the legal industry towards embracing AI and other emerging technologies. The partnership between these global law firms and SkillBurst Interactive could potentially revolutionize how legal professionals approach their work, making them more efficient and effective in their roles. It also sets a precedent for other industries to follow suit and invest in specialized AI training for their professionals. As these tools become increasingly integral to legal practice, initiatives like this one will play a crucial role in ensuring that legal professionals are adequately equipped to navigate this new terrain.