Unlocking gen AI’s potential: why your firm needs targeted training
The question is no longer if your firm will engage with genAI, but how you and your firm are going to use and manage it. To be on the right path with genAI, targeted training is essential, writes Alisa Gray, director of learning at BARBRI
AI is a present-day reality in the legal profession. Your solicitors, your wider team and your competitors are already using these powerful tools — even if you are not aware of it. This presents both a tremendous opportunity and a significant risk.
The key to harnessing genAI for efficiency and future-proofing your practice lies in balancing its power with robust training. To protect your firm and your clients, you must equip your team with the knowledge to use this technology safely, ethically and effectively.
Failing to provide structured training risks compliance breaches, data security threats, bias, hallucinations and a loss of client trust. Understanding the pitfalls of using AI and how to maximise its usage in legal work ensures your team can leverage its full potential while upholding the highest professional standards to make it a powerful strategic asset.
Legal work demands more than just a basic understanding of AI. Legal professionals need targeted, practical skills that address the unique challenges their work presents.
Mastering the fundamentals
Before exploring advanced applications, your team needs a sound grasp of the basics. Understanding what AI is and how it actually works isn’t just background knowledge; it helps set the stage for responsible use, unravelling not just what it can do but as importantly, what it cannot.
Legal writing in the age of AI
One major theme is the impact of genAI on legal writing. AI output can often appear convincing at first glance, but the lawyer remains responsible for maintaining clarity, structure and professional standards. Training should examine strategies for engaging with intended audiences to refine both AI-generated and human-authored text for maximum impact.
Importantly, it should address the common genAI pitfalls — such as bias, misleading tone or incorrect content — that can undermine the quality of client-facing documents. This empowers lawyers to leverage genAI’s time-saving strengths while safeguarding their reputation as trusted advisers.
The art and science of effective prompting
The quality of genAI output is directly linked to the quality of the legal professional’s input. Prompting is the skill of crafting precise instructions to guide the AI towards the desired result. Misdirected prompting techniques can hinder results and waste valuable time.
Up-to-date, specialised training can guide legal professionals in how to direct advanced AI models to produce the output they want without compromising confidentiality or other professional standards. Improving this skill transforms genAI from a simple tool into a collaborative partner, boosting efficiency and the quality of work across the practice.
Ethical considerations, security and professional responsibility
The legal profession is built on a bedrock of ethics. GenAI has introduced new and complex ethical challenges which we must all now navigate. As such, we need to equip lawyers to manage issues around data protection, privacy and responsible use when interacting with genAI, and immerse them in hypothetical and real-world scenarios that highlight issues such as data bias and confidentiality. This allows individuals to apply established legal professional conduct standards to this new technological frontier — and safeguard your firm’s integrity.
Firms must also address the inherent security risks of using AI tools, especially those that are public facing. Training that provides a clear overview of these risks and, more importantly, actionable solutions to mitigate them are essential for protecting sensitive firm and client data.
It is also vital to understand the limitations of genAI. These tools can produce inaccurate or made-up information. Effective training teaches lawyers how to spot these anomalies and provides practical steps to verify AI-generated output, reinforcing the need for human judgment at every stage.
Practical applications: litigation and transactions
No training programme is complete without addressing real-world application. The true value of genAI is realised when it is integrated into daily workflows.
This could mean using AI to assist in any number of areas — from drafting claims or pleadings, brainstorming counterarguments, or preparing cross examination questions. It could be used to assist with drafting contractual terms or summarising key post-completion dates for clients or supporting business development and bolstering client communications.
By focusing on tangible use cases, training becomes immediately relevant and empowers your team to see an immediate return on their learning investment. This moves AI from a novel concept to an indispensable part of their daily toolkit.
Your firm’s next step: invest in your people
GenAI is reshaping the legal landscape. Waiting for issues to arise is not a strategy. Firms that proactively invest in training will not only mitigate risks but also gain a significant competitive advantage.
By implementing a structured training programme, such as BARBRI’s Generative AI Fundamentals for Law Firms series by Skillburst, you empower your team to innovate, enhance client services, and operate more efficiently.
