The law firm said Thursday that its new AI academy reflects its commitment to helping clients "stay ahead of the curve" as technology brings major changes to businesses around the world.
The "multi-pronged" AI academy involves Latham holding multiple events and training sessions throughout the year. It began with a two-day in-person training event in Washington, D.C., in October for a group of junior lawyers, ranging from associates in their first year at the firm to those in their fourth year.
But that's just the starting point, and Latham will be holding more events. Lawyers across the firm will also have access to training sessions and other resources as part of the academy. The program also offers presentations and training sessions that are tailored to specific audiences, including clients and other members of the legal community.
Michael Rubin, the head of Latham's AI task force, said in a statement Friday that this in-person event marked the beginning of a comprehensive global program and more rigorous training for lawyers at all levels.
"The academy draws on the firm's unmatched legal practice in AI to deliver an ongoing training program," Rubin said. "Not only are we preparing for the future, but we're drawing on the work we are doing on the front lines of AI to have a big impact in the present."
John Scrudato, Latham's director of AI and innovation, said in a statement on Thursday that AI is not only having an impact on clients' businesses, but also transforming the practice of law, from automating routine tasks to providing sophisticated analytics and insights.
"The AI academy is a fantastic opportunity for lawyers to stay ahead of the latest advances in technology and acquire skills that they will be able to leverage in their practice," he said.
The new program is the result of a collaboration between Latham's AI task force, the firm's training and career enhancement committee and its technology department.
Scrudato told Law360 on Friday that Latham already had a number of different initiatives in relation to AI training and education. The firm decided to create "a focused curriculum" where lawyers could have a mix of practical training, lectures on substantive legal issues and the opportunity to meet their peers across the firm and see what they were doing.
"At the end of the day, our associates and our partners are ultimately the subject matter experts of how to apply AI to their workflows because they are all so different, and we try to enable them and give them a toolkit," Scrudato said. "But really we want them to learn from each other."
Another law firm, Travers Smith LLP, said on Oct. 23 that it had launched an internal training program to improve literacy on AI across its business.
--Editing by Linda Voorhis.
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