Pilot scheme underway in the US, with global roll-out planned — including London
Ropes & Gray is encouraging its junior lawyers to devote a fifth of their billable hours to AI as the firm ramps up its push into legal tech.
The Boston-founded firm is rolling out a new global initiative encouraging first-year associates to commit around 20% of their billable time to experimenting and training with AI tools. With new associates reportedly set a billable target of 1,900 hours a year, juniors would spend roughly 400 of those on AI training, simulations and workflow testing.
A pilot scheme is already underway in the firm’s US offices, with plans to later roll out the initiative across its 16 offices worldwide, including London. Ropes & Gray currently employs more than 1,500 lawyers across the US, Asia and Europe.
This comes after the firm announced an expanded partnership in August with legal AI provider Hebbia, whose platform is designed to optimise complex document review and data analysis in high-stakes transactions with greater speed and precision than many other LLMs.
Ropes & Gray isn’t the only firm embracing the spirit of innovation. Reed Smith has also offered credit for innovation-related projects, while international firm Kennedys is working with generative AI platform Spellbrook to help juniors adapt to the shifting nature of entry-level legal work.
Senior partner John Bruce commented:
“As AI accelerates change across the legal sector, we have a responsibility to ensure junior lawyers aren’t left behind. This programme is about creating AI-fluent lawyers: professionals who can combine deep legal reasoning with the ability to work seamlessly alongside AI tools.”
Sticking with the AI theme, Legal Cheek reported yesterday that BPP, ULaw, Oxford and King’s College London have struck a deal with US legal-AI firm Harvey, embedding its generative AI tools and teaching materials into their law courses, research centres and professional training.