New AI-led training will simulate early career legal tasks as automation reshapes junior roles
Kennedys has formed a strategic partnership with Spellbook, an artificial intelligence platform for legal professionals, to develop a new training programme aimed at equipping junior lawyers for a profession increasingly transformed by automation.
The global law firm announced that the initiative will prepare entry-level lawyers to adapt to the accelerating impact of generative AI on early-stage legal work. The collaboration is believed to be one of the first large-scale programmes of its kind in the legal sector, directly addressing the growing concern that tasks traditionally performed by trainees and newly qualified solicitors are now being handled by AI tools.
Over the past two years, legal AI platforms such as Spellbook have significantly advanced the automation of document review, contract analysis, and first-draft preparation — areas once central to on-the-job training for young lawyers. Industry observers have warned that the erosion of these tasks risks leaving new entrants with fewer opportunities to develop foundational legal skills.
Spellbook, which operates in 80 countries, uses large language models — including OpenAI’s GPT-5 — to assist lawyers in drafting, reviewing, and redlining contracts. The platform currently supports more than 4,000 legal teams worldwide and has been used to process over 10 million contracts.
Under the new partnership, Kennedys and Spellbook will build a simulated legal work environment where junior lawyers can practise core drafting and analytical tasks using AI-assisted tools. The goal is to replicate the learning curve that might otherwise disappear as technology assumes more of the routine workload in law firms.
The training programme will launch later this year, initially piloted across Kennedys’ offices in the United Kingdom and the United States. The firm said it plans to share insights from the pilot across the wider profession once the first cohort completes the course.
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Catherine Goodman, Kennedys’ chief knowledge officer, said the collaboration reflected the firm’s ongoing investment in both technology and professional development. “Having undertaken many AI and tech projects to improve workflows, it seemed natural to leverage AI to support learning and development for our lawyers,” she said.
“With Spellbook, we are creating simulated legal work scenarios where junior attorneys can practise the work they will do in real life and gain a deeper understanding of it, making them more effective when it comes to client-facing work.”
The training will feature a combination of short exercises and longer, more complex assignments, designed to mirror the typical progression of junior lawyers as they gain experience. The structure will vary depending on the practice group and jurisdiction, ensuring that the exercises remain relevant to the firm’s diverse areas of work.
Goodman added that the programme was not intended to replace traditional mentoring or supervision but to complement it by offering additional, technology-enhanced learning opportunities. “This is about ensuring that the next generation of lawyers can thrive in an environment where AI is part of everyday legal practice,” she said.
The partnership comes amid growing debate across the profession about how to balance technological efficiency with the preservation of meaningful training experiences. Senior practitioners and academics have warned that over-reliance on AI in early-stage work could lead to a loss of practical understanding among junior lawyers, potentially affecting quality and professional judgment in the long term.
Goodman acknowledged the concern but said Kennedy’s initiative was an example of how firms could turn disruption into opportunity. “There is a real possibility that this kind of AI-based training will become commonplace,” she said. “It ensures that, even as entry-level work evolves, junior lawyers continue to develop the analytical and drafting skills they need.”
The firm said it hopes the programme will serve as a model for other international law firms facing similar challenges as automation reshapes the profession.