Kennedys + Spellbook Address AI-Driven Loss of Associate Work

Insurance-focused law firm Kennedys has formed a partnership with Spellbook to support legal AI training for its junior lawyers as entry-level work gets automated away because of AI. The move comes as its Kennedys IQ tech group is restructured, with key staff, including partner Richard West, having left the firm, (see statement below).

Going back to the partnership, it will equip the next generation of lawyers with ‘the skills, judgement, and adaptability needed to thrive in a market where many traditional entry-level tasks are increasingly automated’, they said.

For example, work ‘such as first-draft contract preparation and document review, which has traditionally been critical to training new lawyers’ will reduce as AI becomes more widely used, they added.

The firm continued that together they will use simulated scenarios and AI-assisted drafting exercises – driven by Spellbook – to ‘replicate learning opportunities that may start to disappear in the workplace’. Participants will receive structured feedback on their work, mirroring the coaching traditionally gained from senior colleagues.

In short, addressing the fact that junior lawyers will see some of their billable work automated away because of AI. Thus, firms will need to train them to be able to handle more complex matters.

And as AL has said before: the solution to AI’s impact, is in fact more AI.

John Bruce, Senior Partner at Kennedys, 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.

‘Our collaboration with Spellbook is a forward-looking investment in the profession’s future, putting our people first whilst addressing head-on the efficiency opportunities and gaps that AI and automation are creating.’

And, Scott Stevenson, Spellbook CEO and co-founder, added: ‘Kennedys is taking a bold and necessary step in preparing lawyers, and their clients, for an AI-powered future. By embedding Spellbook into a structured learning environment, they’re ensuring the next generation doesn’t just survive technological change, but leads it.’

Is this a big deal? Yes. Why? Because although plenty of law firms have run AI training sessions, this one explicitly highlights the fact that entry-level work will be automated away. And that is a key issue for any business that relies heavily on human leverage.

For a major law firm with 100s of lawyers to address this head on is thus both rare and also a sign of the times. Legal AI is truly having an impact now.

And in terms of Kennedys IQ and what next for the group, the firm told AL: ‘Kennedys IQ was launched in 2020. Since then, both the industry and our clients’ needs have changed dramatically.

‘Given this changing landscape, Kennedys IQ is now focused on innovation in client service delivery for Kennedys. This is in line with the firm’s new vision and strategy, where we aim to create differentiation in delivering an efficient and high-quality service to clients globally. Kennedys IQ therefore remains embedded within the firm, utilising the tools developed to continue our prioritisation of innovation in every aspect of our business and client operations.

‘We will continue to run the core Kennedys IQ products, honouring the contracts in place with all existing clients.’

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You can find more about Spellbook here.

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