A Practical Introduction to AI for Legal Professionals

2 hours verifiable CPD

This introductory workshop is designed to help legal professionals build confidence in understanding and using AI tools in legal practice. The session will be delivered in three parts over two hours, guiding participants through key concepts, practical demonstrations, and applied learning. The session explores the fundamentals of AI, including the difference between open and closed systems, the risks and opportunities associated with AI use, and practical ways these tools can support day-to-day legal work.

Through demonstrations and real examples, participants will see how AI tools apply across different practice contexts — with each use case explored at two levels, showing what the approach looks like in a larger firm setting and how the same principles translate into a a smaller or sole practice environment, so participants can draw directly on the examples whatever their practice context.

Participants will learn practical prompting frameworks and gain guidance on how to begin using AI responsibly within their practice. Attendees will also receive a take-home prompt bank and practical resources to support continued learning after the session.

Learning outcomes:

• Understand the basic concepts behind generative AI and its relevance to legal practice
• Recognise the difference between open and closed AI systems and the associated risks
• Use simple prompting techniques to assist with common legal tasks
• Identify the limitations of AI tools, particularly in legal research and professional judgment
• Take practical first steps to begin using AI responsibly within their firm or organisation