Clifford Chance has commenced the pilot phase of its cutting edge robotics training programme, Automation Academy through Create+65, which is the firm's LegalTech innovation lab.

Identifying opportunities

The programme will be run in conjunction with Josef, a 'next generation' legal automation platform that allows lawyers to create bots. Josef's team of legal designers and technologists will support the initiative. The Automation Academy is intended to provide trainees and lawyers a foundational understanding of how to automate legal contracts and other tasks using a no-code platform. The aim is to ensure all trainees have a commercial understanding of how legal documents can be automated by breaking down the fear that many legal graduates and lawyers, who often identify with being non-technical/non-mathematical, have around technology. Singapore managing partner Kai-Niklas Schneider explained, “This training will equip our lawyers with the skills to identify automation opportunities, and develop, test and build 'bots' to solve real world challenges within the firm.”

Fully-functional aim

Tom Dreyfus, Josef ceo said, “These bots will automate lawyer-client conversations, the provision of legal guidance and advice, and the production of legal documents, thereby improving both the client experience and the day-to-day lives of our lawyers.” Clifford Chance innovation lead Laura Collins-Scott noted, “At the end of 12 weeks, we aim to have developed fully functional legal bots that change the way Clifford Chance approaches particular legal tasks.” The firm is piloting the program in Singapore, with plans to expand throughout Asia Pacific in the coming months. The Automation Academy complements the broader Clifford Chance Academy that provides legal and business skills training to lawyers and professional staff.

You can read more about robotics law in Robotics Law Journal.