AI Is Redefining How Law Firms Prepare, Practice and Grow
Winston Taylor is taking a different approach to preparing future lawyers with its inaugural Practice-Ready Program, which brought together 28 incoming law students for training focused on skills AI cannot replace. The four-day program emphasized communication, collaboration, judgment, feedback and client relationships, areas law firms say new attorneys often lack due to the growing gap between law school and real-world practice.
The initiative reflects a broader shift in legal education as firms increasingly recognize that while AI proficiency will be essential, strong interpersonal and client-service skills will remain critical to becoming a “future-ready” lawyer.
MARKET MOVEMENTS
White & Case LLP adds Mayer Brown global investment leader Timothy Clark
Post & Schell, P.C. taps Pennsylvania attorneys Oliver C. Overlander and Stephen S. Bloomburg to be co-chairs of workers' compensation department
Reed Smith LLP hires antitrust attorney John Magruder from Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP
Education law duo Paul O'Neill and Christopher A. Barrett joins Potomac Law (PLG) in New York, Philadelphia
FIRM SPOTLIGHT - CLIFFORD CHANCE US LLP
Clifford Chance has grown into a global legal powerhouse with more than 3,400 lawyers across 32 offices, including a rapidly expanding U.S. practice that the firm considers its top priority. Known for its cross-border work and strong financial-sector reputation, the firm offers broad expertise across corporate, finance, litigation, real estate, tax and emerging areas like fintech. Its associate development model emphasizes hands-on experience through a transactional assignment pool, extensive training, mentorship and innovation initiatives designed to make legal work more efficient.
INDUSTRY INSIGHTS
Law firm revenue jumped 11.7% and inventory rose 16.7% during the first half of the year compared to the same six-month period in 2025, Daniel Greenfield, senior specialist in the law firm advisory group at Citi, told Law360 Pulse on Monday. Both metrics grew more than they did during the first quarter of 2026.
Maynard Nexsen PC is growing its Atlanta office a year after it moved into the city by merging with a real estate firm, an expansion that comes after the firm has grown its presence in Atlanta from eight attorneys to more than 20 and added expertise in six practice groups. The firm announced Monday that it's expanding to add an additional floor in its current space, which will grow its presence in the city to 24,279 square feet, marking a 359% increase in a year. The office expansion is set to be completed by January 2027.
Jackson Lewis P.C. ranked as the 32nd-largest U.S. law firm on this year's Law360 400 list, with around 470 partners among its 1,140 attorneys.
AI Is Reshaping Pro Bono Work
AI is increasingly being used by law firms and legal aid organizations to expand access to justice by streamlining tasks such as legal research, intake, document review and drafting. In 2026, 80% of law firms reported using AI in pro bono cases, up from 67% the previous year, with tools also helping organizations identify client needs and connect people with legal resources. However, experts caution that it is still too early to determine whether AI is actually increasing the number of clients served, particularly as legal aid organizations face staffing and funding challenges.
Georgia Law Makes AI Training Mandatory
The University of Georgia School of Law is requiring all students to complete a technology competency course while largely banning electronic devices in first-year classrooms to strengthen focus and critical-thinking skills. The new policy reflects the school’s broader approach to AI: ensuring every graduate is prepared to use emerging technology while still developing the legal reasoning and interpersonal skills that AI cannot replace. Unlike schools with blanket AI bans or specialized AI programs, UGA is giving professors flexibility to experiment with AI in their courses while adapting policies as the technology evolves.
