Where Should Legal Professionals Start with AI?

The "Where Do I Begin?" Problem

AI is becoming increasingly visible in legal technology, yet many legal professionals are left asking the same question: where should I start?

This isn't a small question. The AI landscape includes everything from consumer chatbots to sophisticated legal research platforms, from document automation tools to predictive analytics systems. For busy legal professionals already managing demanding caseloads and client expectations, the prospect of navigating this landscape alone feels overwhelming.

The challenge is compounded by the speed of change. New AI tools emerge constantly, each claiming to revolutionise legal work. Marketing materials promise efficiency gains, cost savings, and competitive advantage; but rarely address the practical, ethical, and professional questions that lawyers actually need answered.

The Starting Problem

For lawyers, the challenge is not motivation, it's direction. The AI landscape feels crowded, fast-moving, and often poorly explained. Unlike other professional tools, AI comes with unique considerations. It's not simply a matter of choosing software and learning its interface. AI raises fundamental questions about:

• Accuracy and reliability: How do you verify AI-generated content? What happens when AI makes mistakes or "hallucinates" information?

• Confidentiality and data security: What happens to client information entered into AI systems? Where is data stored? Who has access?

• Ethical responsibility: Can you ethically use AI for legal work? What guidance has the Law Society provided? What are your obligations to clients?

• Professional accountability: If AI assists with research or drafting, who is ultimately responsible for the work product? How do you maintain professional standards?

These aren't abstract concerns, they're legitimate professional questions that deserve serious consideration.

Common Misconceptions

One of the biggest misconceptions is that lawyers must "figure it out themselves" or experiment with tools without guidance. This creates hesitation, and understandably so.

Other common misconceptions include:

• "AI is too technical for lawyers"In reality, using AI professionally doesn't require technical expertise, just informed understanding.

• "All AI tools are the same"Different AI systems have different capabilities, risks, and appropriate use cases.

• "AI will replace legal judgment" AI is a tool for efficiency and insight, not a substitute for professional expertise.

• "Waiting is safer than engaging" Informed engagement is actually safer than avoidance, as AI becomes increasingly embedded in client expectations and legal technology.

AI should not be adopted informally or without understanding. But equally, avoiding AI entirely isn't a sustainable professional strategy. The answer lies in structured, profession-specific education.

Practical Starting Points

A responsible starting point for lawyers includes:

1. Understanding how AI systems work at a high level You don't need to understand neural networks or machine learning algorithms in technical detail, but you should understand the basic principles: how AI learns from data, why it can produce errors, and what "training" and "prompting" mean in practical terms.

2. Knowing which legal tasks AI can support Different AI applications suit different legal tasks. AI can assist with:

• Initial legal research and case law identification

• Contract review and clause comparison

• Document drafting (with significant human oversight)

• Due diligence document analysis

• Legal writing improvement and editing

But it's equally important to know where AI is inappropriate or requires extreme caution.

3. Understanding regulatory and ethical implications This includes:

• Law Society guidance on technology and innovation

• GDPR and data protection considerations

• Client confidentiality obligations

• Professional indemnity insurance implications

• Duty of competence in the age of AI

4. Learning best practices for safe use Practical skills like:

• How to write effective prompts

• When to verify AI outputs

• How to document AI-assisted work

• How to communicate AI use to clients

• How to maintain professional standards throughout.

Why AI Courses for Lawyers Matter

Structured AI courses for lawyers provide clarity, context, and confidence. They replace guesswork with guidance and allow legal professionals to engage with AI in a way that aligns with professional standards.

The value of structured learning includes:

• Profession-specific context: Understanding AI through the lens of legal practice, not generic business or technical applications.

• Ethical framework: Learning within the context of professional obligations and regulatory guidance.

• Peer validation: Our research showed that legal professionals value learning alongside colleagues who share similar concerns and questions.

• Risk mitigation: Understanding boundaries before experimenting, rather than discovering them through mistakes.

• Confidence building: Moving from uncertainty to informed decision-making.

  
  

Generic AI courses may teach technical concepts, but they don't address the specific professional context that lawyers operate within. Profession-specific education matters.

The Heron Approach

Our AI course was built specifically to give lawyers a clear, supported starting point with no technical background required. We designed the course based on direct feedback from legal professionals, addressing the questions they actually asked and the barriers they actually faced. The modules balance an understanding with application, theory with practice, and possibility with responsibility.

Most importantly, legal professionals who complete the course will receive 2 hours CPD accredited learning and the course creates a safe learning environment where asking basic questions isn't just acceptable, it's expected and encouraged.

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FAQ's

1. Why are so many lawyers unsure where to start with AI?

Most legal professionals are interested in AI but are cautious by nature and rightly so. AI raises questions around confidentiality, accuracy, and professional responsibility. Without clear, profession-specific guidance, many lawyers prefer to wait rather than risk getting it wrong. This is exactly the gap Heron’s newly launched AI course is designed to address.

2. Can lawyers start using AI tools on their own without formal training?

While it’s possible to explore AI tools independently, doing so without understanding the underlying risks and limitations can create issues, particularly in a regulated profession. A structured AI course for legal professionals provides a safer and more responsible starting point, helping lawyers understand appropriate use before adopting tools in their day-to-day work.

3. What makes the AskHeron AI course different from general AI courses?

The Heron AI course was built specifically for the legal profession. It focuses on AI literacy rather than technical skills, and it addresses legal-specific concerns such as ethics, confidentiality, professional standards, and real-world legal use cases. It is not a generic technology course and does not require any technical background.

4. Is the Heron AI course suitable for lawyers with no AI experience?

Yes. The course is designed as an entry point for legal professionals who are new to AI. It assumes no prior knowledge and provides a clear, structured introduction to how AI works, how it can support legal work, and how to engage with it responsibly and confidently.

5. How does this AI course help lawyers apply AI in their daily work?

The course focuses on practical understanding rather than tools alone. It explains where AI can assist with tasks such as research support, drafting, summarisation, and knowledge management, while also highlighting where AI should not be used. This helps legal professionals make informed, confident decisions about AI in their working day.

6. Does the Heron AI course qualify as CPD in Ireland?

The course has been designed to meet the criteria for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) in Ireland. It is structured, educational, relevant to professional legal practice, and includes defined learning outcomes and a certificate of completion. Participants may self-declare 2 CPD hours in line with Law Society of Ireland and Bar of Ireland CPD requirements.