Duquesne University's Thomas R. Kline School of Law is taking its AI and Law Collaboration program directly into law firm offices, sending faculty and staff to observe how legal AI tools function in practice. The initiative, which launched a year ago, has already included visits to Jones Day, Reed Smith, and Babst, Calland, Clements and Zomnir, with additional meetings planned.
Dean April Barton said the visits underscore a shift in what firms expect from new graduates. "These visits highlight the growing importance of new lawyers becoming comfortable with legal AI technologies," Barton said. The Pittsburgh-based law school is folding these real-world observations into its curriculum.
What the firm visits reveal
The program moves beyond theoretical discussions about AI. Faculty and staff sit with practicing attorneys to see which tools are in daily use, how workflows change, and where junior associates are expected to contribute from day one. The law school can then adjust course content to match those expectations.
Three firms have opened their doors so far. Jones Day and Reed Smith represent large global practices, while Babst Calland offers a view into a firm with deep regional roots. The mix gives the law school a cross-section of how AI adoption varies by firm size and practice area.
Building comfort, not just competence
Dean Barton's framing centers on comfort. The goal is not simply teaching students which buttons to press. It is removing the hesitation that can come when a new lawyer encounters an unfamiliar AI platform during a document review or contract analysis.
For legal professionals already in practice, the signal is clear. Law schools are responding to what firms say they need. Students who enter the job market with hands-on exposure to AI for Legal applications will have a shorter ramp-up period. Paralegals seeking structured training can follow an AI Learning Path for Paralegals that covers document review and contract analysis.
Why this matters for legal professionals
Law firms are telling law schools, directly, that AI literacy is now a baseline expectation. That message applies equally to current practitioners. Attorneys and paralegals who wait for formal firm-wide training may find themselves behind colleagues who sought out the knowledge on their own. The Duquesne program is one data point in a broader pattern: the gap between AI-curious and AI-competent legal professionals is widening, and the firms opening their doors to this program are the ones defining what competence looks like.
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