Law students and trainee solicitors need to understand how AI interacts with legal practice. This includes how it works, which tools are best for which tasks and the ethical implications. This episode explores all these issues and more!

Law students and trainees will need to be able to use different AI tools ethically, efficiently and competently. Learning how to do this should start in Law School.

In this episode Catriona Filmer from Field Fisher LLP and Jimin Park (QMUL on placement at Simmons and Simmons) go through the nuts and bolts of AI in legal practice and how it is being used ‘on the ground’. They break down this big and sometimes overwhelming topic into digestible discussion. Lawyers are having to understand this new skill set to get the best out of AI and navigate this new world. That doesn’t mean coding but does mean understanding the framework and crucially the ethical implications. Also understanding how AI might impact different aspects of our legal profession from high street to city law firms.

They discuss how AI works from tokens, predictive models and context windows. From this it is easier to understand the advantages and disadvantages of different AI tools to legal practice.

We always encourage listeners to undertake practical actions after listening to the episode.
Here are a few suggestions.
- Look at the free online courses / resources prepared by the Open University alongside law firms such as Field Fisher. https://www.open.edu/openlearncreate/course/index.php?categoryid=2150&_gl=1*1kwmwvu*_gcl_au*MTA4MDE3Njk5Ny4xNzU1NDk3MjQ5 - Test different AI models to see the inherent biases – analyse the information which is produced.

This episode welcomes Karen Watton (QMUL) and Prof. Emily Allbon (City St Georges University) to talk us through what is meant by legal design and how it can benefit both law students and the public.

The law is for everyone but structures can make it hard for everyone to access the legal system. Legal design is an increasingly popular methodology, helping to improve the mindset and output that lawyers can give.

In this episode Karen Watton (Queen Mary University of London) and Professor Emily Allbon (City St Georges University) explain the important role that legal design has in creating systems around the law that work for the end user. This episode discusses the design thinking methodology, the skills students can gain from looking at things afresh and examining a legal scenario from the perspective of the end user.

We always encourage listeners to undertake practical actions after listening to the episode. Here are a few suggestions.
- Learn to pay attention. One trick is to take an everyday object e.g. a biro lid and draw it 50 times.
- Learn how to listen actively. Practice listening actively.
- Look at an agreement you just made (e.g. an app or gym membership) and think about how helpful that was for you. How could it be improved?

Useful resources
- Law Bore https://lawbore.net/ - a website directory of law for undergraduate law students.
- Home - Design the Law Nepal
- Coltsfoot Vale - The Land Law Story Map – the land law story map.
- Tl;dr - https://tldr.legal/home which includes an interactive map on Kyla’s Essay Journey.
- The Brexit Comic Strip Brexit: The Comic Strip - tl;dr - The Less Textual Legal Gallery
- Design in Legal Education - The Book - Design in Legal Education
- THE LEGAL DESIGN BOOK – Doing Law In The 21st Century – featuring qLegal’s case study in the field work section.
- Privacy Policy – Ambessa Play – A children’s privacy policy.
- Expanding Legal Design at qLegal: From volunteering to curriculum - qLegal – A news story about qLegal’s legal design module at Queen Mary University of London.

In this episode of ReImagine Law, we sit down with Peter Walsh and Pravina Pathmanathan from CMS to explore how one of the UK’s leading law firms is redefining the future of legal services through innovation and legal technology. Peter and Pravina bring fresh perspectives from outside the legal sector and share how their roles are reshaping a traditionally conservative industry—one idea, prototype, and insight at a time.

🧩 Topics Covered:

1. Getting Into Innovation in Law
Peter and Pravina share their unique career journeys—from consulting and energy to legal innovation—and what drew them to work in a sector poised for transformation.

2. What Innovation Looks Like at a Law Firm
Peter explains how CMS fosters a culture of experimentation within a traditionally risk-averse environment—using tools like Innovation Hours, hackathons, and client co-creation.

3. The Role of Legal Technology
Pravina breaks down the difference between legal tech and innovation, and how the firm leverages products like document automation, AI drafting tools, and client portals to enhance delivery.

4. Delivering Innovation and Tech in Practice
From managing complex stakeholder needs to ensuring legal compliance and data security, Pravina and Peter unpack how CMS integrates innovation and technology into everyday legal operations.

5. Enhancing Client Experience
Learn how CMS is helping clients future-proof their own services—improving speed, transparency, and self-service options to deliver more value and clarity in legal workflows.

🤖 Bonus Topic: The Role of AI in Legal Services

Peter and Pravina discuss the impact of Generative AI and how AI is shifting from a “nice to have” to an expectation across the profession.

Check out the CMS Training Contract here:

https://cmsemergingtalent.com/programmes/england-wales-ni/training-contract/