Sidley London: Mandates Compulsory AI Training Contract Seat

• Sidley Austin's London office has introduced a compulsory AI seat into its training contract, effective September 2026.
• The firm's training contract now expands from four to six seats, with the AI component being a mandatory 'AI Knowledge Lab' rotation.
• Trainees will undertake genuine legal assignments, critically assess AI output, and help develop firm-wide AI tools.
• Sidley is the first London firm to make an AI seat compulsory for every trainee, distinguishing its approach from other legal tech training initiatives.
• The initiative aims to equip all qualifying lawyers with hands-on experience in applying AI critically and responsibly.

Sidley's approach is distinct in making the Sidley Austin AI seat a compulsory element for every incoming rookie.

Sidley Austin's London office has introduced a significant overhaul to its training contract program, making a compulsory AI seat a core component for all future trainees. This innovative approach, effective September 2026, expands the firm's rotation system from four to six seats, ensuring that every junior lawyer gains hands-on experience with artificial intelligence.

The Sidley London AI training contract mandates that trainees complete their AI seat as either their third, fourth, fifth, or sixth rotation, following their initial two practice group placements. Tom Thesing, managing partner of Sidley’s London office, confirmed that the firm is the first in London to integrate such a compulsory AI legal training UK element into every trainee's program.

The newly established 'AI Knowledge Lab' is designed as a practical, working seat rather than a theoretical classroom setting. Trainees will engage in genuine legal assignments for Sidley’s various practice groups, collaborating closely with the firm’s Knowledge Management, Research, and Data AI teams, as well as experienced practice group lawyers.

This immersive experience will involve testing new approaches and contributing to the development of AI tools intended for broader use across the firm. A critical aspect of the training will be the expectation for trainees to critically assess AI output, identify its limitations, and discern when the technology adds value versus when direct lawyer intervention is necessary. The overarching goal, as articulated by Thesing, is for every lawyer qualifying with Sidley in London to possess hands-on experience in applying AI both critically and responsibly, thereby cultivating essential future lawyer AI skills.

The expansion to a six-seat format, comprising six four-month rotations, offers trainees increased opportunities to explore diverse legal areas such as M&A, private equity, global finance, litigation, investment funds, and restructuring. This structure aligns Sidley with other prominent firms like Dechert, Orrick, and Watson Farley Williams, though it differs from Freshfields' eight three-month seats within its two-year program.

Sidley's move underscores a growing trend in the legal sector towards more formalized technology training for junior lawyers. While other firms have introduced tech-focused initiatives, such as Freshfields' fully funded technology and law LLM for future trainees or Stephenson Harwood's six-month innovation team seat, Sidley's approach is distinct in making the Sidley Austin AI seat a compulsory element for every incoming rookie. The firm recruits up to 19 trainees annually in London, exclusively through vacation schemes, as reported by the Legal Cheek Firms Most List 2027. Trainee salaries begin at £60,000 in the first year, increasing to £65,000 in the second, with newly qualified associates earning £175,000.

This pioneering initiative by Sidley Austin signals a critical shift in legal professional development, indicating that future junior lawyers will enter the profession with mandatory, hands-on AI assessment skills. The compulsory AI legal training UK component ensures that new legal talent is equipped to navigate an increasingly technology-driven legal landscape from the outset of their careers.

The firm's commitment to developing a law firm AI Knowledge Lab and embedding it within the training contract highlights the evolving skill set required for effective legal practice. This development suggests that practicing lawyers and other legal firms should consider how this trend impacts their own AI literacy, internal training programs, and the necessary evolution of their professional development strategies to remain competitive and proficient in a rapidly changing industry.

This development signals a critical shift in legal professional development, indicating that future junior lawyers will enter the profession with mandatory, hands-on AI assessment skills. Practicing lawyers and firms should consider how this trend impacts their own AI literacy, internal training programs, and the evolving skill set required for effective legal practice.

Source: Original reporting via Legal Cheek