P E E R T O P E E R M A G A Z I N E · F A L L 2 0 2 5
13
cultural resistance and build
the engagement necessary
for practice innovation.
In this article, we draw on
applied learning theory
and principles of change
leadership to explore best
practices for structuring
innovation training that can
meet lawyers where they are:
risk-aware, time-constrained,
and ethically bound. We
show how combining core
competencies with pre-
course scaffolding, hands-on
practice, cohort learning,
and gamified elements
builds trust, competence,
and adoption. This model
addresses lawyer-specific
skepticism, teaches highly
technical and ethically
complex topics, and lowers
barriers to the diffusion
of innovation. We offer
a replicable approach
for innovation leads, KM
professionals, and learning
designers seeking to cultivate
future-ready legal talent in an
AI-driven world.
WHY IT MATTERS
GenAI is rapidly ubiquitous. It
also actively provides users
with incorrect and false
that lawyers who cannot
adapt to them will be
left behind.
Bill Henderson, the editor of
Legal Evolution and a prolific
speaker on innovation in
the legal sector, observed
just how deeply lawyer
skepticism dampens
their willingness to adopt
innovations until they see
social proof (https://insight.
dickinsonlaw.psu.edu/
dlr/vol122/iss2/2/). Citing
Everett Rogers' research on
the diffusion of innovation
through social groups,
Henderson concludes that
the legal industry is uniquely
resistant to innovation.
LEGAL TRAINING
MUST ADDRESS
THIS PROFESSIONAL
SKEPTICISM
If GenAI adoption is
unavoidable and most
lawyers want to avoid it,
then law firm leaders face
an acute training challenge.
We must also factor in two
additional realities:
• GenAI's technical
underpinnings are
complex.
information. GenAI does
not intentionally generate
faulty data with malice. It
is an algorithmic model, a
machine that does not make
choices rooted in human
emotions. Its job is to tell
you what is statistically
(probably) the next set of
words in a conversation
you begin with it. You will
likely find the responses
it provides convincing.
GenAI programming tells
it to be nice to you, even
sycophantic.
Why on earth would lawyers
have anything to do with
this technology? After all,
this is literally the group
of people who, by instinct
and training, display more
skepticism than any other
profession (https://www.
lawyerbrain.com/wp-
content/uploads/2023/04/
caliper_herding_cats.pdf).
This professional trait is
incredibly valuable when
it comes to helping clients
navigate risk. However,
in a world where large
language models open up
vast new possibilities for the
way lawyers practice, this
skepticism poses the risk
• The standards for ethical
engagement are high and
evolving.
High-quality training
must then strike a balance
between technical depth,
professional responsibility,
and strategies for
overcoming lawyer
skepticism.
Stradley Labs, powered
by vLex, addresses this
challenge by equipping
lawyers with both the
foundational knowledge and
the practical skills needed
to integrate GenAI into legal
workflows. The program's
design ensures that
participants are capable of
using these tools responsibly
and prepared to lead and
advocate for practice
innovation.
The training philosophy is
grounded in the idea that
while AI transformation
inserts the machine into
legal workflows, superior
innovation will always
remain human-centered,
focused on the connections
we form with wise
counsel. Methodologically,
the program combines
pre-session substantive
materials with interactive,
CLE-accredited sessions
and applied assignments,
ensuring that learning is both
academic and applied.
Leadership engagement
is critical, and not just as
sponsors. Stradley Labs'
design jumpstarts the
infusion of innovation
If GenAI adoption is unavoidable and most
lawyers want to avoid it, then law firm leaders
face an acute training challenge.
