Many law firm marketing professionals have not received formal, on-the-job generative artificial intelligence training, even though firms are adopting new AI tools at a rapid pace. Thomson Reuters reports that the number of firms using GenAI tools has nearly doubled year over year from 14% in 2024 to 26% in 2025, yet nearly two-thirds of law firm professionals say they still have not received formal GenAI instruction at work. Firms that develop and deploy thoughtful training programs will gain an advantage over those that treat tool adoption as sufficient on its own.

Beyond the training gap, there is a deeper unease. According to another recent Thomson Reuters report, nearly half of legal professionals expressed concern about GenAI’s effect on the growth of independent judgment. Chief marketing and business development officers (CMBDOs) can manage these concerns by providing GenAI training designed to help staff understand their role in an AI-enhanced workflow where technology augments rather than replaces professional judgment.

Building a Staff Development Plan

A good training program combines “how-to” instruction with broader frameworks that support employees as the firm and its technologies evolve.

Evaluate literacy first. Assess current skill levels and understanding across the team, including informal use that may not be obvious to leadership. From there, build a tiered curriculum that moves employees from basic skills to tool-specific techniques, then to advanced uses.

Tie training to the rollout of the department’s AI use policy. CMBDOs should develop and communicate processes and best practices that enable teams to use the firm’s tools, ask questions and share successes. The training should include a review of the firm and department’s written policies, including authorized technologies, human review and other guidelines, along with a check confirming that nothing confidential is shared. Training without a shared understanding of the firm’s expectations produces inconsistent practices.

Mix learning formats and incorporate practical examples. Thomson Reuters data shows professionals build AI skills through a combination of reading materials, hands-on experimentation, informal peer learning, training and webinars. A one-time seminar rarely produces durable skill; combining formats and reinforcing them over time increases fluency. Incorporate real work product into training, using pitches, content calendars, competitive intelligence reports, and other deliverables.

Teach evaluation skills alongside prompting. The strongest programs address not only prompt construction but also the critical assessment of outputs and ethical constraints. Marketing staff should be as comfortable evaluating an AI-generated draft as they are producing one.

Name department AI champions. Firms should designate one or more liaisons tasked with maintaining momentum between training sessions. The team will benefit from a designated point of contact who fields questions, stays current on new releases and tools, and flags emerging risks. Training should keep pace with changing technologies.

The Retention and Performance Payoff

Undertrained marketing staff risk falling behind peers as AI investment accelerates. There is also a another risk: employees who use GenAI without training or oversight create inconsistent quality and exposure that can undermine the department’s credibility. Well-trained marketing teams will be strategic partners for attorneys, especially in competitive intelligence, content strategy, and business development analytics, areas where AI can extend the team’s capacity.

Conclusion

This kind of development is the multiplier in AI effectiveness. Untrained teams leave AI tools underused or misused, steadily eroding the return the firm expected. Trained teams turn that same investment into faster turnaround, sharper client-facing work, and fewer costly missteps.

Beth Huffman, a managing director at Poston Communications, has more than 40 years of experience in communications, media and marketing. She has spent the last two decades helping major law firms, legal organizations and their global clients create strategic narratives that elevate their reputations and work.

Rhonda Ulrich is a senior marketing leader and legal industry content strategist who leads Poston Communications’ AI service offering. She brings more than two decades of experience driving brand cohesion, business development impact and revenue growth for Am Law 100 firms and professional services organizations.