LTC4 Launches AI Competency Framework

LTC4 has launched a new "Working with AI" core competency giving law firms a tool to certify staff AI proficiency.

The release addresses a growing gap in legal technology training. Law firms face direct pressure from clients to prove that their staff can use AI tools effectively and responsibly. This competency gives firms a structured, vendor-neutral path to demonstrate that capability.

What It Covers

The new competency spans five core areas. These include understanding AI capabilities and limitations, applying AI to workflows, research, drafting, and analysis, and exercising human oversight and accountability. It also covers ethical, confidentiality, and risk considerations, as well as the ongoing development of AI literacy as the technology evolves.

The framework is designed to be tool-agnostic. Whether a firm uses Harvey, CoCounsel, Legora, or any other approved AI system, the competency guidelines apply equally.

How It Was Built

LTC4 developed the competency with input from three groups of specialists. These groups included technology training and adoption professionals, lawyers, and IT staff, all of whom have hands-on AI implementation experience at their own firms.

Each group contributed to creating and peer-reviewing the training guidelines. This process ensures that the standards reflect real-world usage across a range of firm sizes and structures.

Robert Karwic, head of user experience at Milbank and a founding board member of LTC4, described the intent behind the release: "Our newly released AI competency is 'working with AI' and I'm going to keep emphasising that it's a 'working with AI' core competency, because it is very specific to 'how do firms use AI and what skills do they need in order to be able to do that effectively?'"

Assessment Process

LTC4 uses a volunteer-based review model to assess whether a firm meets the competency standard. Volunteers examine a firm's training programme and review test results to confirm that staff have demonstrated the required skills.

Karwic explained: "We have a set of volunteers who will assess a firm's training programme and look at the test results for the assessments to see if they've demonstrated competency."

This model is consistent with how LTC4 handles its other core competencies. The organization has built its credibility on bringing together professionals from different firms and perspectives to agree on shared standards.

Update Cycle

Standard LTC4 competencies are reviewed and updated every two years. The AI competency will be updated annually, reflecting the faster pace of change in this area.

LTC4 has not yet published a specific timeline for the first update, but the annual cycle signals that the organization treats this competency as a living standard rather than a fixed benchmark.

Karwic noted the significance of the launch: "That's where LTC4 got its roots. It was, 'how do I prove technology competency?' Well, we've got this group of people across the industry from different firms and with different perspectives who have agreed that these are the things that people need to be able to do."

The release comes at a time when AI adoption in legal services is accelerating. Firms are deploying tools like Harvey, CoCounsel, and Legora for tasks ranging from document review to legal research. Clients are increasingly asking firms to demonstrate not just that they have these tools, but that their staff can use them competently.

The absence of a widely accepted training standard has made it difficult for firms to respond to those requests consistently. LTC4's new competency aims to fill that gap with a structured, assessable framework.

The competency continues LTC4's established approach of being vendor-neutral. Rather than training staff on specific software, the framework focuses on principles that apply regardless of which tool a firm has deployed. This makes it easier to standardize training across offices and practice groups that may use different AI systems.

Firms interested in pursuing certification can contact LTC4 at info@ltc4.org for further details on the assessment process and training requirements.

About LTC4

LTC4 is a global not-for-profit organization that provides certification for technology proficiency in the legal industry. It develops core competency frameworks in collaboration with a network of technology training specialists, lawyers, and IT professionals from firms around the world. Its competency standards are designed to be tool-agnostic and are assessed through a volunteer-based review process. LTC4 is headquartered globally and serves law firms across multiple jurisdictions.