Sheppard Attorneys Learn to Build Generative AI Tools
The training residency enables legal practitioners to create custom automation tools for their own specific workflows.
Updated on Oct. 22, 2026 in Artificial Intelligence
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Three attorneys from Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton recently completed training through LegalQuants to build their own generative artificial intelligence tools. The program is designed to increase legal practitioner proficiency with emerging automation technology.
Why it matters
As generative AI reshapes legal practice, individual lawyers are increasingly seeking direct technical proficiency. This trend marks a shift toward practitioners building bespoke tools rather than relying solely on off-the-shelf software.
Three attorneys participated in this specialized training residency. The scope of their technical work is limited to the development of generative AI tools relevant to their legal practice.
The players
Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton
A global law firm providing a broad range of legal services that is increasingly integrating internal technical development.
LegalQuants
A private organization that provides residency-based training for attorneys to build and vet their own proprietary technology.
Jamie Tso
A co-founder of LegalQuants who established the firm in April 2026 to increase legal technical proficiency.
Raymond Sun
A co-founder of LegalQuants who established the firm in April 2026 to increase legal technical proficiency.
The details
LegalQuants operates a membership-based community that trains and vets attorneys to engineer their own technology. Participants undergo residencies where they learn to architect and deploy custom generative AI models. This process shifts the focus from using external software to building internal, purpose-built systems for legal workflows.
Timeline
LegalQuants was founded in April 2026.
The training collaboration involving the Sheppard attorneys took place in Q3 2026.
The Tech Race
The engagement marks a shift toward law firms moving from software consumers to active developers. This reflects a broader trend of lawyer-led technical development residencies meant to secure competitive advantages in legal practice.
Lawyers looking to build custom tools must participate in specialized residency programs to gain these technical skills. The shift enables firms to create bespoke AI solutions that may eventually replace or augment standard, generic legal software.
The takeaway
The move suggests a future where elite legal practices differentiate themselves through proprietary, in-house AI rather than standard market tools. Observers should track whether firms move toward open-sourcing these internal tools or keeping them as exclusive intellectual property.
Further reading
Explore more developments in the Artificial Intelligence sector.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Law.
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