# AI for Legal Professionals Course Online Canonical URL: ## Overview Designed for working at your own pace, this course guides legal professionals through building a functional Claude workflow from initial setup to complete implementation. You will develop skills in prompting, Projects, Artifacts, and tool integrations using practical legal scenarios and documents. Throughout the course, you will apply Claude to contracts, briefs, memoranda, case summaries, discovery review, compliance documentation, and client communications, while reinforcing professional responsibility and attorney review of all AI assisted work. Upon completion, you will have a personalized Claude system and a finished capstone matter preparation package aligned to your role and organizational priorities. ## What you'll learn - Craft structured prompts that generate accurate outputs for writing, analysis, summarization, and research - Configure and utilize Projects, Artifacts, Styles, and Memory to establish a personalized Claude workflow - Employ advanced prompting techniques including role based prompting, chain of thought reasoning, and the You Ask Me method - Connect Claude to workplace tools including Google Drive, Gmail, Excel, and PowerPoint - Implement Claude across core legal workflows including contract drafting, case law summarization, brief preparation, document review, and compliance documentation - Construct a comprehensive legal Claude system and produce a capstone matter preparation package ready for attorney review ## Curriculum #### Module 1: Getting Started with Claude AI - Explain how Claude works in plain language and identify the model tiers, plans, and interface - Understand the context window, how Claude processes information, and when to start new conversations - Practice your first Claude conversation using a legal-specific prompt - Identify what Claude does well, what it doesn’t, and when human judgment is essential #### Module 2: Prompting Fundamentals - Apply the five-part prompt framework: context, task, format, constraints, and examples - Write effective prompts across five use cases: writing, summarization, analysis, research, and creative problem-solving - Recognize and fix common prompting mistakes that produce vague or unusable output - Practice prompting with legal scenarios: drafting a contract clause, summarizing a court opinion, and writing a client status update #### Module 3: Working with Files & Documents - Upload and analyze images, PDFs, spreadsheets, and documents directly in Claude - Use Claude to extract, compare, and summarize information from uploaded files - Work with legal-specific file types: contracts, court opinions, pleadings, discovery documents, and compliance reports - Complete a hands-on document analysis exercise using provided legal sample files #### Module 4: Projects & Knowledge Bases - Explain how Projects use custom instructions and knowledge bases to organize ongoing work - Write effective Project instructions that encode your role, audience, format preferences, and rules - Upload reference documents and understand how RAG retrieves relevant content - Create a legal Project for a transaction or litigation matter using provided sample contracts, case summaries, and templates #### Module 5: Artifacts, Styles, Memory & Usage Management - Create reusable deliverables with Artifacts and edit them directly or through conversation - Build custom Styles that match your professional communication voice - Configure Memory to retain key context about you and your work across conversations - Apply usage management techniques to extend your plan value #### Module 6: Introduction to Claude Cowork - Explain what Cowork is and how it differs from the claude.ai chat interface - Read, write, and manage files from your desktop environment - Configure guardrails, file permissions, and network settings for safe use - Understand prompt injection risks and how to protect against them #### Module 7: Advanced Prompting & AI Tool Selection - Use role-based prompting, chain-of-thought reasoning, and multi-step workflows - Apply Extended Thinking, web search, and the You Ask Me technique for complex tasks - Compare Claude with ChatGPT, Copilot, and Gemini to choose the right tool for each task - Practice advanced prompting with legal scenarios: identifying risks in a contract, building a legal research memorandum step by step, and preparing deposition questions from witness statements #### Module 8: Context System, Connectors & Integrations - Build foundational context files and set Global Instructions that apply to every Cowork session - Connect Claude to Slack, Google Drive, Gmail, and other workplace tools - Use Claude natively in Excel and PowerPoint with the Office add-ins - Configure your context system and connections for legal workflows, including document comparison in Excel and case presentations in PowerPoint #### Module 9: AI for Legal — Core Workflows - Use Claude to draft, review, and redline contracts with clause-level analysis and risk identification - Summarize case law, statutes, and regulatory guidance into structured research memoranda - Prepare brief outlines, motion drafts, and argument frameworks from case materials - Extract key terms, dates, obligations, and parties from large document sets for review and analysis - Complete a hands-on lab producing a multi-document legal work product package #### Module 10: Capstone — Build Your Legal Claude System - Audit your legal tasks and identify the highest-value opportunities for Claude assistance - Configure a personalized legal Claude system: Projects, context files, Styles, and connected tools - Run a complete end-to-end matter preparation workflow: contract review summary, research memo, client communication, and matter status brief - Create a Week 1 action plan for applying what you’ve learned to your legal practice ## Instructors ### Reid Johnson — Instructor Reid isn't just someone who knows CAD and BIM; he's a licensed architect and contractor who deeply integrates these technologies into every facet of his career. His hands-on experience as a practitioner building real-world projects provides him with an invaluable understanding of how BIM and CAD streamline workflows and enhance design. This practical foundation led him to Autodesk, where he shared his expertise, helping others effectively leverage these powerful tools. Throughout his professional journey, Reid also dedicates himself to education, consistently teaching university courses and shaping the next generation of design professionals by equipping them with essential CAD skills. His unique blend of practical experience, industry knowledge gained at Autodesk, and passion for teaching positions Reid as a true specialist in BIM and CAD technology, capable of bridging the gap between theory and real-world application. **Credentials:** - Autodesk Fusion Certified User - Autodesk Revit Certified Professional - Autodesk Certified Instructor - Licensed Architect - Licensed General Contractor ### David Nguyen — Instructor David is the AEC Software Specialist at VDCI, with a Bachelor of Science in Construction Management and an Associate’s degree of science in Drafting and General Design from ITT Technical Institute. A San Diego native with over 12 years working in the Design Industry and construction industry, David brings his construction and design expertise to help all students achieve their goals in the field. Outside of his professional life, David loves attending concerts, festivals, playing his guitar and restoring and repairing all types of vehicles. **Credentials:** - OSHA 30 hr. Construction Safety Certified - Construction Software: SketchUp, Bluebeam Revu, Autodesk Suite (AutoCAD, Fusion, REVIT) - Mechanical Software: PTC CREO Parametric, Solidworks, MasterCAM ## Pricing **Tuition:** $899