Bass, Berry & Sims launches Summer AI Lab for associates

Bass, Berry & Sims has completed its first Summer AI Lab for summer associates, a programme developed with Vanderbilt University.

The initiative brought together 43 summer associates in nine teams to identify legal and business problems artificial intelligence could address and then build prototype tools in response. Partners, associates and other professionals from a range of practice groups served as mentors, and the final projects were presented to the wider firm in a Shark Tank-style pitch session.

The winning team created an AI agent designed to capture and standardise reusable prompts and precedents for recurring deal workflows. The tool searches pre-populated stores of precedent documents to help lawyers find reliable materials during transactions and reduce the learning curve for attorneys using existing processes.

The programme adds to a broader push by law firms to test how AI can be used in daily legal work while training junior lawyers to work with the technology. At Bass, Berry & Sims, it was framed as both a professional development exercise and a way to examine internal workflow frictions and client-facing processes.

Devin Lintzenich, Chief Attorney Talent Officer, worked on the programme with Cat Moon, Professor of the Practise and Founding Co-Director of Vanderbilt Law School's AI in Law Lab. The structure drew on interviews with attorneys to identify practical problems before teams moved on to designing possible solutions.

The process reflected a human-centred design approach, which starts by defining a problem in human terms before building a response. In this case, summer associates interviewed lawyers across the firm and then focused on areas where AI might improve consistency, efficiency and the handling of repeat tasks.

Several themes emerged, including the use of AI to support document and process standardisation and the use of generative systems as a starting point for draft content. Teams came from practice areas including Litigation & Dispute Resolution, Corporate/M&A, Healthcare, Labour & Employment, IP, Media & Technology and Real Estate.

Lintzenich said the programme showed how junior lawyers could play a direct role in reshaping legal service delivery.

"We are proud that this first Summer AI Lab was a big success," said Devin Lintzenich, Chief Attorney Talent Officer at Bass, Berry & Sims. "It was gratifying to watch our attorneys fully embrace this initiative and provide useful insight to our summer associates. This program demonstrated how junior associates can help lead as the profession rethinks the delivery of legal services."

Rachel Shields Williams, the firm's Director of AI & Knowledge Management, described the effort as an uncommon investment for a mid-market firm. She said the programme stood apart because it was designed through the lens of education and professional development rather than conventional technology or human resources training.

"It is really unique for a mid-market firm to make this investment and to approach AI innovation and education in this connected manner," said Rachel Shields Williams, Director of AI & Knowledge Management at Bass, Berry & Sims. "Devin approached this program through the lens of education and professional development, not the IT or HR training scope many firms take. The end result was several impressive AI solutions, buy-in from senior-level attorneys and the advancement of core competencies for these burgeoning attorneys. This structure, and the support of such a prestigious partner, Cat Moon of Vanderbilt Law School, will help us continue our goal of leading in AI rather than following."

Training focus

The project also comes as law firms face growing pressure to define how AI should be used responsibly in client work. Rather than limit the exercise to technical experimentation, Bass, Berry & Sims linked it to legal judgment, critical thinking and service delivery, arguing that early exposure will matter as AI becomes more embedded in legal practice.

Lintzenich drew that connection directly when describing the programme's aims.

"AI is changing how legal work gets done," said Lintzenich. "We created this program to ensure our next generation of lawyers is learning how to think critically, exercise judgment and serve clients well in an AI-integrated environment. More than that, we empowered our summer associates to develop AI expertise and become catalysts for firmwide adoption."

Moon said the partnership gave students and future lawyers a way to test how AI could fit into legal practice without losing sight of clients' and lawyers' needs. Her remarks underscored a broader debate across the legal sector over how to combine experimentation with professional standards and practical application.

"Human-centered design is a powerful framework for legal education because it starts with people and their real problems to create better outcomes," said Moon of Vanderbilt Law School. "This partnership gives students and future lawyers a chance to explore how AI can support the practice of law while keeping the human needs of clients and lawyers at the center. We were really grateful to be part of it this summer and look forward to seeing how the firm continues to move the profession forward in this arena."

The initiative involved a record summer associate class of 43 first- and second-year law students from 16 law schools, according to the firm. Final presentations were delivered in both in-person and virtual formats, and the winner was chosen through a firmwide vote.