Simmons & Simmons launches its first AI law internship cohort of eight students, embedding technical and legal AI training in a structured programme
Simmons & Simmons has announced that it has taken on its first cohort of eight students for a new artificial intelligence law internship programme, the first of its kind at the firm. The internship is specifically designed to blend legal and technical AI training, with the stated aim of better equipping future lawyers to advise on — and work with — emerging AI technologies. The programme is structured around giving participants exposure to both the legal frameworks governing AI and the technical operation of AI systems themselves, positioning it as a direct response to client demand for lawyers who can engage with AI-related matters at a level beyond surface-level familiarity. The announcement reflects a broader pattern of City and Silver Circle firms investing in AI-specific talent pipelines: AI has moved from a back-office efficiency tool to a front-line practice area, with matters touching the EU AI Act, AI liability, data governance, and technology contracts now generating material advisory work. Simmons & Simmons has a recognised technology practice and has been active in AI-adjacent regulatory advice. The internship model — structured legal-technical training at the student stage — is likely to influence how other firms approach AI capability-building, particularly as the EU AI Act implementation timeline accelerates and UK firms develop their own domestic AI governance frameworks in the absence of binding UK AI legislation.
Why this matters
The creation of a dedicated AI law internship signals that Simmons & Simmons views AI legal expertise as a distinct competency requiring structured investment — not simply an add-on to existing tech practice training. For students targeting City firms, this matters because it shapes the skills profile firms will expect from future trainees: familiarity with AI systems, data processing frameworks, and the EU AI Act's risk-tiered obligations is becoming a baseline expectation rather than a differentiator. The 'why now' trigger is the convergence of the EU AI Act's phased implementation, growing client demand for AI governance advice, and the increasing use of AI tools within law firm operations — all creating a skills gap that traditional legal training does not yet address. Firms that build AI-literate junior cohorts now will have a structural advantage in winning AI advisory mandates as the regulatory framework matures.
On the Ground
A trainee participating in an AI-focused programme — or working on an AI advisory matter — would assist with AI governance policy drafting for clients building internal AI deployment frameworks, markup of data processing agreements (DPAs) between AI vendors and corporate clients, and preparation of regulatory impact assessment memos mapping client AI use cases against the EU AI Act's risk classification tiers.
Interview prep
Soundbite
Dedicated AI law internships signal that technical AI literacy is becoming a baseline hiring criterion, not a specialist differentiator.
Question you might get
“How does the EU AI Act's risk-tiered classification system work, and what compliance obligations would a law firm's corporate client face if it deployed a high-risk AI system as defined by the Act?”
Full answer
Simmons & Simmons has launched a structured AI law internship blending legal and technical training, taking on its first cohort of eight students. For law firm strategy, this reflects a recognition that AI legal advisory — covering the EU AI Act, AI liability, data governance, and technology contracts — now requires practitioners who can engage substantively with how AI systems work, not just the rules that govern them. The broader market shift is that AI has moved from a firm efficiency tool to a client-facing practice area, with the EU AI Act's phased implementation creating immediate compliance mandates. Firms building AI-literate talent pipelines now will be better positioned to win mandates as regulatory complexity grows. This also signals that AI-focused internships and training programmes will become a competitive differentiator in graduate recruitment over the next two to three years.
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