Robert Ambrogi Blog
In two separate announcements this week, Clio rolled out two initiatives aimed at the same problem — getting practicing lawyers comfortable with AI. One puts AI software directly into lawyers’ hands at no cost; the other tries to teach the profession how to use it.
On Monday, the company announced the Legal AI Accelerator, a free education and certification program, paired with a pledge to train 25,000 legal professionals on legal AI before ClioCon 2026, which starts Oct. 26. Clio says it is the legal industry’s largest AI training initiative to date.
Then yesterday, at the annual convention of The Florida Bar in Orlando, Clio and the bar unveiled the Preferred Bar Program, under which eligible bar members get four months of free, unlimited access to Clio Work — the company’s AI workspace — followed by limited access for the duration of the agreement.
Both announcements share a common theme, which is that AI competency for legal professionals has shifted from a differentiator to a baseline expectation.
“State bars are codifying AI use, mandatory AI CLE is on the horizon across the United States, and clients are starting to ask about firm AI policies,” Clio said in the accelerator announcement.
The Florida Bar Deal
Clio says that The Florida Bar the first U.S. state bar to offer members free legal AI as a membership benefit, and that the Preferred Bar Program its first deployment of a model the company says it eventually wants to extend to every practicing lawyer in the country.
Beyond access to Clio Work, the program bundles in a structured training curriculum on responsible and ethical AI use, offered both live and on-demand, and a certification path for members who complete it.
Phil Rosenthal, Clio’s head of bar and academic partnerships, said that the collaboration offers an alternative to the “ethical minefield” of using generic AI tools, citing risks to client confidentiality and hallucination.
“Together, The Florida Bar and Clio offer a better path with the launch of the Preferred Bar Program, Rosenthal said. “It gives lawyers free access to state-of-the-art, safe, and secure legal AI with Clio Work.’
Florida Bar President Sia Baker-Barnes said the arrangement gives members access to AI “built for the way lawyers actually work,” along with the training to use it reliably. “We’re proud to be first and leading the nation.”
The benefit is not live yet. Members of The Florida Bar can register interest now, with availability expected later this year.
The 25,000-Lawyer Pledge
The free Legal AI Accelerator runs from June 15 through Aug. 31. Clio describes it as 65 days of guided practice organized around real legal workflows rather than lectures, with structured pathways for different experience levels from beginner to expert.
“The program represents the legal industry’s largest AI training initiative to date and advances Clio’s mission to transform the legal experience for all by helping legal professionals build the AI capabilities needed to succeed in a rapidly evolving profession,” the announcement said.
It includes three new free certifications, monthly content drops and challenges, CLE-eligible virtual sessions, and in-person Clio Connects events in Chicago, Charlotte, Los Angeles and San Diego.
“Technology only transforms an industry when people know how to use it,” said Joshua Lenon, Clio’s lawyer-in-residence. “Legal AI is creating entirely new ways to practice law, and we’re investing in education because we want every legal professional to be able to participate in that future.”
The Bottom Line
By lowering the cost of trying AI to zero and by offering a structured AI training program, these two programs have the potential to accomplish two results: Getting more lawyers comfortable with using AI and getting them to use it more competently.
For that, both Clio and The Florida Bar deserve credit.