Law firm partners are noticing something concerning: a growing gap in critical thinking and communication skills among associates.

It's showing up in their work. Associates are copying and pasting from templates without considering whether the content is relevant. They are preparing questions for a deposition, but struggling to adapt when the answers don't go as expected. The ability to think on your feet, respond in the moment, and engage in real human-to-human interaction — these skills aren't developing the way they used to.

And the traditional approach to training isn't helping.

The Problem with One-and-Done Training

Most firms address deposition training the same way: bring in an actor or send associates to an expensive program once a year, have them practice in a conference room, give some feedback in the moment, and move on.

The result? Associates sitting at the fourth, fifth, or sixth year level who still haven't taken a deposition. No chance to practice between sessions. No objective, data-driven feedback. No way to build the muscle memory that comes from repetition.

As AltaClaro Chief Learning Officer Patricia Libby — a former Arnold & Porter litigator and USC Law professor — puts it:

"When I was an attorney at Arnold and Porter, I supervised junior associates and realized that a lot of people didn't know what they were doing. I didn't know what I was doing when I first came out of law school."

The Case for Deliberate Practice

There's a reason athletes don't train once a year and show up at the Olympics.

Research on peak performance — most notably from psychologist Anders Ericsson, the researcher behind the "10,000 hours" concept — shows that what separates top performers isn't just time spent practicing. It's deliberate practice: training that challenges you, stretches you, forces you to level up, and provides immediate feedback.

Deliberate practice is what has been missing from legal training, and it’s the gap that technology can finally help solve.

Introducing the DepoSim

AltaClaro recently launched DepoSim, the world’s first deposition simulator built in partnership with Verbit, a leader in verbal intelligence and transcription technology.

The tool simulates a full deposition environment, complete with an AI witness, AI opposing counsel, and AI court reporter. Attorneys prepare based on a case file, then conduct the deposition in real time.

Because the difficulty is adjustable, litigators can customize their experience based on their practice needs. Users can toggle between different witness types—an over-talker, a polished witness, or a hostile one. They can face a passive defense attorney or an aggressive gatekeeper who objects at every turn.

After each session, attorneys receive written feedback based on a rigorous rubric, helping them understand exactly what they need to work on before they jump back in.

Not Just for Junior Associates

When AltaClaro tested the simulator with partner firms, something unexpected happened: senior attorneys found it useful too.

Partners with 10 to 20 years of deposition experience said they'd use it for target practice — to warm up before walking into a real deposition, just like an athlete would before a game.

The tool is now being used across all levels: junior attorneys getting the reps they need to boost their deposition experience, and seniors sharpening their skills before high-stakes moments.

What's Next

DepoSim is just the beginning. AltaClaro is already expanding simulation-based training into other areas: employment law matters, IP litigation, securities litigation, contract negotiations, and oral advocacy.

This is the use case for AI in legal training. Creating environments where attorneys can practice the skills AI can't replace: thinking on their feet, adapting in the moment, communicating under pressure. The skills no client wants to pay for someone to learn on the job while working on their high-stakes matter.

Listen to the Full Conversation

AltaClaro Founder & CEO Abdi Shayesteh and Chief Learning Officer Patricia Libby recently sat down with Legal Speak to discuss the launch of DepoSim and how firms are rethinking associate training.

Listen to the full episode