An assistant leaves a software demonstration knowing where the menus are, but still cannot find the right client document. Training needs a more useful finish: the person can complete their own task and recognize when to ask for help. This playbook follows a law firm introducing matter-management software, with different practice exercises for the people using and maintaining it.
Separate the Roles and Starting Knowledge
In a worked example, a Wisconsin firm has lawyers reviewing matter status, assistants updating documents, and a practice administrator maintaining user access. Those people should not receive the same session by default. Ask what each group already knows, which tasks change, and where a mistake would send work back for correction. The ABA’s May and June 2026 implementation article recommends involving user groups and planning training around their needs.
Build Practice Around a Finished Task
Write an observable goal for each session. “Find the assigned matter, attach the approved document, and explain who can see it” is more useful than “Understand the platform.” Use fictional or appropriately authorized records and the same permissions learners will have during ordinary work. Keep administrative exercises separate from lawyer review and judgment.
| Role | Task to Demonstrate |
|---|---|
| Lawyer | Locate the current matter status and record an approved review action. |
| Assistant | File the supplied document in the correct matter and flag missing information. |
| Practice Administrator | Process an approved access change and retain its record. |
| New Joiner | Find current instructions and the route for help. |
Let Learners Encounter an Exception
Include a missing attachment, an unexpected permission message, or an incorrectly assigned matter. Ask learners to identify the approved next step. If the answer requires a rule the firm has not decided, send that gap back to the process owner. Do not train people to invent workarounds.
Observe where the instructions fail. A repeated question may point to an unclear label or a poor screen flow. Check those possibilities while the learner is using the system. Record these findings so the system owner can distinguish training needs from configuration defects.
Support the First Real Attempts
Provide a short task reference and a named route for questions. Reserve time for practice within the working schedule. When a user needs help after launch, ask them to show the step that stopped them. A recurring problem may require a clearer field label or a change in permissions. Fix the cause before scheduling more training.
Check a few completed tasks with the relevant users and update the instructions after configuration changes. Prepare an internal colleague to train the next employee, including access to suitable practice records. The firm should retain the exercise, expected result, and current instructions together. That makes onboarding less dependent on who remembers the original demonstration.