Litera to add Hotshot legal training to CE Manager

Litera and Hotshot have signed a memorandum of understanding to make Hotshot's legal training courses available through Litera CE Manager. The planned tie-up would give law firms access to Hotshot's course library within Litera's compliance and learning system.

Under the arrangement, lawyers would be able to find Hotshot courses through CE Manager, while firms could assign training and track course completion and eligible continuing legal education credits on the same platform. The integration is expected to be available in the fourth quarter of 2026.

The move reflects a broader shift in legal training as firms reassess how junior lawyers learn core skills while generative artificial intelligence takes on more routine work. Tasks that once served as early training opportunities for associates are increasingly handled by software, pushing firms to find more structured ways to teach legal judgment, practical knowledge and the use of AI tools.

Hotshot's library includes more than 400 courses covering legal, business, professional skills and technology topics. Litera CE Manager is used by law firms to manage learning programmes and track continuing legal education compliance. The expanded arrangement builds on the companies' existing work on credit tracking.

Research cited by the companies suggests adoption of generative AI in the legal sector is outpacing training practices. According to 8am's 2026 Legal Industry Report, nearly seven in 10 legal professionals now use generative AI tools for work, more than double the level reported a year earlier.

A separate survey from Wolters Kluwer found that more than a third of legal professionals reported inadequate training and difficulty integrating AI with existing systems. It also pointed to concerns that junior lawyers may have fewer chances to develop through routine assignments as those tasks become increasingly automated.

Training shift

For law firms, the challenge is not only regulatory compliance but also how to replace informal, on-the-job learning with more deliberate training. Continuing legal education requirements have long been a fixture of legal practice, but firms are now under pressure to combine compliance tracking with skill development that reflects changing workflows.

By putting Hotshot's courses inside CE Manager, the companies aim to bring those two needs together in one system. Firms using the platform could assign courses by role and seniority while also monitoring whether lawyers have completed the training and qualified for relevant credits.

Hotshot is already used by more than half of the Am Law 100, along with regional and boutique firms, law schools and companies, according to the company. Litera says it serves more than 15,000 customers globally and more than 1 million daily users, including 99% of the Am Law 100.

The legal technology market has seen growing interest in tools that combine workflow, knowledge and administrative functions as firms try to avoid adding separate systems for each task. In that context, learning management is becoming more closely tied to broader practice management and compliance oversight.

Hotshot Co-Founder Ian Nelson said the shift in legal work has changed the assumptions behind lawyer development.

"As GenAI takes on work that has traditionally been the training ground for junior lawyers, firms are rethinking how they train lawyers for the underlying knowledge and skills needed while also helping lawyers at every level learn to use these tools effectively and responsibly," Nelson said.

"Bringing Hotshot's practical learning into Litera CE Manager will give firms a more connected way to deliver that training, structure development by role and experience level, and manage CLE compliance in one place," he added.

Litera said the arrangement would give its customers direct access to practical legal training within software they already use for compliance administration. It framed the move as part of a broader need for firms to make training more relevant to current practice rather than treating continuing legal education as a narrow reporting exercise.

Litera Vice President of Products Valerie Connell said: "Firms need practical learning that builds real skills and judgment, not just compliance hours."

"With Hotshot's courses accessible directly through Litera CE Manager, our customers will get exactly that, within the platform they already rely on," she added.