The OBA AI Academy is free for all Ontario Bar Association members, and, through a partnership with the Canadian Bar Association, available at no cost to CBA members across Canada. Artificial intelligence has a way of making lawyers nervous: for some, it conjures headlines about job loss and disruption; for others, it sparks curiosity about a future just beyond the edges of familiar practice. But AI is no longer a distant prospect. It is already embedded in the software we use, in the services our clients expect, and in the rules of professional conduct that tie competence to technological awareness.
Developed by Colin Lachance, the OBA’s Innovator-in-Residence, the Academy is designed to be both educational and practical. It teaches lawyers when and how to use AI responsibly, the kinds of prompts that work, and the situations where these tools can add real value. Lessons are delivered through self-paced modules, reinforced by a secure sandbox that lets members practice in a low-stakes environment.
Built into the program is LawQi, an AI assistant developed by PGYA Consulting and Praxis AI for the Academy. LawQi is designed as a mentor for lawyers, prioritizing the Academy’s own course materials over generic internet answers. The Academy describes it as a kind of “digital guide,” and I found that apt: it works like an Ariadne’s thread through unfamiliar terrain. I decided to see how well that thread would hold when tested against the daunting labyrinth of the Income Tax Act.