**The big picture:** California's new Senate Bill 951, effective January 1, 2027, will require employers to explicitly state in Cal-WARN notices when mass layoffs are substantially caused by artificial intelligence or other automated technology. **Why it matters:** This legislation introduces a new layer of transparency for technology-driven job displacement, providing affected workers with more information and enabling public tracking of AI's impact on the labor market. **Between the lines:** - SB 951 amends California Labor Code Sections 1400.5 and 1401. - Notices must detail the number, job types, locations affected, automated job functions, and the specific AI technology involved. - The law does not change the existing 60-day notice period or the 50-employee trigger for Cal-WARN. **Staffing & HR impact:** HR and legal teams must update Cal-WARN notice procedures to comply with the new AI disclosure requirements, potentially influencing severance negotiations and retraining programs. Staffing firms may see increased demand for reskilling services as displaced workers seek new opportunities. **The bottom line:** California is pioneering transparency in AI-driven job displacement, setting a precedent that other states may follow.

**The big picture:** Fisher Phillips, a leading labor and employment law firm, has rolled out AltaClaro's AI-powered DepoSim platform firmwide to enhance attorney deposition training. **Why it matters:** This adoption signifies a growing trend in legal tech, where AI is leveraged to improve the practical skills of attorneys, directly impacting their effectiveness in handling complex workplace disputes and compliance issues. **Between the lines:** - DepoSim uses AI agents to simulate realistic deposition scenarios, including witness and opposing counsel roles. - The platform provides repeatable, on-demand training with structured, rubric-based feedback. - Verbit's verbal intelligence technology, including advanced LLMs, powers the simulation's speech-to-text and text-to-speech capabilities. **Staffing & HR impact:** Enhanced legal training through AI can lead to more efficient and skilled handling of HR compliance cases and employment litigation, potentially reducing legal costs and risks for employers. This also signals a shift in professional development within the legal sector, impacting how legal talent is cultivated. **The bottom line:** AI-driven experiential learning is becoming critical for legal professionals to navigate the evolving landscape of workplace law and litigation.