It’s Friday the 13th, so hopefully everyone left cookies and milk out for Jason Vorhees last night to keep him happy.
This week saw a few “launches” of new and updated products, primarily dealing with integrating AI agents into their products. OpenAI learned how many r’s there are in strawberry, vLex turned Vincent AI into a full-blown legal workflow platform, and BRYTER leveraged AI agents to build a new data extraction tool. While we are still waiting for GPT-5, it seems that there are a lot of iterative enhancements going on to keep us satisfied for a few more weeks.
If you are still looking for use cases for AI, then Thomson Reuters and others have some examples for corporate counsel and others to (hopefully) reduce the time and money it takes to handle business problems of the legal variety.
Have a nice weekend everyone. I’m headed to only my second ever Major League Soccer (MLS) game this weekend now that the weather has turned “fall-like.” And by “fall-like”, I mean under 90 degrees in the Texas evenings.
Remember, you can track these stories with the AI Lawyer Talking Tech podcast (Spotify or Apple) which covers legal tech news and summarizes stories on a daily basis.
vLex Unveils Major Upgrade to Vincent AI
vLex has upgraded its AI research assistant, Vincent AI, introducing new tools for transactional tasks and litigation work. The update includes deeper integration with Docket Alarm, providing legal professionals with more robust litigation data and analysis.
Osborne Clarke Claims GPT-4o Surpasses Harvey AI
Osborne Clarke has claimed that its GPT-4o model outperforms Harvey AI’s legal tool in recent BigLaw Bench tests, highlighting the importance of prompt engineering. This development underscores the need for standardized evaluation criteria for legal AI.
OpenAI’s o1 Models Boost Legal AI Capabilities
OpenAI’s o1 models are revolutionizing legal AI by improving document revision processes and enhancing agentic workflows. These models are expected to transform legal practices by making AI agents more effective in navigating the complex and subjective nature of legal tasks.
BRYTER Launches AI Extract Agent
BRYTER, a leader in legal automation, has unveiled the AI-powered BRYTER Extract Agent. This tool integrates contract review and data extraction with legal workflows, streamlining processes and enhancing document management. By combining large language models with BRYTER’s platform, it allows legal professionals to automate time-consuming tasks such as contract review and information extraction.
Jus Mundi Secures $22 Million to Launch Jus AI
Jus Mundi has secured $22 million to develop its AI-powered arbitration assistant, Jus AI, which supports legal professionals with multilingual responses, document summarization, and translation. This investment will expand the company’s AI reach globally, enhancing workflow efficiency in over 80 countries.
Noslegal’s Open-Source Legal Data Standards Gain Adoption
Noslegal’s open-source legal data standards have been widely adopted by major law firms, including A&O Shearman. These standards help firms improve data management and streamline AI implementation through a modular taxonomy.
AI Convention on Global AI Principles Signed
The Council of Europe has introduced the first international treaty on AI systems, signed by the US, UK, and EU. The AI Convention aims to regulate AI’s lifecycle, ensuring transparency, reliability, and compliance with human rights.
Pricing AI-driven legal services: The billable hour is dead, long live the billable hour
Legal experts predict advancements in generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) could disrupt the traditional billable hour model for legal services. As GenAI takes over mundane tasks, the time spent on legal matters will significantly decrease, leading to a shift from the labor theory of value to the marginal theory of value for pricing. Law firms and clients will have to embrace the concept of setting prices based on the utility and worth of legal services to the client, rather than the cost of providing them.
Building Better Lawyers: Rachael Bosch on Brain-Based Coaching and Communication in Law Firms
Poor communication, especially passive or aggressive behavior, negatively impacts workplace productivity. Brain-based coaching leverages neuroscience to improve communication skills and emotional intelligence, while also addressing generational conflicts between partners and associates regarding work-life balance and boundaries.
Thomson Reuters Survey Highlights AI’s Potential Time Savings for Corporate Counsel
A Thomson Reuters survey reveals that corporate law departments using AI could save up to 200 hours per year, potentially boosting productivity by 10%. The AI-driven efficiencies allow lawyers to handle additional workloads or focus on strategic initiatives.
Sheppard Mullin Hires Kate Cain As Chief Knowledge And Innovation Officer, Elevates Keri Gavin To Chief Financial Officer
Sheppard Mullin has appointed Kate Cain as the new Chief Knowledge and Innovation Officer, where she will focus on integrating artificial intelligence technologies and advancing the firm’s data and knowledge management strategies.