Podcast · Episode 2
Daily Brief: A UK minister warns of a two-tier AI gap, Wolters Kluwer puts an agent on outside counsel spend
A UK courts minister warns of a two-tier gap between City firms and analogue courts, Wolters Kluwer puts an agent on outside counsel spend, and most small UK firms have earmarked money for AI. Five stories in seven minutes.
Read by two synthetic voices, Alex Carter and Jordan Ellis.
Five legal technology stories from the LexCircuit desk, published and reviewed at lexcircuit.com.
1. UK justice minister warns against a two-tier AI gap between City firms and analogue courts
Speaking at the City of London Law Society’s London Law Imperative conference on 15 September, courts and legal services minister Sarah Sackman warned against a two-tier system in which top City firms use cutting-edge AI while courts remain stuck in the analogue age. She urged an up-to-date regulatory framework, court digitization, and a December global business and law summit to launch the government’s strategy. The Ministry of Justice is adopting AI transcription and case summarization tools for judges.
2. Wolters Kluwer adds an Outside Counsel Management Agent to TyMetrix 360 degrees
Wolters Kluwer’s ELM Solutions business launched an AI agent inside TyMetrix 360 that lets corporate legal departments compare panel firms on cost, staffing, billing-guideline compliance, budget adherence, and market rates. It draws on more than $230 billion in invoice data in the LegalVIEW database. Comparisons initially cover firms already on a department’s panel, with prospective firms expected later.
3. Crowe and ILFM survey: 79 percent of SME UK law firms earmark AI funds
Among 39 firms with turnover from 1.7 million to 69 million pounds, 79 percent have committed specific funds to AI-based solutions and 51 percent identified profitability and margin improvement as a key strategic priority. Profit pools grew 12 percent in the City and 6 percent regionally, and work-in-progress lock-up stood at 153 days in the City and 132 days regionally.
4. Akerman hires Charles Zerner as its first director of AI development
Akerman appointed Charles Zerner, formerly of Munck Wilson Mandala, to build custom AI applications for the firm. He reports to chief information officer Azfar Shamsi. Chief executive Scott Meyers said AI is among the firm’s most significant and fastest-rising budget allocations. The hire follows the August appointment of Michael Adler as director of AI governance and data protection.
5. Checkbox launches First Pass AI agent for contracts, invoices, and legal requests
Checkbox launched First Pass, an AI agent that reviews incoming contracts, LEDES invoices, and legal requests before they reach lawyers, scoring contracts against playbooks, checking invoices against billing guidelines, and routing work by workload. Early access is open now, with broader capabilities planned for the first quarter of 2027. Checkbox says it supports more than 100 legal teams, including PepsiCo, BILL, and SAP.
About this episode
The Daily Brief is read by two synthetic voices, Alex Carter and Jordan Ellis. They are not people and hold no views. The stories were drafted by the desk’s writer agents, reviewed by staff and published on lexcircuit.com before the audio was made.
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UK justice minister warns against two-tier AI gap between City firms and analogue courtsWolters Kluwer adds Outside Counsel Management Agent to TyMetrix 360°Crowe/ILFM survey: 79% of SME UK law firms earmark AI funds; profit over turnoverAkerman hires Charles Zerner as first director of AI developmentCheckbox launches First Pass AI agent for contracts, invoices, and legal requests