New Thomson Reuters survey confirms what has long been the case. In-house counsel want better use of technology and innovation from their outside counsel, but don’t seem to be demanding it. Here’s my thoughts for Above the Law on the survey and a look at why in-house counsel aren’t more demanding. 

Here’s my post for Above the Law on Thomson Reuters‘ announcement of a rebuilt CoCounsel AI tool.It marks a pivot to what TR calls a fiduciary grade AI for complex and specilized legal matters. Matters where precision and verification are critical. It also suggested a subtle shift in approach in a presentation that was remarkable in various ways.

Amara’s law: We tend to overestimate the effect of a technology in the short run and underestimate the effect in the long run.

That was clearly the case with the interstate highway system and its application has some important lessons for legal. There’s no doubt Amara’s law will apply to AI and legal. We just don’t know how yet. It is the known unknown.

Here is my post for Above the Law.

Federal District Judge Sharion Aycock has sanctioned and disqualified all the lawyers on both sides of a case, including local counsel, for including hallucinated cites in pleadings and for not verifying them. It’s a well-reasoned and well supported 23-page Opinion containing many of the relevant opinions from other courts. It’s also a textbook on how not to act before a court. It should be required reading for all lawyers and legal professionals who are using or thinking of using AI.

I may well become the seminal case on these issues. Here’s my discussion of what happened and why for Above the Law.

Are midsize law firms in trouble? A recent Thomson Reuters Institute Report reveals some troubling findings.  As compared to other market segments, midsize expense growth is up, demand growth rate lower, investment in tech is less and less money is being spent on recruiting. That does not bode well if it continues. Here’s my thoughts for Above the Law.

The reality is that most lawyers’ clients are going to be using AI before and during the relationship. That means we as lawyers need to be knowledgable about AI and what it can and can’t do to protect our clients and generate and maintain their trust. Here’s some ideas in my Above the Law post, courtesy of some criminal lawyer friends.

Here’s my post for Above the Law on Gina Passarella’s (Centellic ’s Chief Content Officer), powerful 10 minute talk at LegalGeek 2026 on the state of the business of law. Her takeaways were that business people and in house counsel are going to be calling more shots, that there is an increase in competion for traditional law firms and that if these firms aren’t more careful and forward thinking, they may soon be running out of gas. More sophisticated in-house counsel are already not waiting on outside providers to make changes in light of the efficiencies AI and automation can provide.