Firms are being urged to embrace the adoption of AI and oversee its use within the workplace, with a warning that failure to do so could lead to unnecessary and avoidable risk for both firms and clients.
The rapid advance of AI was discussed by a panel at the Law Society Property Conference last week, with Nisha Morjaria (director and head of business innovation, Talbots Law), Olivier Roth (policy manager, SRA), Richard Hill (chief technology officer, InfoTrack) and chair Clare Harman Clark (senior counsel – knowledge, Taylor Wessing; chair, Law Society Property Section Committee) all stressing the importance of taking control of its implementation in the workplace.
The benefits of generative AI for property lawyers are numerous, the panel explained. Large language models (LLMs) have the ability to extract information from millions of documents with 99% accuracy, with property titles processed in minutes rather than days.
Implementing AI, Richard Hill said, is not intended to replace the work of a skilled lawyer, but rather ‘allowing the conveyancer to convey’. Automating core functions allows professionals to take on more case work or focus on complicated transactions, he added.
As well as the AI solutions increasingly integrated within platforms, firms need to understand how shadow AI may be used by employees, the panel explained. The use of off-the-shelf LLM models such as ChatGPT is becoming prevalent, particularly amongst younger people. If firms don’t initiate the strategic and secure adoption of AI tools, along with strict supervisory processes to manage their use, there is a very real risk that employees will turn to unsafe solutions not designed to tackle legal issues – known as shadow AI.
Along with the likelihood of ‘hallucinations’ (AI-generated responses to user prompts that appear plausible but are either riddled with errors or completely fabricated), free tools don’t offer the level of security required for professional and legal use.
‘You have to be very conscious anyone could take work home and put it through a public AI tool, compromising data privacy and risking hallucinations’, said Talbots Law’s Nisha Morjaria.
‘AI is only as good as the data you put into it, and the prompts engineered within it’, Hill added. For it to be useful within a firm setting, it must be integrated within strong, secure architecture developed for a specific purpose.
It’s within this context the SRA wants to see evidence of supervision and the core duties of a solicitor being upheld within the use of AI, policy manager Olivier Roth said. While the SRA has been ‘relaxed’ about the use of AI in back office functions and streamlining, the increasing adoption of generative AI must be accompanied by increased supervision.
Every output created by generative AI must be checked by a responsible person, he stressed, and everyone in the firm must understand the capabilities and risks of the technology they’re using, with official policies in place to confirm the necessary information has been shared and agreed.
The only way to control the use of generative AI within a firm, Morjaria explained, is for leaders to work in collaboration with HR and IT departments to put together a firm-wide strategy with agreed policies and approved tools.
‘All the products we bring in are in our own environment and secure’, she said of Talbots Laws systems. ‘We have a set of procedures and regulations, with risk analysis carried out on the tools we approve for use, which include authenticators and other mechanisms to combat fraud’.
A starting point for formulating an AI-friendly business strategy is IS27001, Morjaria suggested, which addresses the use of AI. From a practical point of view, she suggests identifying the processes and challenges of the firm before rushing to implement AI solutions. She explained:
“Before you go down the proptech route, understand your processes and challenges. What is the service proposition you want to deliver? Is it onboarding, middle of transaction, issuing contract, checking title? Step back and look at sale, purchase, remortgage, newbuild, end-to-end. What are the key challenges and potential solutions? What resources do you have, what level of investment do you have?
“Talbots Law is large volume conveyancer, so we put in a lot of groundwork establishing the infrastructure across business processes. But businesses have different models, whether they’re multi-disciplinary, sole trader or small business. If you’re a conveyancer working with property documents, look at starting with digitalisation in the post room that’s then placed within a set workflow in the case management system.”
When working through this process, it’s essential to adopt a collaborative approach across the firm and take onboard all the feedback of the people responsible for delivery, Morjaria added.
“From a cultural engagement perspective, bring in the people who are doing the roles. You’re not replacing jobs, it’s how you position AI within the transformation journey: digital transformation is an enabler, it allows quick and easy access to information and gives you time back to have meaningful conversations with clients.”
The SRA agrees cultural engagement is important, Olivier said, and the organisation is examining how it can support firms with the adoption of AI, including the development of a safe testing environment, or sandbox, where firms can test products.
‘The government’s direction of travel is pushing to growth and innovation, so we encourage take up of generative AI and best practice’, he added.
“The SRA is happy to answer any questions about issues related to AI, and there will be more resources coming out over the next few months.”
When asked for their top tips and quick wins for implementing AI within firms, the panel agreed communication and collaboration is key. Speak to people within the firm to identify challenges, speak to providers to be aware of exactly what they can offer, and speak to peers to find out what worked for them – and what didn’t.
‘Speak to providers about your challenges and issues so they can understand your roadmap – there are many tools coming out that can help remove the stress within the process, such as digital ID and QES’, Morjaria advised.
Hill agreed: ‘Look at the back end of the transaction and reducing requisitions, for example. You can do that by bringing different providers and solutions that integrate AI products within your own workflow to validate applications’.
“The use of AI ubiquitous and you have to do it in a controlled manner or shadow AI will be used. Use AI and solutions that have been engineered for that specific purpose.
“If you haven’t started the journey, it’s time to start now.”
The SRA welcomes enquiries related to the adoption of AI within firms: email Innovate@sra.org.uk
One Response
The recent discussion at the Law Society Property Conference highlights a crucial point: while the opportunities of AI in conveyancing are undeniable, the role of the regulator must remain clear. The SRA’s statutory purpose is to uphold the rule of law, protect the public, and preserve the integrity of the profession—not to prescribe a single strategic path for technological adoption.
There is a real danger in framing AI as an inevitable “direction of travel” that firms must follow. If innovation is promoted in a blinkered way, lawyers risk becoming passive adopters of tools designed by others, rather than active custodians of professional standards. The essence of legal practice lies in judgment, accountability, and independence. These values must not be diluted in the pursuit of efficiency.
By all means, firms should explore AI where it enhances service delivery, but the regulatory emphasis should be on supervision, confidentiality, and professional responsibility. The message ought to be that solicitors remain in control of the advice they give, whatever tools they use. AI can be an enabler, but it must never be allowed to erode the solicitor’s role as a trusted adviser.
The SRA would do better to reaffirm that principle, enabling diverse approaches to innovation while ensuring that integrity and professional values remain the compass by which the legal profession navigates a rapidly changing landscape.