Artificial intelligence is transforming industries worldwide — and the legal profession is no exception. In this episode of Brief Chats, Director and Principal Clerk Anna Svenson sits down with Laurence White, barrister and AI expert, to explore how machine learning and large language models are reshaping the practise of law in Australia.

From smarter research tools to alarming courtroom mishaps, they unpack the good, the bad and the downright ugly of AI in legal work. Expect real-world case examples, ethical discussions, and a sobering look at what happens when lawyers rely too heavily on artificial intelligence.

 

Get in contact with Svenson Barristers:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-svenson-2610b790/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/svenson-barristers/?viewAsMember=true

https://svensonbarristers.com.au/

 

Key topics include:
How AI is helping lawyers work smarter, faster and cheaper.
The risks of hallucinations and fake citations in legal documents.
Recent Australian cases Dayal DPP v GR, May v Costaras where AI got it wrong.
What courts and regulators are now saying about responsible AI use.
Whether clients will use AI to “self-lawyer” — and what that means for the profession.



Why Listen:
 If you’re a lawyer, legal student, or anyone curious about how technology is changing the justice system, this episode offers practical insights and cautionary tales from the front line of AI adoption in law.

Chapters

00:00 – Courtroom cold open — “Silence in the court!”
 00:35 – Introducing Brief Chats and today’s topic: AI in the legal profession
 01:30 – Meet Laurence White: barrister, FinReg specialist and early AI adopter
 02:40 – How AI is being used in law firms today
 04:30 – The good: speeding up research and document summarisation
 07:20 – The billing dilemma — should clients pay less if AI saves time?
 09:00 – The rise of the “AI-educated client”
 10:30 – Why legal context still matters: the limits of chatbot advice
 12:30 – The risks: confidentiality, bias and accuracy
 13:50 – Accuracy studies — GPT-4 vs Lexis, Westlaw and others
 16:10 – What are AI hallucinations and why are they dangerous?
 19:00 – Case 1: DAYAL — fake citations and the Leap AI scandal
 21:40 – Penalties for lawyers who misuse AI
 22:10 – Case 2: DPP v GR — when both sides submit AI-generated fakes
 24:50 – The temptation to cut corners and why supervision matters
 26:05 – Justice Elliott’s warning on AI use in court in Dayal DPP v GR
 27:40 – Case 3: May v Costaras — self-represented litigants and chatbot submissions
 29:30 – How to spot AI-generated documents
 30:30 – Final reflections: transparency, trust and the future of AI in law

Artificial intelligence is transforming industries worldwide &mdash; and the legal profession is no exception. In this episode of&nbsp;Brief Chats, Director and Principal Clerk Anna Svenson sits down with Laurence White, barrister and AI expert, to explore how machine learning and large language models are reshaping the practise of law in Australia.
From smarter research tools to alarming courtroom mishaps, they unpack the good, the bad and the downright ugly of AI in legal work. Expect real-world case examples, ethical discussions, and a sobering look at what happens when lawyers rely too heavily on artificial intelligence.
&nbsp;
Get in contact with Svenson Barristers:
<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-svenson-2610b790/">https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-svenson-2610b790/</a>
<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/svenson-barristers/?viewAsMember=true">https://www.linkedin.com/company/svenson-barristers/?viewAsMember=true</a>
<a href="https://svensonbarristers.com.au/">https://svensonbarristers.com.au/</a>
&nbsp;
Key topics include:
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">How AI is helping lawyers work smarter, faster and cheaper.</li>
<li aria-level="1">The risks of hallucinations and fake citations in legal documents.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Recent Australian cases Dayal DPP v GR, May v Costaras where AI got it wrong.</li>
<li aria-level="1">What courts and regulators are now saying about responsible AI use.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Whether clients will use AI to &ldquo;self-lawyer&rdquo; &mdash; and what that means for the profession. </li>
</ul>
Why Listen: If you&rsquo;re a lawyer, legal student, or anyone curious about how technology is changing the justice system, this episode offers practical insights and cautionary tales from the front line of AI adoption in law.
Chapters
00:00 &ndash; Courtroom cold open &mdash; &ldquo;Silence in the court!&rdquo; 00:35 &ndash; Introducing Brief Chats and today&rsquo;s topic: AI in the legal profession 01:30 &ndash; Meet Laurence White: barrister, FinReg specialist and early AI adopter 02:40 &ndash; How AI is being used in law firms today 04:30 &ndash; The good: speeding up research and document summarisation 07:20 &ndash; The billing dilemma &mdash; should clients pay less if AI saves time? 09:00 &ndash; The rise of the &ldquo;AI-educated client&rdquo; 10:30 &ndash; Why legal context still matters: the limits of chatbot advice 12:30 &ndash; The risks: confidentiality, bias and accuracy 13:50 &ndash; Accuracy studies &mdash; GPT-4 vs Lexis, Westlaw and others 16:10 &ndash; What are AI hallucinations and why are they dangerous? 19:00 &ndash; Case 1: DAYAL &mdash; fake citations and the Leap AI scandal 21:40 &ndash; Penalties for lawyers who misuse AI 22:10 &ndash; Case 2: DPP v GR &mdash; when both sides submit AI-generated fakes 24:50 &ndash; The temptation to cut corners and why supervision matters 26:05 &ndash; Justice Elliott&rsquo;s warning on AI use in court in Dayal DPP v GR 27:40 &ndash; Case 3: May v Costaras &mdash; self-represented litigants and chatbot submissions 29:30 &ndash; How to spot AI-generated documents 30:30 &ndash; Final reflections: transparency, trust and the future of AI in law

Join Anna Svenson and leading barristers as they unpack fascinating court cases, explore legal news, and dive into pop culture, offering insights for anyone curious about the legal world.

Join Anna Svenson and leading barristers as they unpack fascinating court cases, explore legal news, and dive into pop culture, offering insights for anyone curious about the legal world.

Unpacking fascinating court cases, exploring legal news, and diving into pop culture.

Brief Chats 

Join Anna Svenson and barristers as they unpack fascinating court cases, explore legal news, and dive into pop culture, offering insights for anyone curious about the legal world.

Join Anna Svenson and barristers as they unpack fascinating court cases, explore legal news, and dive into pop culture, offering insights for anyone curious about the legal world.

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