# Where AI Takes Legal Tech From Here

> From verification tools to agents that route legal work, here is Legal Tech Circle's view of where AI is pushing legal technology next, and why.

By The Circle Desk | AI in Practice | Published 2026-10-27
Source: https://legaltechcircle.com/insights/where-ai-takes-legal-tech/

Most of the money in legal tech this year has gone to one kind of
product. On our [funding
tracker](https://legaltechcircle.com/market-signals/funding-tracker/),
GenAI review, drafting and assistant companies raised $2.17 billion of
the $2.96 billion in 2026 equity funding, or 73.5%. The question now
is what those tools turn into. Based on what shipped and what courts
said in October, here is Legal Tech Circle's view of where AI takes
legal tech next. For the funding detail, see our [2026 funding
review](https://legaltechcircle.com/insights/legal-tech-funding-2026-ytd-q4/)
and [2027 outlook](https://legaltechcircle.com/insights/legal-tech-2027-outlook-q4-signals/).

## Checking Becomes the Product

The first shift is from generating text to checking it. LexisNexis
[announced](https://www.lexisnexis.com/community/pressroom/b/news/posts/as-lawyers-face-ai-switching-overload-lexis-with-protege-redefines-integrated-verified-legal-work-in-a-single-prompt-box)
Shepard's Verify, which it says helps assess citation status,
quotations and related points across both AI-assisted and
lawyer-created documents. New York's court system [issued
guidance](https://www.fingerlakesdailynews.com/local/new-york-courts-issue-guidance-on-ai-use-in-legal-filings/)
reminding attorneys that they remain responsible for everything they
submit. Chief Administrative Judge Joseph Zayas said:

> "AI tools can help enhance efficiency, but they also carry risks that demand caution and informed oversight."

When courts put verification on the lawyer, vendors will sell the
checking step. We expect it to become a standard feature, not a
premium add-on.

## Agents Take the Front Door

The second shift is where work enters. Legora [launched
Intake](https://legora.com/newsroom/legora-launches-intake-an-agentic-front-door-for-in-house-legal-teams),
which it describes as a front door for in-house legal teams, available
now in Slack. It turns requests into tracked work and can prepare it
using the team's own playbooks, with lawyers reviewing. Clio
[showed](https://www.lawnext.com/2026/10/cliocon-2026-a-quick-wrap-up-of-everything-clio-announced-today-and-its-a-lot.html)
Grow AI, which LawSites reports answers inbound calls, asks a firm's
screening questions, runs conflict checks and books consultations. Our
view is that intake is where agents prove themselves first, because
the work is repetitive and the handoff to a lawyer is clear.

## Agent to Agent Is Still a Rumor

Some people want to go further. Above the Law
[reported](https://abovethelaw.com/2026/10/fortune-500-healthcare-company-asks-for-ai-to-negotiate-contracts-with-no-human-lawyers/)
that Spellbook's chief executive posted that a Fortune 500 healthcare
company asked whether its agent could send redlines to a counterparty
without human involvement. The report says he later clarified the
client meant routine agreements such as NDAs. That is one sales call,
from one source. We treat it as a signal to watch, not a trend, and we
would expect court and bar rules on supervision to shape how far it
goes.

## AI Reaches Criminal Cases First

AI is already in criminal justice, ahead of the rules. N47
[led](https://www.n47.com/insights/why-were-investing-in-longeye)
Longeye's $20 million Series A for evidence review used by justice
agencies. Florida judges began using Westlaw's CoCounsel on July 1,
according to [The Florida Bar
News](https://www.floridabar.org/the-florida-bar-news/florida-judges-cautiously-explore-ai-as-workload-grows/),
which quotes Chief Judge Lisa Munyon saying judges do not use it for
decision making. The Law Commission of Ontario [presented 29
recommendations](https://www.lawtimesnews.com/news/general/law-commission-pitches-laws-frameworks-for-ai-use-in-criminal-justice/393553)
for AI in criminal justice. Our view is that public sector use grows
faster than most firms expect, and that disclosure rules follow.

## Firms Will Run More Than One AI

The last shift is buying behavior. Hogan Lovells Cadwalader [signed
agreements](https://www.hlc.com/en/news/hogan-lovells-cadwalader-unveils-the-next-phase-of-its-ai-strategy)
with both Harvey and Legora and created an AI Board to decide what to
build and what to buy. Its chief executive said there is no single AI
solution that will meet every need. We think more large firms land in
the same place, which favors vendors that connect well with others.

## Common Questions

**Will AI replace lawyers?**

Nothing in this month's announcements points that way. The products
described keep lawyers reviewing and approving the work, and courts
are making that review explicit.

**What should a firm watch for first?**

Verification features and intake tools, because both are shipping now
and both are tied to rules courts are already setting.

**Is agent to agent negotiation happening?**

There is one reported sales request so far and no confirmed deployment.

## Verdict

**Partly Real.** The checking and intake shifts are live and backed by
shipping products. Fully autonomous legal work is still a talking
point, and the rules being written suggest it will stay supervised.

---
Legal Tech Circle (https://legaltechcircle.com/). News and analysis, not legal advice.