Stewart Law Offices unveils in-house AI review framework for legal filings

Stewart Law Offices says it has built a four-part process to use artificial intelligence on case files while keeping a lawyer responsible for every filing. The Rock Hill, South Carolina personal injury firm says the system is designed to speed up work without exposing client data or cutting lawyer oversight.

Why it matters: - Stewart Law Offices is trying to show how a personal injury firm can use AI without handing over legal judgment. - The framework is aimed at faster case work, tighter review and lower risk as law firms adopt generative AI. - The approach reflects growing pressure on lawyers to protect client information, verify citations and stay responsible for filings.

What happened: - Stewart Law Offices unveiled its In-House AI Review Framework on a recent appearance on RealDealChat with host Jack Hoss. - Brent Stewart, the firm's founder and a trial lawyer who graduated from law school in 1989, described the system on the show. - Stewart Law Offices is based in Rock Hill, South Carolina, and serves injured people from offices across South Carolina and Charlotte, North Carolina. - Stewart said he spent about 20 hours a week for four months testing legal AI programs before building the framework.

The details: - The framework keeps AI inside the firm and does not let the system pull from the open internet. - The system connects to the firm's case management, email and scheduling tools. - Stewart Law Offices feeds the AI South Carolina workers' compensation rules, selected case law and the firm's own forms. - Lawyers must review every filing for facts, case citations and indexing before anything goes to court. - Stewart said some judges now require lawyers to disclose AI use in a motion or pleading. - The firm still keeps a hard-copy calendar and compares it with the computer every Friday. - Stewart said the manual calendar check takes about 20 minutes to cover three months of dates. - Stewart said the firm negotiated a one-year term with its AI vendor. - Stewart said pricing is locked for two more years if the firm stays with the vendor. - Accounting staff used to page through physical files to find medical provider liens or money clients had promised to someone else. - Scanned records now let the system surface those items more quickly. - Stewart gave an example of a demand letter or complaint that took four hours and can now take two hours plus 15 minutes of review. - Stewart said about 85% of the staff appeared to like the system in its first weeks of use. - Stewart said incoming discovery goes through the system to find inconsistencies, and he still reads the documents himself. - Stewart said the firm will review the AI system after the first year. - Stewart said firms using AI well may need a dedicated staff member to manage it. - The firm's AI-assisted case review keeps a lawyer responsible for every filing. - Stewart said the software is useful for summarizing thousands of pages of discovery that once required a room of reviewers. - Stewart said a trial lawyer who skips AI cannot compete on time. - Stewart's practice covers tractor-trailer wrecks, car accidents, medical malpractice, wrongful death and workers' compensation claims. - Stewart is licensed in South Carolina, West Virginia and multiple federal courts, and he holds Martindale-Hubbell's AV Preeminent rating. - Stewart began his career at Bordas and Bordas in Wheeling, West Virginia, and opened the first Stewart Law Offices location in Rock Hill in 1995. - Injured people in the Carolinas can request a free consultation at the firm's website.

Between the lines: - The framework shows how law firms are blending automation with old-school checks instead of treating AI as a substitute for legal work. - Stewart's emphasis on closed systems, document review and short vendor terms suggests concern that AI tools can change too fast for long contracts or loose oversight. - The setup also points to a competitive shift, with smaller firms using AI to process work that used to favor large teams. - The ABA's Formal Opinion 512, issued July 29, 2024, says lawyers using generative AI still have duties including competence, client confidentiality and candor to the court.

What's next: - Stewart Law Offices plans to review the AI system after the first year. - The firm may expand oversight with a dedicated staff member if AI use grows. - Other firms will likely watch whether Stewart's model speeds work without creating filing or ethics problems.

The bottom line: - Stewart Law Offices is betting that AI can accelerate personal injury work only if lawyers keep control of the final product.