A boutique law operation, Luminos.Law, is utilising an unusual Washington, DC regulation to incorporate a renowned data scientist as a firm partner. This novel approach aims to offer unbeatable services for corporate clients seeking both to gauge and rectify AI risk and any underpinning issues according to Bloomberg Law.
The District of Columbia stands out as one of the few US jurisdictions that authorise non-lawyers to own stakes in legal operations. This unique provision has allowed the co-founder of Luminos.Law, Andrew Burt, to welcome Ellie Graeden, founder of a data science business and a professor at the Georgetown University Center for Global Health Science and Security, as a partner in the firm.
Burt, the co-author of the federal AI risk management framework, prides his firm on its capacity to thoroughly assess the scope of AI risk and liability confronting corporations. This is achieved through system audits and ‘red teaming’ exercises aimed at identifying flaws in AI systems. However, the firm doesn’t stop at identifying weaknesses; they also work to rectify these issues at a ‘coding level’.
Ellie Graeden brings a wealth of experience in translating complex scientific concepts into tangible legal constructs, and will aid clients in interpreting what the legal prerequisites are in given scenarios.
The law firm’s multi-dimensional team includes roughly half a dozen personnel, which consist of lawyers, data scientists, and operations staff. They’ve also employed the expertise of six technical contractors. Burt’s ambition is to recruit several more lawyers and data scientists over the coming years.
Burt cites an example of their firm’s agility in a case involving an unnamed ‘very large tech company’. The tech firm had retained several law firms, but none could translate the issue into code and resolve the problem. Luminos.Law was able to address the problem, showcasing their unique blend of legal and data science expertise.
Notwithstanding this, larger law firms and other consultancies are increasingly stepping into the space. Large firms may be traditionally slow to adopt legal technology, however, the importance of AI for their clients’ businesses hasn’t been overlooked. For instance, a 100-member team at DLA Piper is involved in a breadth of AI-related work, including developing new systems to test generative AI processes for bias. This amplifies the competitive landscape, especially for emerging firms such as Luminos.Law.
Despite this competitive landscape, Burt has found great demand for his firm’s specialist services. Around 80% of Luminos clients consist of Fortune 500 and Global 2000 companies, alongside tech startups. This demonstrates the pervasive need for legal counsel with tech expertise in the corporate world.