• Aston University researchers contribute to AI adoption and evaluation guidance
• Will help legal organisations use artificial intelligence with more and clarity
• Toolkit is grounded in hands-on testing carried out by legal professionals using real-world legal scenarios.

Aston University researchers have contributed to an AI adoption and evaluation guidance to help legal organisations assess, implement and increase the use of artificial intelligence with more confidence and clarity.

It has been developed by SuperTech, a cluster organisation driving technology and innovation-led growth for financial and professional services across the West Midlands. They have worked alongside law firms Fieldfisher, HCR Law, and Mills & Reeve, and refined with academic input from Aston and Oxford Brookes universities.

The toolkit provides legal professionals with a structured framework for evaluating AI tools, identifying suitable uses and developing a realistic adoption strategy. The toolkit is grounded in hands-on testing carried out by legal professionals using real-world legal scenarios.

The resource has been developed to support a broad range of organisations across the legal sector, with a particular focus on smaller law firms, legal clinics, pro bono services and other organisations that may not have access to dedicated technology or AI specialists. It also provides valuable guidance for lawtech vendors seeking to better understand the needs and expectations of legal professionals.

It includes a comprehensive evaluation ‘scorecard’ that enables organisations to assess legal artificial intelligence solutions across eight key dimensions, including areas such as core legal quality, drafting and output quality, workflow and supervision fit, efficiency and value. Designed to be practical, repeatable and technology-neutral, the framework helps organisations compare products consistently, identify where AI can deliver genuine value and make more informed investment decisions. Whether firms are taking their first steps with AI or looking to scale existing adoption, the toolkit has been designed to be used across different teams, seniority levels and stages of AI maturity.

In addition to the evaluation framework, the toolkit includes practical legal AI use cases, example prompts and testing methodologies and guidance on interpreting evaluation scores. It also incorporates adoption and implementation advice best-practice approaches for engaging technology companies and recommendations for developing organisational AI readiness.

Alexeis Garcia Perez, professor of digital business and society at Aston University said: “Drawing on Aston University’s expertise in digital transformation and responsible innovation, we have helped develop an evidence-based framework that enables legal organisations to evaluate AI rigorously and identify where it can deliver sustainable value.”

David Hall, Partner, Technology and Innovation at HCR Law said: “It’s vital for legal services providers who want to use AI to equip themselves with knowledge and tools for evaluating AI products, and be able to engage with a range of staff and stakeholders, not just those who are comfortable with AI or want to use it. SuperTech’s toolkit supports this effort, gets the key factors on the table, and can be adapted to address more. It also embeds a key discipline: evaluation should be measurable, and already focused on finding and evidencing ROI. We used the toolkit to evaluate almost 10 legal AI products. It gave us confidence in our evaluation, and helped us refine what we want from AI products. We are looking at further developing and using the toolkit in our business going forwards."

Hilary Smyth-Allen SuperTech CEO added: "This toolkit reflects SuperTech's approach to innovation: bringing the legal sector together to test ideas, share learning and build confidence through real-world collaboration. Developed through our Innovation Lab, it combines insights from law firms, legal technology innovators, academics and sector partners to provide practical guidance tailored to the needs of legal teams looking to adopt AI responsibly and effectively."