Research Briefings

Research briefings

Original, data-driven reports on how the legal industry is adopting — and governing — AI. Reader-funded and conflict-free.

No. 113
10 min

What Published USPTO Guidance, Federal Circuit Opinions, and PTAB Decisions Through October 2026 Actually Say About AI-Assisted Patent Prosecution, Inventorship Disclosure Obligations, and the Duty of Candor When AI Tools Generate Claim Language

The Federal Circuit's 2022 decision in Thaler v. Vidal, 43 F.4th 1207 (Fed. Cir. 2022), is the indispensable starting point.

November 11, 2026

No. 112
10 min

What Published NLRB Guidance, ALJ Decisions, and Board Orders Through October 2026 Actually Say About the Use of AI-Assisted Monitoring, Discipline, and Work Allocation Tools in Unionized and Union-Eligible Workplaces

For employers with union or organizing workforces: when AI monitoring, scoring and discipline tools trigger NLRA bargaining duties, and what is unsettled.

November 08, 2026

No. 111
10 min

What Published Delaware Court of Chancery Opinions, Docket Orders, and Judicial Commentary Through October 2026 Actually Say About AI-Assisted Legal Filings, Discovery Productions, and Counsel Disclosure Obligations in Corporate Litigation

Chancery has no AI-specific filing rule, but candor, Rule 11 and supervision duties apply in full. What corporate litigators should know about AI there.

November 05, 2026

No. 110
10 min

What FINRA Guidance, SEC Staff Releases, and Enforcement Actions Through October 2026 Actually Say About AI-Assisted Compliance Monitoring Tools — and What Financial Firm Legal Departments Need to Do Now

For financial firm legal teams: how FINRA Notice 24-09, SEC exams and enforcement apply existing supervision duties to AI compliance monitoring tools.

November 02, 2026

No. 109
10 min

What Published Federal Trade Commission Enforcement Actions, Policy Statements, and Staff Reports Through October 2026 Actually Say About AI-Generated Legal Documents, Automated Contract Formation, and the Deception Risk That Consumer-Facing Legal AI Creates

Consumer-facing legal AI already faces FTC deception risk without new rules. What the DoNotPay order and staff work on automated contracting signal.

October 30, 2026

No. 108
10 min

What Federal Agency AI Use Policies Actually Say About AI-Assisted Legal Work Product: A Reading of Published OMB Guidance, DOJ AI Strategy Documents, and GSA Procurement Standards Through October 2026

Agency counsel using AI face a policy gap on privilege, FOIA and litigation. What OMB, DOJ and GSA documents say, and where they are silent.

October 27, 2026