AI vs trainee solicitor: what Channel 4's legal drafting test means for your practice
On Channel 4's Dispatches: Will AI Take My Job?, Garfield AI - described as the UK's first regulated AI law firm - went head-to-head with Charlotte Jaques, a trainee solicitor at Summerfield Browne. Both were asked to draft a county court claim in a real small-claims dispute over an unpaid £4,500 building bill.
The drafts were judged blind by Jaques' supervisor, Zainab Zaeem. Her verdict: the AI missed a key point - that a WhatsApp message can amount to a binding contract - but the output was still fit to put before a judge. The human draft came out on top.
Speed and cost: the headline gap
Garfield produced its draft in roughly ten minutes for £100 + VAT. Jaques' version took just over three hours and cost north of £1,000. The client said that, on price alone, he'd pick the AI next time.
What this signals for legal work
For straightforward, repeatable tasks like small-claims pleadings, AI can already deliver usable first drafts at speed. The risk is omission of material legal points and context - the kind of misses that can weaken a case if not caught.
Practical steps for law firms and in-house teams
- Adopt AI for first drafts, but mandate human review against a tight checklist (jurisdiction, limitation, contract formation via electronic messages, heads of loss, remedies, evidence references).
- Standardise prompts and templates so no essential facts or legal tests are skipped.
- Price accordingly: offer fixed-fee tiers that reflect AI-assisted drafting with supervised sign-off.
- Train juniors to spot typical AI gaps and verify authorities before filing.
- Protect client data: use tools with proper DPAs and keep privileged information out of consumer-grade chatbots.
Compliance reminders
Make sure pleadings meet the Civil Procedure Rules and any local practice directions. Review the CPR overview from the Ministry of Justice to keep formats and statements of truth compliant. Civil Procedure Rules (MoJ)
Digital communications can evidence agreement. Have a policy for capturing, exhibiting, and authenticating WhatsApp, SMS, and email threads so key terms don't get lost.
About the broadcast
The case featured in Channel 4's Dispatches: Will AI Take My Job?, which even trialled an AI presenter alongside the drafting test. You can find more on the series here: Channel 4 Dispatches
Garfield AI was co-founded by former Baker McKenzie associate Philip Young and quantum physicist Daniel Long.
Upskill for AI-assisted drafting
If you're building an AI playbook, start with structured prompts, redline workflows, and QA gates before filing. For practical resources on AI tools and prompt strategy, see: AI courses by job and prompt engineering guides.
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