Supervising AI in Legal Practice - Lessons from Ayinde v Haringey

Introduction

Five non-existent cases cited in court. In Ayinde v Haringey, the High Court held that the threshold for contempt proceedings was met and issued a clear warning: AI-generated legal work attracts the same professional responsibility as work produced by junior lawyers.

The judgment shifts responsibility firmly to managing partners, heads of chambers and regulators. It confirms that submitting unchecked AI output is negligent and permitting uncontrolled firm-wide use of consumer AI tools may amount to reckless exposure of clients and data.

This short webinar translates that position into practice using the ‘unsupervised paralegal’ model of generative AI (extraordinarily capable, predictably unreliable and entirely your professional responsibility) and aligns it with the SRA Code of Conduct duties on competence and supervision.

It addresses the practical supervision challenge: how to oversee lawyers using AI. This includes the key supervisory question (‘did you form your own view before using the tool?’), the distinction between AI use that supports development and AI use that replaces it and the core requirements for effective firm-wide training.

You will leave with a supervision checklist, an understanding of the liability chain (individual, firm, insurer) and the foundations of a verification-led culture.

Failure to govern AI use risks negligence claims, regulatory action and contempt proceedings. Properly supervised, however, AI becomes a controlled and effective force multiplier for legal teams.

The webinar is suitable for solicitors at all levels of qualification, with particular relevance to supervising partners, managing partners, COLPs, heads of department and anyone responsible for trainees, paralegals or support staff who use AI tools.

What You Will Learn

The webinar will cover the following:

• The ‘unsupervised paralegal’ model of generative AI and why it is the essential mental framework for all professional duties that follow
• The Ayinde v Haringey supervisory standard - what the High Court requires and how liability arises whether you personally used the AI
• SRA Code of Conduct paragraph 3 applied to AI - technical and supervisory competence, with clear practical indicators of compliance
• Verification in practice - what it involves and why it is a mandatory professional duty rather than optional quality assurance
• Supervising junior lawyers using AI - focusing on process rather than outputs and maintaining development rather than dependency on tools
• The four core components of effective firm-wide AI training, deliverable in a focused two-hour programme
• The liability chain - individual negligence, firm liability, questions of recklessness and implications for professional indemnity cover
• Building a verification culture in practice - moving beyond policy documents to an operational supervision checklist you can implement immediately

This pre-recorded webinar will be available to view from Tuesday 24th November 2026

Alternatively, you can gain access to this webinar and 2,400+ others via the MBL Webinar Subscription. Please email webinarsubscription@mblseminars.com for more details.