AI-LegalTools – Artificial Intelligence techniques and the transformation of legal professions

Geraldine VialGéraldine Vial,
Associate Professor in Private Law, Université Grenoble Alpes,
geraldine.vial@univ-grenoble-alpes.fr

Linkedin
                                                          Website
     
     
      Caroline Bazzoli,
      Associate Professor in Statistics, Université Grenoble Alpes,

      caroline.bazzoli@univ-grenoble-alpes.fr

      Website


DESCRIPTION

The AI-LegalTools chair explores how artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming legal professions through the development and evaluation of tools capable of automating complex legal reasoning. The project aims to understand how AI can support, rather than replace, human intelligence in judicial tasks such as document drafting, legal argumentation, and decision prediction.

The chair is based on a collaboration between experts in law, statistics, computer science, and psychology. It brings together three research laboratories of Université Grenoble Alpes (CRJ, TIMC, LIG), one private partner (Ordalie.ai), and two legal institutions (ENM and the Grenoble Court of Appeal).

Research focuses on four main challenges : (1) modeling complex legal reasoning and predicting judicial decisions using statistical and NLP techniques; (2) developing AI tools to assist professionals in drafting legal documents; (3) evaluating AI’s ability to generate coherent legal reasoning; and (4) studying the influence of AI tools on legal decision-making.

The project integrates a strong ethical dimension, including transparency, explainability, and environmental sustainability. It also develops training programs for students, legal professionals, and educators in AI tools and their implications in legal practice

ACTIVITIES

The project will recruit a PhD student (CIFRE thesis with Ordalie) and two postdocs.It also includes internships for master’s students and will involve regular collaborations with legal professionals. A major focus is placed on interdisciplinary workshops, tool prototyping, legal data analysis, and developing evaluation benchmarks. An AI Week and new academic courses on legal AI are planned and will start in September 2025.

EVENTS 

  • IA Week – Legal AI in Action
Organized in the Faculty of Law at Université Grenoble Alpes, the first edition of IA Week will take place from September 17 to 19, 2025, on the Saint-Martin-d’Hères campus (Language Center, Université Grenoble Alpes).

Aimed at students and legal professionals, the event will feature a conference series, a legaltech fair, and a hands-on testing center for legal AI tools, with workshops led by around fifteen legal publishers and LegalTech companies.

For all details and online registration, visit the official IA Week page:
IA Week 

SELECTED LIST OF PUBLICATIONS

  • G. Vial et E. Vergès, « L’intelligence artificielle et les raisonnements des magistrats - De la compréhension à la production de raisonnements par l’IA », dossier “L’IA judiciaire, entre innovations et risques”, Les Cahiers de la Justice 2025, n°2, pp 205 à 221.
  • C. Bazzoli, E. Vergès et G. Vial, « La modélisation des décisions de justice à partir des faits - Comment l’IA imite les raisonnements des juges à partir d’une grille de critères », La Semaine juridique, hors-série, “Explorer et anticiper les raisonnements des juges avec l’IA”, supplement au n°6, 10 fév. 2025.
  • C. Bazzoli, M. Coavoux, O. Vaudaux, E. Vergès et G. Vial, « Intelligence artificielle contre intelligence humaine - Comment l’esprit humain prédit les décisions des juges », La Semaine juridique, hors-série, “Explorer et anticiper les raisonnements des juges avec l’IA”, supplement au n°6, 10 fév. 2025.
  • C. Bazzoli, M. Coavoux, O. Vaudaux, E. Vergès et G. Vial, « Le traitement automatique des langues naturelles comme outil de prédiction des jugements - Un pas à franchir entre le rêve et la réalité », La Semaine juridique, hors-série, “Explorer et anticiper les raisonnements des juges avec l’IA”, supplement au n°6, 10 fév. 2025.
  • G. Vial et E. Vergès, « Vers une intelligence juridique artificielle - Comment l'IA transforme les professions juridiques », Lexbase Avocats, 2024.

CHAIR PRESENTATION

CHAIR Presentation AI LEGAL TOOLS

License:

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Published on  August 21, 2025
Updated on August 21, 2025