Claughton: Clients using AI
A criminal law firm in Manchester is turning its attention to artificial intelligence (AI) after 29 of its lawyers successfully obtained a client-care accreditation it created.
Matthew Claughton, managing director of Olliers Solicitors, said AI’s biggest impact on his firm was in new enquiries, where clients were using AI to “articulate their problems in quite a sophisticated manner”.
He said: “AI is helping people articulate themselves and dig deeper into what might be the most appropriate firm for them. More informed clients are making more informed searches.”
Mr Claughton said they were using ChatGPT in particular to draft emails and texts.
In terms of an accreditation scheme, he said the problem with AI is that it is “such a dynamic subject” and people at Olliers, which has about 45 staff, were “at all different levels and coming in at it from different angles”.
He found a “big gap” between 20 year-olds and 30 year-olds in their use of AI.
However, he said the firm already had an AI team and this spring the firm would get to work on an AI accreditation scheme.
“It can help you summarise documents far more efficiently and cut to the issues.”
Meanwhile, the firm’s lawyers, and three support staff who triage enquiries, have completed the Olliers client-care accreditation scheme, launched in September 2024.
Mr Claughton said the Law Society had such a scheme but not one based on the criminal client.
“When a client instructs us, they are often facing the most difficult period in their lives. Their anxiety is very high and they need someone in their corner.
“Using a lawyer can be very stressful, but sometimes it isn’t. We are at the extreme end of stress for the client.
“You will never hear any of us talking about a client in a way that is negative. The client is everything. It’s all about the human touch and the human side.”
The client accreditation scheme involves 12 hours of training and a two-part exam, with topics ranging from effective communication and managing client expectations to Lexcel compliance.
The course was created by Mr Claughton and solicitor Martha Odysseos, and has to be retaken every two years.
Olliers started creating its own accreditation schemes in 2022, with the first focused on pre-charge engagement [1], followed by one for Crown Court work in 2024.
Mr Claughton said Olliers was still involved in duty solicitor schemes as part of its legal aid work, because it “generates rounded lawyers” and “nobody qualifies as a criminal lawyer” without having been to a police station at least 50 times.
However, although the rates for duty solicitor work have gone up, it would “not necessarily lead to more people joining the scheme” and it was perhaps more of a “stay of execution”.
Mr Claughton said Olliers did “a lot” of fraud work and serious crime, and an “awful lot” of pre-engagement work.
“The best day’s work is when you get a notification that the client won’t be prosecuted.”
He added: “We’ll continue to focus on developing the team, bringing new entrants to the profession and bucking the trends.”