By Julius Melnitzer | October 22, 2026
AI CONFESSES— SIX WAYS I GET THE LAW WRONG
Roshi Sharma of LawBEAM ran output from Harvey, a generative AI platform, through LawBEAM’s own legal AI engine and, Sharma says, found fatal errors of law and fact. Asked to explain, Harvey admitted six failings. In its own words:
- “I don’t read statutes the way a lawyer does.”
- “I confuse plausibility with accuracy.”
- “I cannot distinguish current law from superseded law unless told.”
- “I fabricated where I should have stopped.”
- “I had the right sources and still got it wrong.”
- “I am a text-generation system, not a legal research system.”
Two caveats: LawBEAM runs its own legal AI engine, and Harvey’s confession is itself AI-generated text.
LAWYER DEFAMES LAW FIRM, JURY AWARDS $50,000
A jury has found that Ottawa lawyer Fay Brunning defamed Wallbridge, Wallbridge, a law firm in Timmins, and awarded $50,000 in damages. Brunning was acting for former Wallbridge clients when she asked whether the firm had agreed with the federal government and the Catholic Church not to disclose files from an OPP investigation. She also accused the firm of failing to use evidence to help its clients. Her lawyer, Tina Hill, told the jury that Brunning learned in 2022 that the agreement accusation was untrue and apologized. The firm, which had claimed $15 million in damages, says it is considering an appeal.
SCOTIABANK LISTS GROWTH AREAS FOR LAWYERS
Scotiabank says legal practice owners are specializing to cope with compliance demands and rising overhead. The growth areas are corporate M&A, tax reorganizations, and family litigation. The bank also says one in three Canadian small business owners plan to retire within five years, so demand for succession, estate, and valuation advice is surging. As well, owners say they want specialist advisors who understand practice valuations, which is what Scotiabank’s specialized banking program for lawyers offers. The findings come from four sector-specific roundtables Scotiabank held with clients in August and September.
BORDERLESS AI’S ALBERNI: MULTI-JURISDICTIONAL COMPLIANCE WITHOUT A LAW FIRM
Toronto’s Borderless AI has launched Alberni, an AI-powered legal operating system for global employment law and entity management in more than 150 jurisdictions. It handles worker classification, statutory deadlines, regulatory monitoring, and workforce disputes. Unlike most legal AI, it is aimed at companies rather than law firms. The name isn’t new: Borderless introduced Alberni as an HR assistant in 2024.
COURT CLEARS CLASS ACTION FOR $30 BILLION IN ILLEGAL TARIFFS
The U.S. Court of International Trade has certified a class action for importers still waiting to get back tariffs that the U.S. Supreme Court struck down in February. U.S. Customs and Border Protection has refunded about $126 billion, with interest, but Judge Richard Eaton found that about $30 billion was still owing, mostly to small importers who never filed.
“The Court of International Trade’s decision to permit a class action of importers who paid tariffs that the US Supreme Court held to be illegal is a wonderful embodiment of a foundational principle in English law,” says Barry Leon of Arbitration Place. The principle, he says, is “where there is a right, there is a remedy.”
Julius Melnitzer is a Toronto-based legal affairs writer, ghostwriter, writing coach and media trainer. Readers can reach him at julius@legalwriter.net or on this website.