The CEO of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP), Louis Coiffait-Gunn, talks to LIM about his mission to lead CILIP and the profession it supports through the many changes it’s now facing, why it shouldn’t matter that he is not, and has never been, a librarian, and how he believes AI is likely to affect the library world.

The President of the American Association of Law Libraries, the biggest professional body in the world for the legal information sector, tells LIM about his long career as a law librarian, his “ghoulish nature” and his unique method for finding volunteers.

There is no doubt that we are now in the midst of an AI-driven revolution in how organisations and their employees work with information. The power of recent GenAI and other deep learning technologies to absorb and process massive amounts of data as well as generate new information in response to natural language prompts has obvious implications for knowledge work. The current developments in more autonomous agentic AI systems alongside the commodification of large language models (LLMs) and reduced barriers to entry for application developers will drive a second wave of innovation over the coming five years. This will cause disruption for many organisations and the workers within them, but such changes seem inevitable. Preparing now to work with these technologies and the opportunities they present as well as mitigate the problems they bring is essential. The opportunities for many information professionals are significant as effectively managing data assets holds the key to competitive advantage in this rapidly changing environment. Here Dr Martin De Saulles, a technology analyst and writer (see page 123 for a review on his new book The AI and Data Revolution: Understanding the New Data Landscape), goes through some of the key points relating to the evolution of AI in relation to those who work with information.

In this article BIALL President Claire Mazer reviews the findings of the BIALL/SLS Academic Law Library Survey, which was conducted in 2024 and covered the academic year 2022/23. Claire’s article provides some analysis of the responses, while it also outlines some key themes and trends. The author would like to thank Laura Griffiths and Marilyn Clarke at IALS for their work in conducting the survey on behalf of BIALL and SLS (Society of Legal Scholars).

In this article, Jackie Hanes analyses law database usage at the University of Warwick over the last five academic years. She also brings her BIALL conference lightning talk up to date in the process, with data for the complete 2023/24 academic year.

The rise of GenAI (generative AI) tools such as ChatGPT has transformed the research environment, yet most legal researchers remain untrained in the theory, mechanics and epistemic structure of such systems. The public itself was introduced to GenAI through Generative Pre-Trained Transformer tools such as ChatGPT and Claude. Although AI is a decades-old academic discipline, it is now rapidly expanding, and LLM-based AI tools (called Legal Research AI Tools, or LRATs hereinafter, such as Lexis+ AI) sit at AI’s cutting edge within legal research. These LRATs rely on non-legal theoretical informational concepts and technologies to function. Legal researchers often struggle to understand how AI-enabled tools function, which makes effective/reliable use of them more difficult. Without proper orientation, legal professionals risk using LRATs with misplaced confidence and insufficient clarity, the implications of which will be addressed in a future article. This article, written by Ryan Marcotte, Reference, Instruction, & Scholarship law librarian at DePaul University’s College of Law in Chicago, Illinois, defines and explains AI-assisted legal research (AIALR) as a third phase of research logic following the traditional book-based legal research (BLR) and computer-assisted legal research (CALR) phases. It also introduces a definition of AI tailored for legal research, outlines key conceptual structures underpinning LRATs, and explains how they interpret human input. From this grounding, this article offers two frameworks: (1) the Five Ps Research Plan and (2) the four prompt engineering methodologies of Retrieval Augmented Generation, Few-Shot Prompting, Chain-of-Thought/Chain-of-Logic, and Prompt Chaining. Together, these frameworks equip legal researchers with the understanding and skills to plan, shape, and evaluate their research interactions with LRATs in the age of GenAI.

Last year Unmind, the workplace wellbeing platform, undertook a study to assess organisational culture and performance in the legal sector in the UK and the US. It was based on responses from over 4400 participants across nine mid-size law firms. Building on the results of the survey, it quantified the financial impact of poor mental health, identified growth areas, and analysed differences in workplace wellbeing and attrition risk by gender, age and professional role. It went on to use these insights to provide high-level recommendations to support performance, mental health and innovation within the sector. Here LIM summarises some of its findings.

Generative AI tools, such as ChatGPT, have demonstrated impressive capabilities in summarisation and content generation. However, they are infamously prone to hallucination, fabricating plausible information and presenting it as fact. In the context of legal research, this poses significant risk. This paper, written by Sally McLaren and Lily Rowe, examines how widely available AI applications respond to fabricated case citations and assesses their ability to identify false cases, the nature of their summaries, and any commonalities in their outputs. Using a non-existent citation, we analysed responses from multiple AI models, evaluating accuracy, detail, structure and the inclusion of references. Results revealed that while some models flagged our case as fictitious, others generated convincing but erroneous legal content, occasionally citing real cases or legislation. The experiment underscores concern about AI’s credibility in legal research and highlights the role of legal information professionals in mitigating risks through user education and AI literacy training. Practical engagement with these tools is crucial to understanding the user experience. Our findings serve as a foundation for improving AI literacy in legal research.

This article, written by Catherine Parkin, Academic Librarian for Law, Leeds Beckett University, provides an overview of library anxiety, with specific reference to how this might manifest itself amongst law students in UK higher education. The article is a preliminary exploration intended to stimulate dialogue. It discusses several measures in place at Leeds Beckett University which could potentially alleviate library anxiety amongst students and suggests other possible solutions and areas for further research.

This article by Dr Charlotte Smith, of The National Archives, begins by articulating the importance and character of open justice. It then examines how this is evidenced in the justice system, before exploring the factors shaping its implementation within the archives. It does this through a treatment of third-party access to court records. It concludes by identifying questions that the justice system and archives might consider when developing the archival policy and practice applicable to archived court records.

This year’s BIALL Annual Conference is in Birmingham, and with a packed schedule of fascinating presentations, insights into cutting edge products, fun social events and a very underrated city to explore, it certainly looks like being a good one. Here the LIM co-editors guide you through all the things to look out for in Brum come June the 11th.

The reduction in the size of print collections in law firm libraries has become a significant trend in recent years. As digital resources become more prevalent and accessible, law firms are increasingly shifting away from maintaining extensive physical collections. But just how far has this gone, why has it happened and what’s the future for print collections in law firms? With these and other questions in mind LIM put together a survey which was sent to a number of information professionals working in leading law firms. Their responses are outlined below.

Nominative reports are a vital part of legal history, providing the foundation for case law documentation before the advent of standardised legal reporting. Compiled by barristers, judges and legal scholars, these reports offer unique insights into the evolution of legal precedent and judicial reasoning across the globe. In 2024, HeinOnline introduced the first comprehensive digital collection of all published nominative reports, transforming access to these historical legal records.

Here Lauren Mattiuzzo, a seasoned professional with over 20 years at HeinOnline, examines the significance of these reports, their challenges in legal research, and how HeinOnline’s digital tools improve accessibility and usability. As a key marketing leader and head of the HeinOnline support team, Lauren helps drive initiatives that empower researchers.

Between 2022 and 2024, LexisNexis migrated its customers with subscriptions to LexisLibrary and/or LexisPSL to the new Lexis+ UK platform. In order to assess the overall migration experience, identify challenges faced during the migration and suggest areas for improvement, the BIALL Supplier Liaison Group (SLG) conducted a survey in mid-2024 to gather feedback from members on their experiences of the project. During the summer of 2024, the SLG committee members analysed the results of the survey and put together the report, referenced in this article, that was circulated to BIALL members in October 2024. Lauren Cummings, Ann O’Sullivan and Andrew Thatcher wrote this piece based on the survey results, the report and the subsequent meeting with LexisNexis.

It’s long been easier to set up a company in the UK than it is to open a bank account. That convenience has turned us into a magnet for fraudsters, shell companies and money laundering schemes. Now, finally, the door is starting to close. The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 is about to overhaul one of the most porous systems in Europe. At its heart is mandatory identity verification for company directors and people with significant control. No more hiding behind nominee directors or fictitious names. You’ll need to prove who you are before you get past the starting line.

That’s a seismic shift. But with added scrutiny comes added complexity – especially for firms used to handling company secretarial filings in-house. Enter Authorised Corporate Service Providers. ACSPs like ProSec are now stepping into the space, handling verification and filings on behalf of law firms and their clients. What was once a light admin task is fast becoming a regulated process that requires precision, expertise and trust.

These changes will reshape the market. Some firms may struggle with the increased compliance burden, while others may see this as an opportunity to specialise and grow. This reform isn’t just welcome – it’s essential. But success depends on more than legislation. We need clear guidance, proper enforcement and reliable partners to keep the system clean.

Here ProSec CEO Max Gower explains some of the key changes brought about by the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023, and the implications of it for those working in the corporate space.

This study, authored by Dr Fahimeh Abedi, Prof. Tim Miller and Prof. Atif Ahmad, explores the skills gaps lawyers face when advising on emerging technologies in an increasingly complex digital landscape. Using an exploratory sequential mixed methods approach, the authors conducted qualitative interviews with 26 in-house lawyers and a broader quantitative survey revealed key challenges, including complex legislation, unclear regulatory frameworks and ethical concerns in data use. Findings highlight a significant gap in technological literacy within the legal profession, emphasising the need for improved knowledge, skills and ethical awareness. This research provides a roadmap for equipping legal professionals for responsible leadership in a technology-driven future, offering significant insights for policymakers and regulators.