The AI Lab
A dedicated AI practice led by a Co-Founder, independent of vendors.
The Swiftwater AI Lab researches, tests and deploys third-party AI tools: frontier AI models, use-case tools such as contract extraction, and the AI built into the legal platforms you already own. Every recommendation is based on observed outcomes on your data and workflows, not vendor marketing.
Practitioners across AI advisory, development and infrastructure, introduced below.
Years of business transformation experience behind the AI Lab.
AI-powered invoice analysis through our LegalDecoder partnership.
AI deployments architected on Microsoft Azure by our CIO, Ed Craft, after 23 years at Microsoft.
Start Here
Start with a Legal AI Working Session.
A prepared, hands-on session for a General Counsel or legal operations leader 1:1, or for your team, inside the enterprise AI tools you already license.
01
Prepare
We meet the sponsor to understand your goals, workflows and the enterprise AI tools you already license.
02
Survey
Every attendee completes a short survey on their work, current tools and AI familiarity, so the session is built around them.
03
Workshop
A half-day or one-day session, 1:1 or with your team, hands-on in your own tools with examples from your work. For enterprise teams, real-life examples from comparable legal departments.
04
Deliverable
A ranked shortlist of use cases, a tool-fit view for each, and a recommended first pilot.
From $10,000, adjusted for the number of participants. The fee is credited against a pilot started within 60 days.
Book a Working SessionAfter the Session
From first session to production.
- 01
Readiness: a scored diagnostic across data, process, technology, team and governance, before any spend.
- 02
Governance and policy: rules for data handling, output validation and human oversight, set before deployment.
- 03
Pilot and vendor evaluation: tools tested against your own data, with success criteria agreed up front. Typically 4 to 8 weeks, $10,000 to $20,000.
- 04
Deployment and AI Lab support: forward deployed engineers from the Swiftwater AI Lab integrate the tools with your ELM, CLM and DMS, the same model AI companies use for enterprise rollouts, then ongoing research and updates.
Our Approach
Legal AI consulting services for corporate legal departments.
Advisory · Governance · Development · Deployment · Ongoing Research
Each service is available on its own or as part of a broader program.
01
Legal AI Working Session
Prepared with an attendee survey, then a half-day or one-day workshop in your own tools, ending with a ranked use case shortlist. From $10,000.
02
AI Readiness Assessment
Scored diagnostic across five dimensions, a baseline before any investment.
03
Use Case Identification
Opportunities mapped to your workflows and ranked by ROI and feasibility.
04
AI Tool Selection & Evaluation
Vendor-independent testing against your data and workflows.
05
Pilot Design & Execution
Defined success criteria and a production decision in weeks, not quarters.
06
Agentic AI Development
AI agents for document analysis, clause extraction, invoice review and compliance monitoring.
07
AI Governance & Policy
Data handling, output validation, human oversight and regulatory compliance.
08
Integration & Deployment
Connected to your ELM, CLM and DMS, with change management and training.
09
Ongoing AI Lab Support
Continuing research, emerging use cases and technology updates.
Your AI Practice Team
Named practitioners. Transformation experience.
Frequently asked questions
What does a legal AI consultant do?
A legal AI consultant takes a legal department from AI pressure to AI production: assessing readiness across data, process, technology, team, and governance; identifying use cases worth piloting; evaluating tools against your real data rather than vendor demos; designing pilots with defined success criteria; and building the governance and integration that let a successful pilot survive contact with production.
How do we get started, and what does a Legal AI Working Session cost?
Most departments start with a Legal AI Working Session. We prepare with the sponsor, survey every attendee on their work, tools and AI familiarity, then run a half-day or one-day workshop, 1:1 or with the team, hands-on in the enterprise AI tools you already license. You leave with a ranked shortlist of use cases, a tool-fit view for each and a recommended first pilot. Sessions start from $10,000, adjusted for the number of participants, and the fee is credited against a pilot started within 60 days.
How do legal leaders decide when AI is safe enough for production use?
When the pilot met success criteria set before it started, on your own data; outputs are validated against a defined accuracy threshold with a named human reviewer; data handling and retention are approved by security and privacy; lawyers know when they may rely on the output; and someone owns monitoring after go-live. If any of those is missing, the answer is not yet.
Can legal AI be deployed privately, inside our own environment?
Yes. Our CIO, Ed Craft, architects AI deployments inside your own Microsoft Azure environment, with the data pipelines, security frameworks and integration layers that keep legal data inside your controls.
Do you build custom AI agents for legal departments?
Yes. Our Agentic AI Development service designs and deploys AI agents for document analysis, clause extraction, invoice review and compliance monitoring, integrated with your existing ELM, CLM and document systems.
Is Swiftwater independent, or does it sell an AI product?
We are independent. The Swiftwater AI Lab researches, tests, and deploys third-party AI tools; we evaluate platforms against your actual data and workflows, and our recommendations are based on observed outcomes rather than vendor marketing. Where we partner with vendors elsewhere in the practice, we say so on the page.
Which AI use cases should a legal department start with?
The ones with measurable ROI and forgiving failure modes. In our work that shortlist usually includes contract review and clause extraction, invoice and spend analysis, matter intake, and compliance monitoring. The right first use case depends on your data readiness and existing systems, which a readiness assessment scores before any tool is selected.
What does AI governance for a legal department involve?
A framework covering data handling, output validation, human oversight requirements, regulatory compliance, and ethical guardrails, defined before deployment rather than after an incident. Governance is also an adoption tool: lawyers use AI more willingly when the rules for relying on it are explicit.
What does a legal AI pilot cost, and how long does it run?
A typical pilot runs 4 to 8 weeks and costs $10,000 to $20,000, depending on scope and the number of use cases. Success criteria are agreed before it starts, so the pilot ends with a clear production decision.
Ready to talk to someone who has deployed AI in a legal department?
Book a Discovery Call