News
SRA joins Advisory AI Growth Lab to support responsible AI adoption in legal services
08 June 2026
We are playing a key role in the government's newly announced Advisory AI Growth Lab.
The government funded initiative is designed to accelerate the development and deployment of AI products and services by helping innovators navigate existing regulatory frameworks with greater confidence. The AI Growth Lab will provide the opportunity for innovators to responsibly develop and adopt AI products within existing regulatory frameworks.
SRA Chief Executive Sarah Rapson said: 'AI is already transforming legal services, from enabling small businesses to recover debts, to helping consumers navigate complex legal processes. These tools are improving access to justice in a practical and meaningful way. The lab will accelerate this progress, supporting the growth of legal services that benefit the public, and that maintain the high professional standards that underpin trust in the legal profession.'
Legal services will be the first sector to participate, following strong industry demand as it is an area where clearer, more joined-up information within existing frameworks can accelerate development, and adoption. This is also supported by the evidence gathered through the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology's call for evidence.
Building on existing collaboration between legal services regulators, we will work together with the Council for Licensed Conveyancers, Information Commissioner's Office and the Legal Services Board. Together, we and other regulators will work with innovators to discover and address cross-regulatory challenges, identify any unintended barriers in regulators' rules, and build a clearer picture of what good regulatory oversight of AI looks like in practice.
By providing greater clarity, the AI Growth Lab will support responsible innovation, boost economic growth and help improve access to justice for the public by enabling faster and cheaper services. Applications for AI innovators — including LawTech companies, legal services providers and conveyancing firms — will open later this summer.
Further Information
- The Advisory AI Growth Lab is a cross-economy sandbox, enabling development and adoption of innovative AI products and services, accelerating UK growth and building trust in AI. Legal services has been chosen as the first sector for the advisory Growth Lab.
- The Advisory AI Growth Lab will provide additional support to innovators and adopters, helping them to responsibly test AI products within existing regulatory frameworks.
- Participation in the lab will not constitute regulatory approval, endorsement or authorisation. Legal and regulatory requirements will remain the same.
Read the Ministry of Justice's update.