The Artificial Lawyer online magazine has launched a new directory showcasing the most pioneering legal technology companies.

The AL 100 focuses on applications that use automation and artificial intelligence technology.

Currently the directory is sub-divided into categories: billing and time applications, contracting platforms, data security and risk systems, document review, expert systems and legal bots, legal research and analytics, and workflow automation and transaction tools.

Initially featuring about 40 companies, the AL 100 is in growth phase and will expand to 100 in the months ahead, with more companies added to each category and new categories added.

According to Artificial Lawyer principal, Richard Tromans, the purpose of the AL 100 is to provide readers across the legal ecosystem – from law firms, job hunters and investors to law students and academics – with a useful resource.

“There has been so much change in the world of legal technology in the last couple of years that many people, even specialists in legal tech, can sometimes feel overwhelmed and not sure what is out there or what all these companies can do.

After writing about the development of ‘progressive’ legal technology such as AI and automation systems on Artificial Lawyer, and also advising law firms and corporates on its adoption through my consulting business Tromans Consulting, I realised that something needed to be done that would bring together the many pioneering legal tech companies together in one place, which could then be divided into categories so that it was easier to find what you were looking for and understand what each one really did and how it may be of help to your firm or inhouse legal function.

The goal is to reach around 100 legal tech companies, with several dozen currently listed and with many more companies still to be listed in the coming weeks and months. The directory will continue to grow, evolve and add new functionality and new categories. This is just the beginning.”