Research · FirmRanker programme

How does AI decide which law firms enter the answer?

Through FirmRanker, I’m building a structured research programme around AI legal discovery — repeatable observations across models, prompts, markets, practice areas and time.

4
Studies in the programme
4
AI platforms observed
ChatGPT · Gemini · Claude · Perplexity
Repeated
Observations, not one-off screenshots
Validated
Before anything is published

Current research programme

Four questions we’re measuring.

Each study turns a common assumption about AI and law firms into something that can be observed, repeated and checked.

OngoingStudy 01

AI Recommendation Stability

If the same legal query is asked repeatedly, how consistently does the same firm appear?

Measures · recommendation stability

ProgrammeStudy 02

Cross-model consensus

To what extent do ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and Perplexity surface the same law firms?

Measures · cross-model consensus

ProgrammeStudy 03

Prompt sensitivity

How much does recommendation behaviour change when wording or intent changes?

Measures · prompt sensitivity

ProgrammeStudy 04

Source landscape

Which domains are searched, cited or associated with recommendations?

Measures · source landscape

No findings are published on this page until each study has passed validation.

From data to publication

No shortcut from raw export to headline.

Every study passes the same gates before anything is published.

  1. 01Study complete
  2. 02Quality assurance
  3. 03Entities resolved
  4. 04Methodology frozen
  5. 05Analysis
  6. 06Limitations written
  7. 07Fact-checked
  8. 08Published

Research principles

How the evidence is handled.

01

Preserve the evidence

Original AI responses remain immutable.

02

Separate observation from interpretation

The raw answer is evidence. Recommendation classifications are derived data.

03

Repeat where variability matters

AI responses can change. Repetition is part of the measurement problem.

04

Validate automation

Automated extraction should be tested against human-reviewed observations.

05

Publish limitations

Every serious report should explain what it can and cannot establish.

Flagship research · In development

The State of AI Search for Law Firms

A future annual research property examining how AI systems discover and recommend law firms across markets, practice areas and models.

Findings will only be published once the underlying research has passed validation.