Auth. note: Though it was certainly tempting, no artificial intelligence technology was used to create this publication. All appearing em dashes were added by the author — just as nature intended.
Welcome to the sequel to the Legal Tech-to-English Dictionary (2022). This edition updates a vestige of the pre-AI world to share all of the AI and practice management terminology you need to be funner at parties.
Here, we’re pleased to share Chapter 5. Feel free to download the full eBook using the form at the bottom of this post.
Pieces of Flair – Working With AI in a Professional Environment
While the modes of working with artificial intelligence in a professional environment might seem still to be very much like the Wild West, smart law firm operators are acquiring competent governance over AI usage and output.
In this series of definitions, we’ll explore both what it looks like for AI to run unchecked in a business, and also how managers can control how this new technology is optimized for their teams and clients.
Of course, it’s not like AI itself is running unchecked in most businesses; it’s more like people are messing everything up — like always.
Just as all politics is local, all business management issues are people problems. The best news is that controlled usage of artificial intelligence in a law firm can be a boon for everyone involved.
AI slop n. 1. Demonstrably fake, low-quality content, generated by AI, and often used for engagement farming. (*Merriam Webster’s ‘Word of the Year’ for 2025. Hey, a real dictionary!*)
Etymology
The term ‘slop’ originated around the year 1400, essentially being defined as a slimy mud puddle, and effectively emanating from a word for cow dung. Over time, the meaning shifted to describe food waste. Before its application to AI, slop had been used to describe cheaply made media content without artistic value — like ragebait or reality TV or the ‘Sharknado’ movies.
Examples
Shrimp Jesus, Gordon Ramsay’s infinite spaghetti, the Service Kangaroo, Dinosaur at the Window
retrieval augmented generation (RAG) n. 1. the accessing of additional, specialized datasets by LLMs to buttress output results; often used in specialized industries, like the legal sector.
Synonyms
flesh out, enrich, enhance, augment, supplement, refine, synthesize, expound, reinforce
Related Words
chunking, dense retrieval, sparse retrieval, re-ranking, grounding, retrieval-augmented language model, agentic RAG
semantic search n. 1. information surfacing technique that utilizes the context around the seeker’s intent, including locations, prior attempts, and relationships between words used, all to deliver optimized results.
Related Words
natural language processing, synonyms, conceptual clusters, intent modifiers, entity relations, query analysis, vector search, knowledge integration
Antonym
lexical (keyword) search
Example Sentence
Celestine: Look at this, I just tried this search in Google, and it considered stores near me, based on my location.
Agripinna: Oh, that’s just semantics.
Celestine: Exactly!
AI governance n. 1. the full collection of documentation (including policies, procedures, programs, and materials) that guide the appropriate use of artificial intelligence within a business.
Related Words
AI usage policy, written information security program, policies and procedures manual, compliance, regulation, maintenance, vetting
Antonyms
turn a blind eye, denial isn’t just a river in Egypt, sweep under the rug, look the other way, ostrichism, overlook, reject, scorn
Example Sentence
Manuel: I don’t have an AI usage policy for my law firm.
Manuela: Then, everybody’s using it.
Manuela: You’ve got a big shadow AI problem . . .
shadow AI n. 1. unauthorized use of artificial intelligence within a business organization
Related Words
shadow IT, shadow IoT, shadow data, shadow processes, shadow boxing, Storm Shadow
Antonyms
governance, control, controls, authorization, oversight, management, modeling, security
Example Sentence
Alanna: As I’m sure you know, we can’t just input our firm data into any old free AI product.
Jameson: Oh, for sure.
Jameson: . . . .
Jameson: Like, I mean, I would never enter our best client’s most sensitive data into Grok to make a word cloud with unicorn illustrations.
Jameson: Like, ever.
Alanna: Are you kidding me right now?
CosmoLex is proud to sponsor this edition of the Legal Tech-to-English Dictionary. As an end-to-end practice management platform built specifically for small to midsize law firms, CosmoLex integrates AI directly into the workflows attorneys rely on every day — summarizing documents, filtering matters and invoices in plain language, automating intake, and streamlining firm workflows. No separate tool to learn, no AI layer dropped onto a legacy system. Practical functionality built into the platform where the work already happens, with the compliance guardrails law firms actually need.
Download the Legal Tech-to-English Dictionary — Version 2.0
Jared Correia, a consultant and legal technology expert, is the host of “Adventures in Legal Tech,” the featured podcast of Above the Law’s Legal Tech Center.