Some people see a challenge and rise to it. Laina Chan saw a gap in the legal world and built a solution herself. In just five days, she raised $2 million to launch MIAI Law, Australia’s first legal-AI reasoning system. Unlike existing tools that merely locate cases or statutes, MIAI Law reasons like a lawyer, connecting legal authorities methodically and producing reports that are auditable, transparent, and fully verifiable.
A lawyer by profession, Sydney-based Laina is also a coder, a visionary, and a gamechanger in a US$2 trillion legal AI market. Frustrated with existing AI tools that couldn’t explain why a case mattered or how it connected to others, she taught herself to code and built MIAI Law from scratch. Every analytical step mirrors how a lawyer reasons from facts and principles, ensuring that professional judgment remains central.
“Law is not just retrieval,” Laina says. “It is reasoning from facts and principles. MIAI Law is built to follow that same discipline.” Her mission was simple yet audacious: to create a legal AI that strengthens professional reasoning, rather than replacing it.
The results have been extraordinary. Trials with local and international law firms proved that MIAI Law was more than a research tool. Senior counsel and former High Court Justice Michael Kirby called it “the way of the future.” And, praised its auditable, reasoned approach. Barristers and solicitors across Australia describe it as a second brain or a trusted counsel sitting beside them. From contract review to appeal readiness, MIAI Law goes beyond searching and summarising, providing clarity and confidence in high-stakes legal work.
Danny Feller SC, Senior Counsel at 2 Selborne Chambers, describes it as “AI for lawyers on steroids.” Ian Percy, barrister at Owen Dixon Chambers West, adds: “The case and legislative research functions make difficult tasks easy. This is a product you need to try to appreciate.” For legal professionals, the system is transformative. Benefits include saving time, uncovering overlooked arguments, and supporting the kind of meticulous analysis that clients rely on.
Laina’s journey reflects the new era of empowered women in tech and law. She refused to wait for someone else to solve a problem. Instead, she became the architect of her own solution, blending deep legal expertise with technical mastery. Her success is a blueprint for women looking to break barriers in industries traditionally dominated by men.
The technology itself is elegant in its simplicity. Built entirely from primary legal sources, MIAI Law produces structured, verifiable reports that lawyers can trust. Features like LawCheck and AppealCheck stress-test legal reasoning, identifying gaps and potential errors before advice is delivered or an appeal is filed. By automating foundational research while preserving professional judgment, Laina has created a system that enhances standards, reduces risk, and boosts confidence across the profession.
Investors were quick to recognise the potential. Within five days, $2 million poured in from backers including industry veterans and legal luminaries, all recognising Laina’s rare combination of technical skill, legal acumen, and unyielding determination. As one investor noted: “Her relentless resolve materially increases the probability that her vision becomes a reality.”
Beyond the technical achievements, MIAI Law represents a cultural shift. It redefines what AI can do for professionals while keeping ethics and transparency at the forefront. In a world where shortcuts and hallucinations are often the norm for generative AI, Laina has set a new standard: powerful, precise, and accountable.
For Laina Chan, this isn’t just a launch. It’s a statement: women can lead in law, technology, and innovation simultaneously. It’s a reminder that expertise, creativity, and determination are not bound by gender or convention. By creating a system that reasons like a lawyer, she has elevated the standard for the profession while inspiring the next generation of innovators.
Available now, MIAI Law offers a glimpse of the future for legal practice. It’s not only a tool, but a symbol of what’s possible when intelligence, ingenuity, and ambition converge. Laina Chan’s story proves that with vision and courage, barriers can be rewritten, industries transformed, and new paths forged—one auditable, reasoned step at a time.
