In a profession built on precision, precedent, and long nights at the office, Navid Dehghani saw a glaring inefficiency that most lawyers simply accepted as part of the job.
“I started at the bottom, buried in reviewing documents, drafting endlessly, and staying in the office long after the partners had gone home,” Navid recalls. “Most of that work wasn’t billable; it was simply expected. That’s when I first felt the imbalance that would eventually drive me to build Junior Associate.”
As both a practicing lawyer and a software developer, Navid found himself uniquely positioned to bridge two worlds that rarely intersect: law and technology. What began as an experiment in contract automation evolved into something much bigger, a proactive AI copilot for lawyers designed to understand not just text but the logic, structure, and nuance of the law itself.
Recently, Junior Associate was part of the top startups pitching at Techtoberfest at Communitech in Waterloo, sharing the stage with HyClight, Neptune Nanotechnologies, Nerview Surgical, Sensible Vascular, and VetVivo.
From Research to Drafting: How JAX Works
Unlike traditional tools that simply react to prompts, Junior Associate takes a proactive approach. When lawyers upload documents, communicate with the built-in chatbot, or discuss a case, the system continuously contextualizes everything: facts, issues, and parties involved. It builds a dynamic understanding of the matter, allowing each new query or draft to draw on accumulated context.
“Rather than being a simple AI search engine for legal questions, Junior Associate becomes a true collaborator, one that understands your files, your arguments, and your strategy,” says Navid.
During research, JAX instantly locates relevant case law and statutes tailored to the specific fact pattern of a matter. When it comes to drafting, it generates pleadings, motions, and contracts in the firm’s own style while automatically referencing the correct authorities. As cases progress, JAX assists with preparation by summarizing evidence, building timelines, and identifying potential inconsistencies in arguments.
The result is a legal workflow that’s faster, smarter, and more consistent, freeing lawyers to focus on what truly matters: judgment, advocacy, and client relationships.
Building Momentum in a Traditional Industry
Despite the legal industry’s conservative approach to innovation, Junior Associate is finding its footing. Early traction has come through targeted demos, pilot programs, and partnerships with law firms and legal associations. The platform’s compliance with Law Society of Ontario (LSO) requirements has also been key in earning trust.
“Our early adopters are mostly small to mid-sized litigation and personal injury firms,” says Navid. “We’re focused on bringing them onboard as reference clients, scaling through referrals, digital marketing, and conference visibility.”
In Canada, AI adoption among law firms remains cautious but accelerating. Mid-size firms are leading the charge, while larger firms are slower to move due to multi-layered approval processes. Still, Navid believes the tide is turning. “Firms want efficiency, but only if it’s secure, compliant, and practical. That’s exactly where we’re focused.”
The Future of Law: From Reactive to Anticipatory Practice
Looking ahead, Navid envisions a transformation in how Canadian law firms operate. “We’re not just wrapping a large language model and calling it Legal AI,” he explains. “We’ve taken a deliberate approach, understanding how lawyers think, reason, and work.”
He sees three key shifts coming: firms will move from reactive to proactive practice, anticipating risks and obligations before they become issues. Junior lawyers and small firms will gain analytical power once reserved for large firms, leveling the playing field across the profession. And as AI becomes embedded in daily workflows, efficiency and precision will become the new standard, allowing lawyers to focus on strategy, judgment, and client relationships.
“Our goal isn’t to replace lawyers; it’s to remove the grind from the profession,” Navid adds. “We’re transforming how legal services are delivered while preserving the craft, ethics, and reasoning that define them.”
When asked what advice he’d give to firms exploring AI, Navid doesn’t mince words:
“Don’t get fooled by flair and marketing, and don’t get discouraged by early issues. We’re still in the dial-up internet days of AI. Adopt tools that make your work easier, not more complex. AI should reduce friction, not create it. If a tool doesn’t clearly save time or improve accuracy, it’s not ready for you yet.”
He warns against total skepticism, too. “If industries had abandoned the internet in the ‘90s, we’d still be sending faxes. The firms that lean in now, carefully and strategically, will define what the next generation of legal practice looks like.”
Junior Associate’s next big step is refining its research engine, an ambitious system built to truly understand the structure and logic of legal language, not just parse keywords.
“This isn’t a glorified search tool,” Navid says. “We’re building something that can process meaning within legal texts, helping lawyers go beyond finding information to actually understanding it.”
The company is currently partnering with select law firms as early adopters, ensuring that real-world use shapes the product’s evolution. “The next stage is about trust,” he emphasizes. “Precision, reliability, and context, that’s what the legal industry demands, and that’s what we’re building toward.”
As the industry grapples with change, one thing is clear: the next generation of legal practice might not start in a courtroom, but in the code that powers it.
