Bricks And Bytes Can AI Work in Construction Law? | A 30-Year Attorney Breaks It Down
Feb 24, 2026
Michael Vardaro, a New York construction attorney with 30 years focused on litigation, contracts and dispute resolution, discusses how AI is reshaping construction law. He covers AI spotting scope conflicts and hidden change orders, using AI as a first-pass document tool, the AAA’s new AI arbitrator and interim decision uses, and risks like misleading AI meeting minutes.
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AI As The First Pass Through Document Overload
- Construction law's biggest bottleneck is document volume, and AI provides an effective first-pass to locate relevant evidence across emails, RFIs, drawings, and chats.
- AI improves on Boolean searches by finding conceptually related items that use different terminology, speeding initial fact-finding for lawyers and project teams.
Firmus AI Found 17 Hidden Change Orders
- Michael described a case where a platform called Firmus AI analyzed a full drawing/spec set and flagged 17 well‑defined potential change orders with citations.
- The tool returned exact sheet references and conflicts, letting the contractor rapidly verify issues they otherwise might have missed until litigation.
Use AI To Raise Issues Then Apply Judgment
- Use AI as a tool, not a substitute for judgment: run drafts through it to surface issues but always review and apply project‑specific judgment before accepting language.
- Example: an employee used ChatGPT to redline an AIA form and the edits actually opposed their own commercial position.