An AI-powered courtroom wants to change how lawyers are trained in Dubai

A UAE-based legal technology company has launched the MENA region’s first AI-powered courtroom simulator, allowing law students and legal trainees to practice trials, cross-examine witnesses, face opposing counsel, and appear before virtual judges before stepping into a real courtroom.

Unveiled by Legaline Platform at the Dubai AI Festival, Meta Legal Space aims to bridge the gap between classroom learning and courtroom experience by recreating the pressures of real legal proceedings.

Inside the virtual courtroom, trainees can argue cases before an AI judge, while virtual clerks, witnesses and experts respond to questions and arguments in real time.

Unlike traditional mock trials, where participants often follow prepared scripts, the AI-powered simulator introduces an element of unpredictability. Every witness will have their own background and behavioral characteristics, which can influence their honesty and reliability throughout the proceedings.  Information from the witnesses is deliberately withheld for trainees to uncover through cross-examination, testing their ability to adapt when proceedings take an unexpected turn.

“Many lawyers conduct their first cross-examination with a real client’s case on the line, and it is the client who pays for any mistake,” said Dmitry Grinik, co-founder and CEO of Legaline Platform.

“Meta Legal Space moves that first attempt to a place where mistakes are allowed. The witness wavers, the judge interrupts, opposing counsel objects, and all of it happens before anyone’s case is at stake. Along the way, students get used to working alongside AI, something the profession now expects from day one.”

The simulator allows trainees to choose between litigation, arbitration, and mediation, with proceedings conducted under UAE onshore, Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), or Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) legal frameworks.

Its initial library of mock trials will cover commercial, civil and labour cases. This will include breach-of-contract disputes, construction defects, and unfair dismissal claims before the DIFC Small Claims Tribunal.

Every case is written by practising lawyers and rated for difficulty and duration, ensuring each case matches the trainee’s level of experience. After each session, trainees receive a performance report assessing their arguments, compliance with legal procedures and handling of objections, allowing them to identify areas for improvement and strengthen their courtroom skills.

“I have spent more than 25 years in criminal defence, and the hardest part of a trial is not knowing the law. It is the moment a witness says something you didn’t expect,” said Alexander Ilduganov, Co-founder and General Partner of Legaline Platform.

“You can’t learn that from a textbook, only in the courtroom,” he added.

The launch comes as legal technology companies expand the use of AI beyond document preparation and research into professional training. Legaline Platform has been expanding its offerings in these areas, including an AI tutor and a research assistant covering 35 areas of law, while Meta Legal Space adds practical courtroom training to its growing range of services.

According to Jouslin Khairallah, Founder and Managing Director of KH Legal and Founding Member of the Legaline Platform, the simulator is unique in that it helps address a longstanding gap in how lawyers are trained.

“Trainees in this region have never had a place to rehearse a hearing,” Khairallah said, adding that “Meta Legal Space closes the gap between what students learn in the classroom and what is expected of them the first time they stand before a judge.”

The platform, which is being showcased at the Dubai AI Festival, will be offered to law schools and legal training providers across the MENA region.