Legal Industry News in Brief
By
Gemini Legal
Sep 10, 2025
Vol. I, Issue #1
DIR Extends Review for Return-to-Work Applications to 75 Days
Due to the high volume of applications the Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) receives, DIR has advised Gemini Legal that the review process for determining eligibility for an applicant to the Return-to-Work (RTW) Supplement Program has been temporarily extended past the standard 60-day time frame to at least 75 days (excluding weekends and holidays) from the date DIR receives the application. The applicant will receive a letter confirming or denying their eligibility.
No date has been set for the end of the extension. The DIR advises representatives not to request any status checks before 75 days have elapsed since the date of the application submission.
Contact the Gemini Legal Vouchers team if you have questions.
Gemini Legal and Filevine Partner to Create Unified Filing Experience
This new partnership will allow clients to take advantage of Gemini Legal's records ordering software and JetFiler via Filevine to file documents at no additional cost, unlike other alternatives.
New Gemini Legal Submission Portal Improves Functionality, Addresses SPARE Act
Gemini Legal has enhanced its submission portal for all non-workers’ compensation submissions. The updated interface makes every task faster and more intuitive, reducing the time it takes to place and manage orders and meets the requirements of the 2025-2026 California AB 747 (SPARE Act).
Key improvements include combining Process, Copy, and Courts into a single page to eliminate toggling between departments, the ability to add multiple parties to one request instead of submitting separate orders, and a smart case auto-fill feature that quickly populates information from past jobs under the same file number. In addition, the new clear billing view lets you see total charges for each case at a glance, along with all case numbers and reference numbers in one place.
The portal supports process serving, skip tracing, records retrieval and concierge e-filing. While workers’ compensation clients can also use this portal, it is tailored to the unique needs of firms working in other areas of law.
Access the submission portal here.
2026 Calendars Now Available
Clients can now order free 2026 desk and wall calendars from Gemini Legal, hand-delivered by your Gemini Legal account representative. Workers’ compensation clients will also find Workers' Compensation Appeals Board (WCAB) office addresses listed as well as California court holidays.
Industry Roundup:
AI’s growing role in workers’ compensation claims
A recent article from Reuters examines how AI is increasingly being used in workers’ compensationWC claim processes—automating administrative tasks, risk assessment, document review—and points to both efficiency gains and ethical/legal risks (privacy, algorithmic bias, data accuracy). Reuters
Practical implications:
Firms may consider adopting AI tools (or reviewing proposals from vendors) for workflows (e.g. medical record review, scheduling, preliminary analysis)
Need to watch for challenges: data privacy / HIPAA, explainability of AI decisions, possible “black box” issues, and adversarial attacks
In disputes, declarations about AI use or algorithmic outputs may become a drafting point in depositions or motions.
Link to the full article: https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/how-ai-is-impacting-workers-compensation-claims--pracin-2025-09-24
California workers’ compensation advisory rate increase: 8.7%
California’s Insurance Commissioner has approved an 8.7% increase in the workers’ compensation advisory rate (effective September 1, 2025).
What this means for claimant-side attorneys:
Employers and insurers will face rising costs, which may increase pressure to litigate or controvert claims vigorously
Adjustments may flow through to defense strategies, reserves, settlement posturing
Review how this rate increase may affect the calculation of indemnity, medical, and loss adjustment expense assumptions in your cases
For those representing employer-insured or third-party administrators, it’s a signal to revisit underwriting and risk analysis for future policies.
Link to full article: https://employeesfirstlaborlaw.com/california-approves-8-7-workers-compensation-rate-increase-what-it-means-for-injured-workers/
The Superior Court of Los Angeles County recently announced that its LACourtConnect courtroom preview feature has expanded to nine additional court locations. Nine courthouses will have the Courtroom Preview feature in courtrooms with litigation types that currently utilize LACC. See which courthouses have been added, and read the full Notice to Attorneys here.
Gemini Legal
For more than 20 years, Gemini Legal has been helping law firms win cases and improve the efficiency of their case management processes with innovative software, industry-leading services, and useful publications. We streamline time-intensive litigation tasks, particularly in the areas of workers’ compensation, personal injury, employment, and family law.