We’re within the midst of a seismic technological shift that may reinvent workflows and radically alter the follow of regulation. Synthetic intelligence is bettering at an unprecedented tempo, with new authorized AI instruments rolling out recurrently, some stand-alone and others as options constructed into current authorized software program platforms.
AI has nice promise for the authorized occupation, providing the potential to streamline authorized work and cut back repetitive, mundane duties. Over the previous yr, some key authorized capabilities have been impacted by including AI performance, together with generative AI options. These embrace legal research, document review, and contract lifecycle management.
One other notable space of AI innovation contains doc drafting and evaluation. AI know-how is especially helpful on this context. For starters, it could actually help with enhancing textual content, bettering writing, altering tone or summarizing a doc—options that many authorized tech corporations have begun to incorporate of their platforms.
Different use instances embrace doc drafting, which includes making a doc from scratch, or doc evaluation, which assists with the evaluate and interactive evaluation of prolonged paperwork, corresponding to depositions, trial memorandums, appellate briefs or trial transcripts.
These options profit litigators and permit them to concentrate on higher-level duties that contain analyzing advanced authorized arguments and strategizing responsive pleadings. Due to this performance’s excessive worth, an rising variety of temporary writing and evaluation instruments that incorporate AI options have been launched.
Beneath, I’ll present an outline of this software program class by that includes instruments designed for solo and small regulation corporations. You’ll find out about components to contemplate when deciding on a platform, together with some obtainable instruments.
Selecting AI temporary writing and evaluation software program
Earlier than researching your choices, it’s important that you simply absolutely perceive your agency’s wants and the way these instruments will match into the litigation workflow. What are litigators’ most vital ache factors when working with paperwork? What sorts of work gradual the staff down? How can AI take away the extra tedious duties from their plates?
Don’t neglect about different software program that’s already in use. Integrations might be crucial when working with paperwork. Any new AI software program should combine along with your firm’s present doc creation instruments. Failure to take action might render time-tested, instrumental software program important to your agency’s workflows ineffective or unnecessarily clunky.
Moreover, it’s vital to grasp that you simply’ll be entrusting your agency’s confidential consumer knowledge to a 3rd celebration for the cloud-based instruments listed under. Which means that you have got an moral obligation to completely vet the tech supplier internet hosting and storing your agency’s knowledge. This responsibility contains acquiring info on how the info can be dealt with by that firm; the place the servers on which the info can be saved are positioned; who can have entry to it; and the way usually and when it will likely be backed up, amongst different issues.
Moreover, if the software program contains AI options, you’ll wish to discover accuracy charges, how the corporate protects your knowledge, and whether or not your staff’s knowledge inputs are used to coach AI fashions to enhance responses.
With that in thoughts, let’s study among the software program that falls beneath this class. Giant corporations, corresponding to LexisNexis, Thomson Reuters and Bloomberg Legislation, present this sort of software program. However it’s not cost-efficient for many small corporations, so solely instruments designed for small agency attorneys can be lined.
Beneath, you’ll discover a roundup of among the foremost choices obtainable. Benefit from demos supplied and test-drive the software program if that’s supplied.
Generative AI temporary writing and evaluation instruments
First up is Clearbrief, which operates inside Microsoft Phrase and depends on proprietary AI software program. Clearbrief assists with reviewing, drafting and cite-checking paperwork. It additionally facilitates the moment technology of displays and tables of authorities, together with the power to simply create a hyperlinked remaining draft. The AI performance allows the swift creation of timelines.
It additionally offers proof strategies obtained from litigation paperwork that help a factual proposition or assertion obtained from a pleading, memo or different kind of case-related submitting. The fee is $142 per month for solo and small corporations if paying yearly.
BriefCatch is one other Microsoft Phrase add-in that assists with temporary writing. It’s powered by an AI software program system that helps authorized professionals enhance their writing expertise and create extra persuasive and efficient paperwork.
The system analyzes written paperwork and provides customers real-time suggestions on sentence size, readability and phrase alternative. The software program analyzes paperwork for tone, readability and grammar. Pricing begins at $33 per month when billed yearly.
EzBriefs by Benchly can also be a Microsoft Phrase add-in powered by machine studying. Its present model automates desk of authority creation and quotation checking.
Later this yr, it is going to roll out temporary evaluate and evaluation options that may allow the drafting, sharing and reviewing of paperwork containing cited authority. Annual pricing is $600 per litigator.
A notable point out that assists with temporary writing however doesn’t depend on AI is WordRake. It really works in Microsoft Phrase and Outlook. This enhancing software program is grounded in refined algorithms that streamline authorized writing by offering advised edits and pink strains tailor-made to the wants of authorized writing. The Phrase add-in prices $149 annually, and the Phrase plus Outlook model is priced at $229 per yr.
AI instruments are quickly altering how authorized professionals work with paperwork, making workflows extra environment friendly and streamlined. By automating duties corresponding to drafting, enhancing and analyzing briefs, AI software program saves time and reduces the burden of repetitive work. These developments allow attorneys to focus extra on strategic duties and consumer interactions, permitting them to offer higher and extra responsive authorized companies.
Nicole Black is a Rochester, New York-based lawyer, creator and journalist, and he or she is senior director of subject material experience and exterior schooling at MyCase, an organization that provides authorized follow administration software program for small corporations. She is the nationally acknowledged creator of Cloud Computing for Attorneys and is co-author of Social Media for Attorneys: The Subsequent Frontier, each revealed by the American Bar Affiliation. She writes common columns for ABAJournal.com and Above the Legislation, has authored a whole lot of articles for different publications, and recurrently speaks at conferences concerning the intersection of regulation and rising applied sciences. Comply with her on X (previously Twitter) @nikiblack, or she might be reached at [email protected].
This column displays the opinions of the creator and never essentially the views of the ABA Journal—or the American Bar Affiliation.
