Thoughts on Generative AI Use Cases

Generative AI is proving to be an indispensable tool in legal practice, providing solutions that directly address long-standing challenges. From streamlining case research to improving client interactions, AI is allowing legal professionals to work more efficiently and with greater precision.

This month's newsletter is a little different. I wanted to provide some specific thoughts on different use cases for Generative AI using practical examples.

I hope you find it informative.

Streamlining Case Research and Summarization

Challenge: Legal research is one of the most resource-intensive tasks in law, requiring meticulous analysis of case law, statutes, and prior rulings to build solid arguments. For instance, when preparing a brief on a complex topic, an attorney might need to sift through dozens—if not hundreds—of case files to find relevant legal principles and precedents. This can take hours or days, impacting the time available for other critical tasks.

AI Solution: Generative AI platforms like CoCounsel and LexisNexis' Context have been designed to handle this exact workload. These tools can quickly analyze large volumes of legal texts and produce concise summaries that highlight relevant rulings, applicable statutes, and critical arguments. Instead of spending hours reading through entire judgments, attorneys can access focused summaries, reducing research time by up to 60%. For example, if an attorney is preparing for a fraud case, AI can pinpoint precedents on similar issues, flag key quotes from prior rulings, and summarize outcomes, all within minutes.

Specific Outcome: By cutting down the time required for legal research, attorneys can prioritize case strategy and client interaction. This focused research capability also reduces the risk of missing key precedents, as the AI can flag cases with similar facts or legal issues that may not have been immediately apparent in a manual search.

Improving Document Drafting and Review

Challenge: Drafting and reviewing legal documents, such as contracts or motions, requires precision. Many of these documents follow structured templates but need to be customized for each case. Traditionally, this process involves manually editing standard language and ensuring consistency across all sections, which can be both repetitive and error-prone.

AI Solution: Generative AI tools can automate the creation of initial drafts by leveraging template-based drafting systems that incorporate client-specific details and case law automatically. For instance, if drafting a non-disclosure agreement, AI can populate the document with key information, such as the client’s name, the purpose of the disclosure, and any specific terms, saving time on basic formatting. Additionally, intelligent document review platforms like LawGeex detect deviations from standard clauses or flag non-compliant language, especially in high-stakes contracts or compliance-driven documents. During M&A due diligence, for example, these tools can quickly review and highlight clauses across hundreds of contracts that might introduce legal or financial risk.

Specific Outcome: By reducing the time spent on drafting and verifying standard content, attorneys can focus on tailoring the document to the case’s specific needs or negotiating terms. Firms also see a measurable reduction in errors and inconsistencies, particularly in high-volume document reviews like those encountered in corporate transactions or litigation support.

E-Discovery and Litigation Support

Challenge: E-discovery can be overwhelming in complex litigation, where thousands of emails, contracts, and documents need to be reviewed for relevance. Traditionally, this task has required significant human labor to sift through files and categorize them based on content, keywords, or specific criteria.

AI Solution: Generative AI tools expedite this process through automated document categorization. For instance, AI tools can scan and tag documents based on parameters such as topic, date range, or specific phrases, allowing attorneys to hone in on the most critical documents. If a team is handling a breach-of-contract case, AI can flag documents containing the word “breach” alongside related dates or parties, instantly categorizing these for more thorough review. AI can also prioritize sensitive or privileged documents, reducing the risk of inadvertent disclosures. Additionally, tools like Verbit or Otter.ai can transcribe depositions and summarize them, pinpointing crucial statements for trial preparation.

Specific Outcome: The streamlined categorization and prioritization that AI provides significantly reduces the time spent on discovery, especially for document-heavy cases. It allows attorneys to focus their efforts on analyzing key evidence and building arguments, rather than wading through irrelevant material. This approach also helps teams meet tight deadlines in high-stakes litigation where time is critical.

Enabling Strategic Insights with Legal Analytics

Challenge: In complex litigation or high-profile cases, it’s critical to understand patterns in judicial decisions and opposing counsel’s behavior. Attorneys benefit from insights on factors like how a specific judge has ruled in similar cases or whether opposing counsel tends to settle or litigate aggressively. Traditionally, this type of insight has been challenging to compile without extensive manual research and anecdotal information.

AI Solution: Legal analytics platforms, such as Lex Machina and Bloomberg Law’s Litigation Analytics, offer data-driven insights by analyzing prior case outcomes and judge-specific data. For example, if an attorney is preparing to appear before a judge with a track record of dismissing certain types of cases, AI can highlight this tendency, allowing the attorney to adjust arguments accordingly. Similarly, if opposing counsel has a pattern of aggressively pursuing settlements over trials, AI can reveal this tendency, providing a strategic advantage in negotiations.

Specific Outcome: This targeted data supports informed decision-making, empowering attorneys to tailor their strategies with evidence-based insights. It allows them to anticipate potential outcomes more accurately, advise clients on probable case trajectories, and even adjust negotiation tactics based on historical tendencies.

Enhancing Client Interaction and Service Delivery

Challenge: Balancing client interactions with substantive legal work can be challenging. Clients expect timely updates, regular communication, and transparency, but this can create a significant administrative burden, especially when attorneys are managing multiple cases simultaneously.

AI Solution: AI-driven tools streamline client communication by automating routine updates and responses. For example, generative AI can produce personalized case status updates, automatically incorporating new developments or upcoming court dates. This allows clients to stay informed without requiring attorneys to draft each update manually. AI can also assist with client intake by gathering essential information through online forms and preparing it for attorney review. Additionally, AI chatbots can handle FAQs and simple status inquiries, such as “What’s the next step?” or “When is the next court date?”—reducing the need for direct attorney involvement in non-substantive inquiries.

Specific Outcome: Automated client communication ensures that clients receive timely, accurate updates, fostering trust and satisfaction. Attorneys, in turn, experience reduced administrative burdens, freeing them to focus on case-specific tasks that require their expertise. This approach scales well in practices that serve high volumes of clients with ongoing communication needs.

Building Knowledge Repositories and Internal Precedent Libraries

Challenge: Capturing and reusing knowledge from past cases is critical for consistent quality in legal work. Without a structured knowledge management system, insights from past cases often go unused, creating inefficiencies and potential quality inconsistencies in future cases.

AI Solution: Generative AI can automatically organize and catalog case outcomes, contracts, and briefs, creating an accessible knowledge repository for future reference. For example, AI can automatically summarize case results, key arguments, and contract clauses into a central database, making it easy for attorneys to reference successful strategies or well-drafted clauses from similar cases. AI can also create and maintain brief banks that attorneys can draw from to reuse strong arguments or effective language without “reinventing the wheel.”

Specific Outcome: By making institutional knowledge more accessible, AI supports consistent quality and efficiency across cases. Attorneys can draw on the experience of the entire firm, enabling them to respond to new cases with a data-driven foundation. Clients benefit from strategies informed by a wealth of prior knowledge, leading to more robust and informed legal counsel.

Automating Billing and Time Tracking with Precision

Challenge: Accurate billing and time tracking are essential to client trust and firm profitability. However, manual time entry and billing are error-prone, time-consuming, and often leave attorneys with underreported billable hours, affecting revenue.

AI Solution: AI tools automate time tracking and billing preparation by monitoring tasks and categorizing them based on activity type. For instance, an AI tool might log an hour spent on document review as “contract analysis,” allowing for easy invoicing without manual entry. Generative AI can also produce detailed invoices, breaking down activities and explaining charges in plain language for client transparency. This reduces time spent on invoicing while ensuring accuracy and completeness.

Specific Outcome: Automated billing not only improves the accuracy of time tracking but also enhances client satisfaction by providing clear and transparent invoices. Attorneys can trust that their work is fully accounted for, reducing revenue leakage from underreported hours and enhancing profitability.

Generative AI offers practical, measurable benefits in legal practice by addressing specific challenges with targeted solutions. Whether streamlining research, automating document drafting, or providing strategic insights, AI empowers attorneys to operate with greater efficiency, accuracy, and responsiveness. By integrating these tools thoughtfully, legal professionals can focus on high-value work, improve client service, and enhance their case outcomes. Generative AI, when applied judiciously, stands as a valuable ally in the evolution of modern legal practice, driving tangible improvements in every stage of the legal process.

Further Reading/Resources:

LawSites by Robert Ambrogi

LawSites is a leading legal tech blog covering the latest trends in AI and other technologies transforming legal practice. Ambrogi frequently reviews new AI tools, industry developments, and regulatory changes affecting legal tech. A recent highlight is his comprehensive review of generative AI tools specifically designed for legal professionals, providing insight into their capabilities and limitations.

Artificial Lawyer

Artificial Lawyer, founded by Richard Tromans, focuses on innovation in legal tech, with a special emphasis on AI applications. This site regularly publishes updates on the latest AI tools for document review, legal research, and contract management. The "AI in Law" section provides specific case studies and interviews with tech companies, making it a practical resource for legal professionals.

"AI for Lawyers: How Artificial Intelligence is Adding Value, Amplifying Expertise, and Transforming Careers" by Noah Waisberg and Alexander Hudek (2021)

This book provides a comprehensive introduction to AI's role in legal practice, with a focus on practical applications such as contract analysis, litigation prediction, and knowledge management. Written by the founders of the AI-driven legal tech company Kira Systems, this resource blends technical insights with real-world applications, making it ideal for both novices and experts.

The Legal Tech Ecosystem by Colin S. Levy (2023)

Levy provides an in-depth look at the legal tech ecosystem, covering tools for contract analysis, case management, e-discovery, and client communication. With a focus on practical insights and actionable advice, the book guides legal professionals through the opportunities and challenges of implementing technology in their practices. Levy’s work is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand how legal tech can drive efficiency, improve client service, and enhance legal work in a rapidly evolving industry.

LexisNexis Practical Guidance Blog

The Practical Guidance Blog by LexisNexis provides articles and reports on how AI is transforming legal workflows, with actionable tips on implementing AI in specific areas like case research, drafting, and e-discovery. This blog is updated regularly, making it a good resource for staying current with AI trends in law.

Stanford Law School’s CodeX Blog – Center for Legal Informatics

The CodeX blog offers research updates and case studies on the latest developments in AI and legal technology. With contributors ranging from academics to industry practitioners, the blog covers topics such as predictive analytics, legal chatbots, and AI-driven document review. CodeX also shares insights from its annual conference, which is a leading event for AI in law.

"Legal Tech and the Future of Civil Justice" edited by David Freeman Engstrom (2023)

This recent publication explores the impact of legal technology, including generative AI, on civil justice and the legal profession. Featuring contributions from legal scholars, this book delves into AI’s applications in legal decision-making, e-discovery, and case management, while examining ethical and policy concerns.

LawNext Podcast with Robert Ambrogi

The LawNext Podcast regularly features discussions on AI and legal tech innovations. Hosted by legal tech journalist Robert Ambrogi, recent episodes cover the latest AI tools for legal professionals, insights from AI developers, and trends shaping the future of the legal industry.

ABA Journal’s "Legal Rebels" Blog

The American Bar Association’s Legal Rebels blog focuses on innovation in the legal industry, with frequent articles on AI-driven tools and trends. This resource offers perspectives on how AI is changing the daily work of attorneys, from automating document review to enhancing litigation support.