How AI Legal Document Review Drives Faster Case Prep

Reviewing authorized paperwork is undeniably tedious.

Nevertheless, whereas it could be time-consuming, authorized doc overview can also be important for constructing a robust case technique and successfully making ready for trial. And, as a result of even probably the most tenured lawyer could make errors or miss necessary particulars, it must be efficient and thorough.

On this submit, we’ll study every part it’s essential find out about AI for authorized doc overview—from the fundamentals of AI expertise to finest practices for implementing it responsibly and successfully at your agency.

Need to use AI to avoid wasting time, speed up your casework, and discover extra time for strategic work? Clio Duo, your authorized AI associate constructed into Clio Handle, automates routine duties, prioritizes your day, and helps you’re employed smarter. Study extra right here.

What’s AI authorized doc overview

AI for authorized doc overview makes use of synthetic intelligence to rapidly analyze, type, and determine key info from authorized paperwork. It streamlines the overview course of and permits for improved accuracy by utilizing AI to mechanically handle probably the most time-consuming overview work.

AI for authorized doc overview can automate authorized doc overview, improve your eDiscovery course of, rapidly discover related case legislation or authorized opinions, analyze huge authorized databases in minutes, and extra—in the end saving you time whereas serving to you construct a considerable, well-supported case.

Whereas there are various totally different instruments out there to facilitate the method, AI for authorized doc overview sometimes makes use of AI applied sciences to determine patterns and relationships between paperwork and categorize paperwork. These might embody:

Machine studying for uncovering patterns and connections between paperwork
Pure language processing for analyzing and deciphering textual content
Optical character recognition for turning scanned or handwritten content material into searchable digital textual content
Retrieval-augmented technology for bettering the standard of LLM-generated responses by grounding the mannequin on exterior sources of information.

Varieties of AI authorized doc overview

There are two major sorts of AI for authorized doc overview: expertise assisted overview (TAR) and generative AI.

Expertise assisted overview (TAR)

Expertise assisted overview is presently probably the most widely-used subset of instruments for AI for authorized doc overview. It’s used to overview and categorize paperwork, notably within the eDiscovery course of, the place many courts settle for TAR. TAR makes use of software program and machine studying to assist attorneys overview, analyze, and prioritize massive portions of paperwork to avoid wasting attorneys time.

For instance, when utilizing TAR, a lawyer might tag paperwork in a pattern set as related or not related. Studying from these examples offered by the human enter, the TAR program will predict the relevance of the remaining paperwork within the set.

Whereas TAR can assist authorized professionals velocity up the method of doc overview—which might, in flip, cut back the fee and time spent on guide overview—it does have limitations.

For one, the energy and effectiveness of TAR’s output is determined by the standard of the preliminary coaching set. For one more, TAR is targeted totally on structured text-heavy paperwork for overview, like emails or Phrase paperwork. This implies it may well’t accommodate different frequent sorts and mediums of knowledge that have to be reviewed, akin to movies.

Generative AI

Whereas the expertise continues to be rising, authorized groups are more and more adopting generative AI instruments—which might generate content material like textual content and pictures based mostly on sure prompts or inputs—to help with doc overview.

Generative AI can do greater than categorize and prioritize text-based paperwork: Generative AI instruments can course of, analyze, and overview many several types of information, akin to paperwork, textual content messages, and social media posts. It could additionally generate summaries, help with doc drafting, and supply a extra in-depth interpretation of content material.

Nonetheless, generative AI additionally has its limitations for authorized doc overview. As a more recent, growing expertise, it’s much less broadly accepted in courts than TAR instruments. Generative AI can also be susceptible to AI hallucinations, which might result in believable however inaccurate or unsupported outputs, making human oversight important when utilizing it in authorized contexts.

Some examples of instruments for AI for authorized doc overview embody:

Logikcull, which integrates with Clio, is an eDiscovery platform that may help with automated doc overview, eDiscovery, and doc group.
Everlaw is an eDiscovery software program that makes use of AI to automate doc overview and administrative duties, create doc summaries, and help with case narratives.
Harvey AI is a broad AI authorized platform for authorized professionals and their workflows. Whereas it’s not particularly centered on authorized doc overview, Harvey can assist generate insights, suggestions, and predictions based mostly on information.
Clio Duo helps you speed up your casework, from finishing on a regular basis duties to remodeling info into actionable insights. Our latest product automates routine duties, prioritizes your day, and helps you’re employed smarter.

How does AI authorized doc overview assist with case prep?

Case prep takes time, however AI can help with a few of its most labor-intensive elements by streamlining authorized doc overview and analyzing massive volumes of paperwork with velocity and precision. This frees up extra time to concentrate on making a successful case on your purchasers.

Utilizing AI makes it simpler and sooner to sift via paperwork to

Conduct environment friendly eDiscovery: AI instruments, like TAR, can velocity up and streamline the eDiscovery course of by automating the identification, classification, and prioritization of digital paperwork used for proof in authorized instances. This makes it sooner for attorneys to retrieve, determine, and overview related paperwork as wanted for eDiscovery. Plus, AI instruments can classify paperwork mechanically and extract entities, akin to names, dates, and locations, so that you get info rapidly and precisely.
Create doc summaries: Legal professionals can use AI instruments to tug key factors from lengthy paperwork and switch them into fast overviews. By studying these concise summaries as a substitute of each doc in full, you possibly can higher prioritize and streamline doc overview for case prep.
Generate and draft paperwork: Generative AI instruments can analyze present paperwork, discover patterns, and use that info to create preliminary drafts of authorized paperwork like pleadings, statements of details, and responses. By producing preliminary drafts rapidly, AI helps attorneys get began extra simply whereas releasing up time for revisions and customization.
Translation: By rapidly and effectively translating authorized paperwork, AI translation instruments make it extra accessible to work with paperwork in a number of languages. This protects time and expense with guide translation and helps cut back communication boundaries.
Construct case narratives: AI can help with creating case narratives by analyzing case information and paperwork, extracting related details, and organizing them into an easy-to-understand narrative. This helps attorneys construct case arguments and put together for trials extra rapidly (and, in case you didn’t know, Clio Duo additionally builds timelines from authorized paperwork).

Greatest practices for implementing AI for authorized doc overview

AI affords loads of massive advantages for streamlining authorized doc overview, however—as with all AI answer for attorneys—it additionally comes with distinctive dangers and moral issues.

Earlier than leveraging AI expertise for authorized doc overview, it’s important to be up-to-date on the related moral points (our submit on moral issues in legislation is an effective place to begin). And, in case your agency doesn’t have a structured AI coverage, create one—this information to making a legislation agency AI coverage can assist.

You’ll additionally need to think about the next finest practices for utilizing AI for authorized doc overview:

Set up clear tips for utilization: Create easy requirements for precisely how and when AI instruments can be used for doc overview at your agency. You must know what sorts of paperwork ought to and shouldn’t be reviewed utilizing AI and the way the AI outputs can be managed.
Guarantee a human is all the time checking the work: It’s one of the crucial necessary issues to recollect when utilizing AI in legislation: Regardless of how superior AI expertise could also be, human oversight is all the time important to make sure accuracy and reliability. For authorized doc overview, this implies all the time reviewing the outcomes and double-checking supply materials and citations to identify any errors and nuances that AI might not choose up on.
Put privateness and safety measures in place to guard delicate authorized information: For attorneys, the responsibility to confidentiality and to maintain delicate authorized information protected is non-negotiable. It’s necessary to be cautious and proactive when working with tech instruments like AI by implementing robust privateness and strong safety protocols. Study extra about legislation agency information safety right here.
Adhere to authorized ethics: Remember to vet AI instruments to make sure they adjust to moral requirements for the authorized trade and guidelines set out by your bar affiliation.
Implement coaching applications: It’s one factor to have good insurance policies and procedures arrange for AI instruments, however they’re solely efficient if everybody utilizing them is aware of methods to use them and is updated—which might be difficult as AI expertise is all the time bettering. Guarantee there’s ongoing coaching on the restrictions, capabilities, and finest practices for AI instruments.

Issues to think about when evaluating instruments for AI authorized doc overview

For those who’re able to implement an AI answer to assist with authorized doc overview, it’s necessary to vet your choices fastidiously. Along with evaluating potential instruments for his or her safety, value, and buyer evaluations, you’ll need to think about the next:

What does your agency really want? How a lot doc overview does your agency do, and what overview duties may you utilize probably the most assist with? Contemplate the everyday quantity and complexity of paperwork you’re employed with so you possibly can search for instruments that may deal with what you want. For instance, select instruments with superior pure language processing and machine studying capabilities to help with duties like eDiscovery and search for instruments with generative AI to assist generate summaries.
How a lot will it value the agency? AI instruments completely have the potential to alleviate a legislation agency’s workload, however the price of these instruments are appreciable relying on their use.
Is it straightforward to make use of? Search for AI instruments with a user-friendly interface that everybody in your workforce can navigate. You may as well think about in case you might have any customized options or choices to adapt the software to your agency’s particular necessities, akin to the power to tag sure sorts of paperwork, customized reporting, or superior search capabilities.
Does it work along with your present techniques? Selecting instruments that combine seamlessly along with your present software program and techniques (akin to case administration software program like Clio) can unlock additional time financial savings and enhance general effectivity in your day.

No, AI gained’t substitute attorneys

Relaxation assured, AI is just not coming for authorized professionals’ jobs: AI assists with somewhat than replaces human authorized work.

In reality, not embracing the potential of AI expertise might go away you susceptible to being left behind by your competitors. As the newest Authorized Developments Report discovered, the overwhelming majority of attorneys use AI, with 79% of attorneys adopting AI in some capability.

Instruments associated to authorized doc overview are among the many mostly adopted by authorized professionals, with doc drafting (18%), eDiscovery (12%), and contract overview (11%) rating among the many high AI options being adopted by the authorized trade, in keeping with the Authorized Developments Report.

AI is shifting the construction of authorized work by utilizing AI expertise to automate mundane duties and deal with massive doc volumes with doc overview. This permits attorneys to concentrate on higher-value and strategic work. Over time, this shift improves effectivity, productiveness, and consumer outcomes.

Ultimate ideas on AI authorized doc overview

AI has the facility to rework authorized doc overview by automating monotonous processes and extracting priceless insights from huge information units. Moderately than spending hours poring over emails, contracts, or discovery paperwork, you possibly can concentrate on technique and consumer advocacy. The outcome? Quicker case prep, decreased prices, and improved outcomes.

Able to simplify your doc workflow?

Clio Draft can assist you automate authorized doc creation and expedite the signing course of—saving hours and boosting your agency’s productiveness.

We printed this weblog submit in January 2025. Final up to date: January 14, 2025.

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