AI legal research tools from Harvey AI, Casetext (now part of Thomson Reuters), and LexisNexis have reduced case preparation time by an average of 67%, according to a survey of 500 US law firms.
The tools can analyse thousands of court opinions, identify relevant precedents, draft legal arguments, and even predict case outcomes with reasonable accuracy. Junior associates who previously spent weeks on legal research can now accomplish the same work in days.
The efficiency gains raise profound questions about access to justice. If AI can perform legal research at near-zero cost, should legal aid organisations and pro bono services receive free access? Several companies are exploring this.
However, concerns about AI 'hallucinating' legal citations persist. Multiple courts have sanctioned lawyers for submitting AI-generated briefs containing fictitious case citations.