ChatGPT can be an extremely useful tool for legal writing and research. When prompted correctly, it can provide valuable insights and information to assist lawyers and legal professionals. Here are some best practices for crafting effective ChatGPT prompts for legal writing:
Be Specific With Your Request
Clearly state what you want ChatGPT to do – summarize a case, draft a document, explain a concept, etc. The more details you provide, the better the response will be.
Prompt: “Please summarize the key facts, legal issues, and ruling in [Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113 (1973)] in two paragraphs.”
Set the Scene
Give ChatGPT background information and context so it understands the circumstances fully before responding. Establish who the parties are, the jurisdiction, relevant laws, etc.
Prompt: “Imagine you are a lawyer in California advising a client who was injured when a shelf collapsed on them in a hardware store. Draft a demand letter to the store seeking compensation for medical expenses and lost wages resulting from the injury.”
Assign a Role
Tell ChatGPT to respond from a certain perspective to frame the information appropriately.
Prompt: “Act as an appellate judge and write a majority opinion overturning the lower court’s denial of disability benefits in the following hypothetical case…”
Ask Follow-Up Questions
Treat your ChatGPT prompts like a conversation. Ask clarifying questions and request additional details to get complete responses.
Prompt: “Can you expand on the rationale the court used in its decision?”
Proofread Content
Ask ChatGPT to review documents it drafts for grammar, spelling, punctuation, and legal accuracy.
Prompt: “Please proofread the demand letter you previously wrote. Check for any spelling, grammar, or legal errors and revise if needed.”
Customize Outputs
Don’t simply accept ChatGPT’s initial responses. Refine and edit the content to suit your specific needs.
Prompt: “Revise the case summary to focus only on the constitutional issues and remove discussion of the scientific evidence.”
Helpful Websites for Legal Writing Prompts
- Write.Law Blog – Tips for using ChatGPT for legal writing
- Lawyerist – Examples of effective lawyer prompts
- LearnPrompt – 100+ prompts lawyers can use with ChatGPT
- Juro – Best practices for crafting ChatGPT legal prompts
Conclusion
With thoughtful prompting focused on legal concepts and documents, ChatGPT can become an invaluable asset for improving efficiency and quality in legal writing. Remember to provide sufficient background context, assign clear roles, ask follow-up questions, and customize the outputs. Using ChatGPT and human intelligence together can lead to better legal work products.