Persuasive, comprehensive summaries, outlines, and briefs are the foundation upon which decisions are influenced, arguments are constructed, and cases are won. Discover the benefits of utilizing generative AI for drafting – plus best practices, use cases, risks, and next steps.
Table of contents
- Why use generative AI-powered drafting?
- Example: Generative AI-powered drafting in action
- Generative AI-powered drafting: Challenges and solutions
- Adopting generative AI for drafting: Actionable next steps
Why use generative AI-powered drafting?
Benefit: Robust outlines and structures
Generative AI doesn't just assist with discovering the details – it also provides the invaluable service of generating outlines and structuring documents.
AI-generated outlines provide you with a logical framework that saves a significant amount of time and effort. This makes it easy to quickly and clearly organize facts and arguments, resulting in the rapid creation of coherent and persuasive documents.
Benefit: Time savings and reduction in human error
The manual process of setting up documents and copying and pasting in sections from prior work is infamously time-consuming and prone to error.
By reducing the time and effort required for drafting, generative AI liberates lawyers to focus on the more nuanced and strategic aspects of their work, granting them more time to craft persuasive arguments. This allows greater focus on the finer points of the work, thereby resulting in a lower risk of human error.
AI enables legal professionals to invest expertise where it matters most.
Related: DISCO Introduces Cecilia Deposition Summaries, Powered by Generative AI 🤖
Example: Generative AI-powered drafting in action
Daniela is a litigation associate at a busy law firm handling a substantial caseload. She is assigned to a complex case and is tasked with preparing a comprehensive brief on a tight timeline.
Instead of starting with a blank page, Daniela uses generative AI to create an initial draft, including an outline of key arguments and relevant case law references.
Daniela can now focus her expertise on refining and enhancing the AI-generated drafts to ensure that her arguments are persuasive and legally sound – in short, exercising the reasoning and expertise the firm hired her for in the first place.
This not only accelerates the document creation process for Daniela, but also offers a remarkable boost in quality. Consequently, her clients receive meticulously prepared and persuasive legal documents without a higher bill – which significantly reinforces the business's reputation and client trust.
Related reading: We Don’t Need Another Zero: 4 Ways Law Firms Can Lower the Cost of Dispute Resolution 💡
Generative AI-powered drafting: Challenges and solutions
Challenge: Loss of creative nuance in documents
One potential challenge associated with generative AI-powered drafting is that it may lack the creative nuance that human lawyers bring to document creation – the subtle rhetorical or persuasive elements that come with human lawyers’ contributions.
Solution: Enable human creativity
It’s crucial for lawyers to recognize that generative AI is an assistant.
View AI as a valuable tool to streamline and improve document creation, with the understanding that the final version requires the expertise and creative input of a human attorney. (Think of it as a young associate assisting a senior colleague.)
The rapidity and efficiency of AI should be balanced with a human’s creative flair and professional experience to create documents that are both legally robust and intellectually compelling.
Challenge: Adapting to rule changes
Legal regulations are subject to frequent updates and amendments, and there may be a lag period for AI systems to understand these changes and adapt templates accordingly.
Solution: Implement regular reviews
Close human oversight is crucial to bridge this gap and address rule changes promptly. Establish a protocol that includes frequent reviews of AI-generated templates and proactive updates to incorporate new legal standards.
Bonus: How to Use Generative AI for Document Review 💡
Adopting generative AI for drafting: Actionable next steps
1. Implement collaborative drafting workflows
To blend AI-generated content with lawyer-driven creative input, set up a quality control system that combines AI efficiency with your lawyers’ expertise.
Assign specific responsibilities and timeframes for each team member. Create clear guidelines for how AI and human expertise interact, and periodically review and refine the collaborative process to ensure ongoing effectiveness and efficiency.
2. Continue standard citation checks
For now, continuing your existing citation-check workflows will be key. While AI can assist with the early stages of drafting, it should never be the final set of eyes.
Uncover the advantages of using generative AI for drafting with DISCO
Ready to incorporate AI into your practice? DISCO is here to help.
DISCO’s user-friendly ediscovery platform features advanced search options, effortless upload and overlay features, and highly secure protection. Take litigation to a whole new level with DISCO’s Cecilia AI, with Cecilia Q&A (your in-platform AI expert that can provide answers to questions regarding your case documents), Cecilia Timelines (automatically create legal timelines that summarize important facts), and Cecilia Auto Review – plus, new features to come.
See how we can transform your practice: Request a demo.
This article comes from our downloadable ebook, Generative AI for Litigation: What You Really Need to Know.
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