AI for Small law office
Our work is confidential and our licenses are on the line. Start with the office, not the law.
Write plain-language intake and 'what to bring' checklists
Each matter type has a standard list of documents and questions, and clients rarely read the version written in legal shorthand. The AI rewrites your checklists in plain language, with no client information involved.
Time back: Cuts down the calls asking what to bring, and the second appointment when someone forgot the deed.
Prompt to copy:
You are helping the office at [FIRM NAME]. Rewrite our intake checklist for [MATTER TYPE, E.G., ESTATE PLANNING] in plain language a client can follow. Our current checklist: [PASTE CHECKLIST] How clients send documents: [SECURE PORTAL / IN PERSON] Rules: Keep every item on the list. Do not add items, explain the law, or say what any document means for the client's situation. Do not invent deadlines or fees. If an item is unclear, ask me what it means instead of guessing. Calm, precise, no exclamation points.
Watch out: An attorney reviews the finished checklist once before it goes into use, since clients will treat it as the firm's word.
Draft first replies to new inquiries
Most new inquiries need the same things: consultation fee and length, scheduling, what to bring, and the no-relationship notice. The AI drafts the reply from your published terms, and staff send it only after a read.
Time back: Gets new inquiries a same-day answer without an attorney writing each one.
Prompt to copy:
You draft first replies to new inquiries for [FIRM NAME]. Our published terms: [PASTE CONSULTATION FEE, LENGTH, HOURS, PRACTICE AREAS, AREAS WE REFER OUT]. The inquiry, described generically: [E.G., 'PERSON ASKING ABOUT UPDATING A WILL AFTER A MOVE'; NO NAMES OR DETAILS] Rules: Do not give legal advice, answer the legal question or predict an outcome. For anything that depends on the person's facts, say an attorney will review it at a consultation. Include this sentence exactly: '[YOUR FIRM'S APPROVED NO-RELATIONSHIP WORDING]'. Use only the terms I gave you and do not invent fees or timelines. If the inquiry is outside our practice areas, say so politely and suggest they seek other counsel. If you need a fact I did not give you, ask me.
Watch out: Staff read every draft before it goes out, and any reply that starts to answer the legal question gets rewritten or sent to an attorney.
Summarize public court and bar notices for the office
Local rule changes, e-filing notices, court holiday schedules and bar announcements are public and often long. The AI pulls out what changed and what the office has to do, and the attorney reads the source.
Time back: Turns a long notice into a short office to-do list the same day it arrives.
Prompt to copy:
Summarize the public notice below for the staff at [FIRM NAME]. Notice: [PASTE PUBLIC COURT, CLERK OR BAR NOTICE] Give me: 1) what changed, 2) the effective date, 3) what staff must do differently, 4) anything an attorney needs to decide. Quote the exact wording for every date, deadline and rule number. Use only what is in the notice. If it does not say something, write 'not stated' instead of guessing. Do not invent or add case law, citations or interpretation. If the notice seems incomplete or refers to a document I did not give you, ask me for it.
Watch out: An attorney reads the original notice before any deadline or procedure change goes on the calendar.
First step
Load the Law Office starter from Industry Starters (/library/19), have an attorney confirm the no-relationship wording, and try the inquiry prompt on three past inquiries with every name removed. Legal judgment and advice stay with the licensed attorney.