⚠️ This article discusses an earlier version of CoCounsel sold between March 2023-October 2023. For more recent content, see here.
A. Summary and video
Legal tasks are rarely complete until they are communicated. As a result, lawyers and other legal professionals spend a lot of time drafting letters and emails to clients, colleagues, opposing counsel, other interested parties, courts, and adjacent professionals, like accountants and financial advisors, just to name a few. CoCounsel can assist with drafting this basic correspondence.
B. Getting started
1. Select the skill
Go to the skills menu and select “Draft Correspondence.”
This screen will appear.
2. Provide correspondence details
Provide correspondence details, and then click “Draft Correspondence.” For example, an email with a casual tone written to recipient Colonel Nathan R. Jessup.
Tone is optional and may be adjusted later by refining CoCounsel's results.
Tone descriptions
Tone is always approximate because everyone interprets tone differently, but CoCounsel’s responses will generally follow these descriptions.
Adversarial | Formal | Neutral | Casual |
A direct tone with no polite niceties. | A respectful, non-hostile tone. | A broad category somewhere between respectful and friendly. | A very friendly tone. |
This may be appropriate for correspondence with opposing counsel. | This may be appropriate for correspondence with a judge or a new client. | This may be appropriate to request information from a 3rd party, like accountants or forensic labs. | This may be appropriate for personal notes, thank you notes, or less formal client communication. |
3. Describe the correspondence
Describe the correspondence you want CoCounsel to draft.
Descriptions may be adjusted later by refining CoCounsel’s results.
4. Request notification
To request email confirmation when CoCounsel’s work is complete, click “Email me when complete.” CoCounsel will email the address in your Casetext account profile.
5. Review the response
Begin reviewing CoCounsel’s response from the chat, or open the full response.
From the chat
From the chat, mouse over the response to expand the full response, or export the response by selecting download or copy.
The full response
CoCounsel will restate the request and provide a draft of the requested correspondence. To continue working with CoCounsel, select “Refine results.” To export the results, select “Download” or “Copy.”
6. Refine results
Drafting correspondence can be very personal and nuanced. Small changes in tone and wording can have a major impact on the final meaning. Upon reviewing CoCounsel’s drafted correspondence, you may want to refine the results.
Shorten the entire email to 2 paragraphs
Make the tone of the letter friendly, but not unprofessional
Replace [Your Name] with “Daniel Kaffee” and [Your Contact Information] with “Naval Air Station Point Mugu, Point Mugu, California, USA”
Convert this email to a letter
To support the point made in paragraph 1, please cite to “Marbury v. Madison, 5 U.S. 137 (1803)”
Generally, please make the tone more formal and cut the length in half; Specifically, remove paragraph 2 and revise current paragraph 3 to emphasize that our reasoning is supported by precedent
C. Limits
Requests and refinements
1,000 tokens, or about 750 words
Responses from CoCounsel
2,500 tokens, or about 1,875 words
CoCounsel does not save your tone or style preferences for future use
Scope
For requests, CoCounsel will only consider your description. For refinements, CoCounsel will only refine the instant response. This means CoCounsel cannot consider requests or responses from chat conversations or from other skills.
Not possible: CoCounsel, support the argument in the 4th paragraph with the first case cited in the earlier Legal Research Memo.
Not possible: CoCounsel, edit the 2nd paragraph to include the brief summary of Mars v. Jupiter from the matter named “Matter 23-00342”
Possible: CoCounsel, support the argument in the 4th paragraph with “[copied/pasted case citation from the relevant Legal Research Memo]”
Possible: CoCounsel, edit the 2nd paragraph to include “[copied/pasted summary of Mars v. Jupiter]”
No access to legal sources
CoCounsel does not access legal sources to draft correspondence. For relevant requests and refinements, CoCounsel will provide a short reminder.
The refinement “Edit the generic reference to precedent in paragraph 2 to make an explicit citation to ‘Mars v. Jupiter, 456 US 340 (2019)’” resulted in the following reminder from CoCounsel (click to enlarge).
Account details
CoCounsel cannot use the name, email, or position fields from a Casetext account profile to draft correspondence. As a result, CoCounsel cannot comply with instructions that rely on this information.
Not possible: Add my position and email address to the signature of this email
Not possible: Include my first and last names in the letterhead
Beta
Draft Correspondence is a beta skill that is not available with the Casetext OnDemand plan. See all plans.
D. Samples
Sample requests
Basic
Draft a letter to opposing counsel on the issue of the client’s failure to return a minor child pursuant to court-ordered timeshare schedule.
Deadline Extension
I am taking over as defense counsel and the parties are now working towards a settlement. Mediation is scheduled with Mary P. for Oct 11. We want the discovery deadline pushed to 30 days after the order, and the order deadline also pushed by 30 days so that we can settle before trial.
Demand
Write a demand letter to Mr. Smith saying that I represent Synergy Foods. My client has learned that his client Katie Martin has disseminated trade secrets to a competitor in violation of her NDA. We want her to pay $5K and agree to a court order enjoining her from future violations.
Engagement
Write a short email to Aunt Ginny Miller confirming that I will represent her in the criminal matter discussed during our initial intake meeting on September 30. Note that the full engagement letter is attached, that it is a binding contract, and that she should review it very closely. Please also confirm that I looked into her question about my age (whether I am too young to serve as counsel), and that it should not be an issue, especially since Lt. Cdr. JoAnne Galloway will serve as co-counsel.
Preservation
My client was injured when she fell on water next to an ice bin at a grocery store. There was no signage providing any warnings. She suffered a broken ankle. Write a letter to the company advising them that we are investigating the claim and they should preserve any and all evidence related to the claim for possible future litigation.
A sample comparison of tone
Notice how changing the tone affects CoCounsel’s response in this letter to Lt. Daniel Kaffee, U.S. Navy JAG Corps with the following description: Please prepare a short, 1 paragraph letter acknowledging receipt and now rejection of the recipient’s plea bargain dated October 10, 1992. Please sign the letter “Capt. Jack Ross, U.S. Navy JAG Corps.”
Adversarial | Formal | Neutral | Casual |
[Your Letterhead]
September 4, 2023
Lt. Daniel Kaffee U.S. Navy JAG Corps [Recipient's Address]
Dear Lt. Kaffee,
I confirm receipt of your proposed plea bargain dated October 10, 1992. Having carefully weighed the merits of your proposal, I regret to inform you that it has been categorically rejected. I insist on maintaining my position as previously communicated — no less than a full trial will suffice.
Sincerely,
Capt. Jack Ross
U.S. Navy JAG Corps | September 4, 2023
Lt. Daniel Kaffee U.S. Navy JAG Corps
Subject: Notice of Rejection of the Plea Bargain dated October 10, 1992
Dear Lt. Kaffee,
I kindly acknowledge your proposed plea bargain dated October 10, 1992. After a careful and thorough review of the terms, I regret to inform that it has been deemed unpersuasive and, as a consequence, has been rejected. I appreciate your understanding in this matter and stand ready to continue with our scheduled proceedings.
Yours Sincerely,
Capt. Jack Ross
U.S. Navy JAG Corps | September 4, 2023
Lt. Daniel Kaffee U.S. Navy JAG Corps
Dear Lt. Kaffee,
This letter is to acknowledge receipt of your proposed plea bargain dated October 10, 1992. I have reviewed it thoroughly and given it my full consideration. Unfortunately, after careful deliberation, I have decided to reject your proposal in its current formulation.
Thank you for your attention to this matter, nonetheless.
Yours sincerely,
Capt. Jack Ross U.S. Navy JAG Corps | September 4, 2023
Lt. Daniel Kaffee U.S. Navy JAG Corps
Dear Lt. Kaffee,
I write in response to the plea bargain proposal put forth by your office on October 10, 1992. I appreciate the detailed work that no doubt went into the proposal. However, after carefully considering the merits of your proposition, I regret to inform you that I am unable to accept the terms of the plea bargain. Thank you for your continued dedication to seeking fair resolution in this matter.
Best,
Capt. Jack Ross U.S. Navy JAG Corps |