CoCounsel can research Casetext's legal database, or databases of your files.
A. How the AI works
1. Research in Casetext's legal database
Generally, legal research follows these steps.
You describe the legal research project with a request.
CoCounsel uses multiple research strategies to find relevant primary law, including Casetext’s proprietary semantic search that can find relevant concepts with different wording.
CoCounsel creates a list of the most relevant cases, statutes, and regulations.
CoCounsel analyzes this list to respond to your specific request.
CoCounsel’s response is a legal research memo, including a short answer, longer analysis, and a list of the most relevant cases, statutes, regulations, and other sources. The list includes links to the full text of the law, boldface summaries, and quoted highlights from the law.
You may refine the results.
You may export the results as a Word Document or copy the results to paste somewhere else.
2. Research in a database of your files
Generally, research in a database of your files follows these steps.
You describe the research project with a request and you identify the database.
CoCounsel uses multiple research strategies to find relevant results from across the entire database.
CoCounsel creates a list of the most relevant files in the database.
CoCounsel analyzes this list to respond to your specific request.
CoCounsel’s response is a research memo, including an answer and a list of the most relevant files. The list includes links to the full text of the file and quoted highlights from the file.
You may refine the results.
You may export the results as a Word Document or copy the results to paste somewhere else.
B. Getting Started
There are a few ways to get started.
1. Just ask
The easiest way to request research is to just ask CoCounsel. Use normal sentences like you would to a colleague, and include all relevant information. You may also select a database to get started.
For example:
For legal research, include the jurisdiction, background facts, and anything else relevant to the legal scenario.
For other research, explain your query or the type of information you want to study in your database.
2. Select examples
CoCounsel always reminds you of the categories of tasks it can complete. Select “Research.” As you chat, CoCounsel will suggest specific work based on your request. Select "Give me examples" or expand the right sidebar.
C. Request legal research
Request legal research with these best practices.
1. Write clearly
Write clear requests.
Use direct, active voice
Yes: Where the court sided with the defense.
No: Where the defense was sided with by the court.
Use concise, simple wording
Yes: Cases with a minor plaintiff under the age of 14.
No: Cases where there was a minor who was the plaintiff, and who was also under the age of 14 at the time of the alleged events that the court was considering.
Be specific
Yes: What were the elements of the court’s reasoning in Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992)?
No: What was the Planned Parenthood case about?
2. Include relevant information
Include the following information in your request.
Jurisdiction
Date range
Procedural history or posture (e.g., "cases with motions to dismiss for failure to state a claim under FRCP 12(b)(6)")
Cause of action and material facts (e.g., "slip-and-fall tort cases where ice and snow was not cleared from a sidewalk in front of a business")
3. Ask for an interpretation and filters
Request an interpretation to ensure CoCounsel has understood your request, including filters that CoCounsel will use during research.
4. Just ask
It is not possible to list all of CoCounsel’s capabilities. As needs arise, just ask. Learn about prompting
D. Limitations
1. Legal database of US primary law
During legal research, CoCounsel can only research primary law from all 50 state and federal jurisdictions in the US. Learn about coverage
2. Input limits
Chats with CoCounsel are generally limited by a number of tokens and the context window. Learn about tokens and context windows
3. Output limits
CoCounsel's legal research memo responses will include the most relevant results. While there will not always be this many relevant results, memos can include up to:
51 cases;
30 statutes (including Rules);
30 regulations; and
15 analyses.
CoCounsel will provide reminders about its capabilities and limitations.
E. Samples
It is impossible to list all of CoCounsel's capabilities, but please use these samples to consider how CoCounsel will help with your work.
1. Requests
Basic legal research
In Georgia, can a party take an oral deposition and a written deposition of the same witness?
Please provide some recent cases in federal courts that show a company executive avoiding liability under federal securities law because their statements were mere puffery prior to, not after, an IPO.
A law school professor who resides in and teaches in Massachusetts was fired for representing a famous individual who allegedly committed rape against many individuals. The case is ongoing, but the professor feels the school should not have fired him for representing the individual. What claims can the professor bring against the institution?
Can an employee take leave after a sexual assault that occurred outside of the workplace? The employee's jurisdiction is New York State courts. The company's jurisdiction is Delaware.
Research in your databases
In a database of contracts.
If a pandemic disrupted a supply chain, would a manufacturer still be liable?
In a database of rules for a youth soccer league.
Must coaches have credentials before they are allowed to coach a game?
In a database of files for HSR review.
I need to understand information about Enron's market position or competitors.
Request an interpretation before CoCounsel begins researching
In your request for research, ask CoCounsel to show its interpretation of your request before it begins. You can also ask CoCounsel to confirm its filters. If the interpretation or filters are not what you expect, request edits before moving forward.
I need to understand information about Enron's market position or competitors. Please show me your interpretation of my request before you begin.
Can an employee take leave after a sexual assault that occurred outside of the workplace? The employee's jurisdiction is New York State courts. The company's jurisdiction is Delaware. Please show me your interpretation of my request before you begin, and identify any filters you will use.
2. Refine the results
After reviewing CoCounsel’s response, continue chatting with CoCounsel to refine the results.
Expand or narrow your search
Please repeat the same search, but instead of only New York state courts, please Include all state courts in the tristate area: New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut.
Please repeat the search, but instead of looking at personal injury cases alleging negligence with an amount in controversy of at least $100,000, please consider all personal injury cases.
Please repeat this search, but only consider decisions from the last 10 years on any Motion to Dismiss.
Please expand this search to all state and federal laws in the US, but narrow the issue from all violent criminal convictions to only murder convictions.
Use the results
CoCounsel is capable of complex tasks that use results from prior requests in new requests.
Please summarize, right here in the chat, the Answer from the HSR database research above?
Please incorporate a short bulleted summary of the analysis from the legal research above in the body of a casual letter to Jessica Fletcher. Ms. Fletcher is a private investigator we hired to assist with this case, and she is waiting on these results before she can move forward with her investigation. Please also express our concern about her Nephew, Grady. We hope he recovers soon.
Please provide a brief summary of the first case from the legal research above.
Please summarize the Reynolds decision from the legal research above.
From the legal research above, compare the Atlanta CoCa-Cola Bottling Co decision to the Reynolds decision.