ChatGPT prompts you need to know as a lawyer💬💼

Let ChatGPT work for you, not the other way around. 

Welcome to today’s edition of The Automated Lawyer. We’ll give you the rundown of everything you need to know about maximizing ChatGPT for your legal tasks.

What makes ChatGPT different from Google?

The primary difference between ChatGPT and traditional search engines lies in how they engage with users, writes Mark Palmer, an adjunct law professor at UIUC. 

• While search engines operate based on keywords and algorithms to generate results, ChatGPT responds to queries in natural language.

What this means for you: Engaging with ChatGPT in a conversational manner can provide more nuanced and contextually accurate responses. 

• Additionally, the ability to ask ChatGPT follow-up questions and use subsequent prompts to tailor responses can produce better results than engaging only with a traditional search engine. 

What makes for a strong prompt?

For optimal results with ChatGPT, making your prompts more specific is important. Here are the steps to follow:

1. Define a role: Instruct ChatGPT to adopt a particular perspective, expertise, or point of view. For instance, you can say, “Take on the role of my opposing counsel.”

2. Provide context: Offer information and specify the desired outcome or result. For instance, you can instruct, “Assume the role of my opposing counsel and present counterarguments related to [legal case].” 

3. Continue with queries: Pose additional questions to gather more information. You can also rephrase your questions if you’re unsatisfied with the initial response.

4. Request sources: You can indicate that you require cited sources for the information provided. 

5. Adjust the output: Always remember to edit, refine, and fact-check your responses; avoid simply copying and pasting.

For more inspiration, check out this guide on interacting with ChatGPT, written by Josh Kubiki, Director of Richmond Law School’s Legal Innovation and Entrepreneurship program. 

Example prompts you can use

Explore the following prompts, inspired by the insightful articles of Kirsten Barkved from Clio and Mark Palmer. Discover how ChatGPT can become a pivotal tool in fulfilling your legal duties. 

And while you’re at it, be sure to check out their original pieces and give them the recognition they deserve:

• Kirsten’s article

• Mark’s article

Conducting legal research and analysis

• Prompt: “Conduct legal research on [legal issue or topic]. Please be concise. Summarize the relevant case law, statutes, and regulations. Provide analysis and conclusions based on your research.”

Uncovering precedents

• Prompt: “Provide me with an overview of the legal precedents in [area of law]. Please tell me what key cases exist in this area of law and what the key legal arguments were. Please also identify the potential consequences of misinterpreting the legal precedents.”

Summarizing content (documents, laws, opinions, etc.)

• Prompt: “Summarize the following into an executive summary and include key bullet points outlining all issues, analysis, and conclusions throughout” [paste the content to be summarized in window].

• Follow-up prompt: “Identify the legal issues and analyze the potential risks and benefits of pursuing a legal strategy to succeed on these issues including costs and risk management.”

Drafting litigation content

• Prompt: “You are preparing discovery interrogatories in a personal injury lawsuit that involved an interstate highway collision of multiple vehicles including cars and tractor-trailers. Draft a comprehensive list of detailed interrogatory questions structured to better understand the chain of events of the entire collision, all the parties involved, and issues of liability due to foreseen and unforeseen circumstances.”

• Follow-up prompt: “Generate more questions related to weather conditions and the driving and medical histories of those involved.”

Drafting marketing content

• Prompt: “Draft a courteous and professional response to the following negative online review that is brief and offers further dialogue to improve upon their experience:” [paste negative review].

• Follow-up prompt: “Rewrite it using a more sympathetic tone.”

Verify, verify, verify

Remember, always verify ChatGPT’s answers for factual inaccuracies. You can always ask the chatbot to provide sources as an additional measure. You don’t want to end up like this attorney.  

Wishing you success,

Nima, Ian, and the team at JusticeArch