Use Case: Using AI to Brief Legal Opinions and Cases

The Use Case Series

The Use Case Series is a series designed to show interesting use cases for Artificial Intelligence Large Language Models.

Quickly Writing a Case Brief

Large language models (LLMs) are incredibly powerful tools. These models, such as OpenAI's GPT-3.5, are trained on vast amounts of data. These amazing machines understand and generate text in a wide range of topics and styles. One particular application where LLMs excel is in briefing cases.

Continue reading to learn how AI Artisan: Wordsmith makes this very easy.

Briefing a case involves summarizing the key facts, issues, arguments, and holdings of a legal case. It is an essential skill for lawyers and legal professionals as it helps them understand and analyze the relevant legal principles and precedents. LLMs can assist in this process by generating concise and coherent case briefs.

One of the main reasons why LLMs are great at briefing cases is their ability to comprehend and analyze complex legal texts. LLMs are trained on a vast range of legal documents, including court opinions, statutes, regulations, and legal textbooks. This extensive training allows LLMs to understand the structure and language of legal arguments, making them capable of extracting the relevant information from a case and summarizing it effectively.

LLMs can generate case briefs that are tailored to specific requirements. For example, if a lawyer needs a brief that focuses on a particular legal issue or jurisdiction, the LLM can be instructed accordingly. This flexibility allows LLMs to adapt to the specific needs of the user, providing them with a customized case brief that meets their requirements.

LLMs can save significant time and effort for legal professionals. Traditionally, briefing a case involves reading and analyzing lengthy legal opinions, identifying the key points, and summarizing them in a concise manner. This process can be time-consuming and labor-intensive. However, LLMs can automate this process by quickly scanning and understanding the case, extracting the relevant information, and generating a brief summary. This significantly reduces the time and effort required to brief a case, allowing lawyers to focus on other important tasks.

It is important to note that while LLMs can be highly useful in briefing cases, they should not be seen as a replacement for human legal analysis. LLMs are tools that can assist lawyers in their work, but they cannot replace the expertise and judgment of a human legal professional.

Large language models are great at briefing cases due to their ability to comprehend complex legal texts, generate tailored briefs, and save time and effort for legal professionals. By leveraging the power of LLMs, lawyers can enhance their efficiency and productivity in the case briefing process.

Let’s see how it works.

AI Artisan Makes Briefing Cases Easy

The “Discuss a PDF” Artisan Pod allows you to load in a case and discuss it with the AI.

For instance, let’s look at the recent Illinois Supreme Court case, Lichter v. Carroll.

Simply load the case into the Discuss PDF Artisan Pod, and use the following prompt: “You are a lawyer. Brief this case.” You will receive a result like the following:

Case Brief: Lichter v. Carroll, 2023 IL 128468

Facts: Jamie Lichter filed a personal injury action against Donald Christopher for injuries she suffered in a car accident. Lichter later discovered that Christopher had passed away before the lawsuit was filed, and no estate had been opened for him. Lichter filed a motion to appoint a special representative for Christopher's estate, which was granted by the court. However, the defendant, represented by State Farm, filed a motion to dismiss the case, arguing that the action was time-barred. The trial court granted the motion and dismissed the case with prejudice.

Procedural History: Lichter appealed the trial court's decision, and the appellate court reversed, holding that Lichter acted properly in moving to appoint a special representative under section 13-209(b)(2) of the Code of Civil Procedure. The defendant petitioned the Supreme Court for review, which was granted.

Issue: Whether Lichter was entitled to move to appoint a special representative under section 13-209(b)(2) instead of a personal representative under section 13-209(c) of the Code of Civil Procedure.

Decision: The Supreme Court affirmed the appellate court's decision.

Reasoning: The Court held that subsection (b)(2) of section 13-209 applies in this case because there was no personal representative of Christopher's estate and no estate had been opened. The Court rejected the defendant's argument that subsection (c) applies and forecloses the use of subsection (b)(2) in this situation. The Court emphasized that subsection (b)(2) is not limited to cases where the plaintiff is aware of the defendant's death at the time of filing the action. The Court also clarified that subsection (b)(2) does not have a specific time limit for appointing a special representative, but the two-year time limit from subsection (c) applies to a plaintiff proceeding under subsection (b)(2) who learns of the defendant's death after the statute of limitations has expired.

Dissent: Justice Rochford dissented, arguing that the plain language of the statute supports the defendant's position. The dissent disagreed with the majority's interpretation of subsection (b)(2) and contended that subsection (c) is the only applicable subsection in this case. The dissent also criticized the majority for not clarifying the overbroad language used in a previous case, Relf v. Shatayeva.

Conclusion: The Supreme Court affirmed the appellate court's decision, holding that Lichter was entitled to move to appoint a special representative under subsection (b)(2) of section 13-209. The Court clarified that the two-year time limit from subsection (c) applies to a plaintiff proceeding under subsection (b)(2) who learns of the defendant's death after the statute of limitations has expired.

Pretty amazing, right? Download AI Artisan and give it a try!