How to Automate Legal Discovery In 2024 (Using AI)

Automating Legal Discovery Responses

Automating legal discovery responses involves choosing appropriate software from the many options available on the market. The solution you select will determine how much you can reduce labor and increase your billable hours. 

The following is a step-by-step guide to how the most advanced AI-powered software automates legal discovery responses. These products balance the need to speed up work against the requirement for legal accuracy and compliance. 

Analyze The Discovery Request

Discovery response automation tools first analyze the discovery request from the opposing party. Sophisticated AI systems analyze text, extracting relevant pieces of information. 

For example, Briefpoint uses machine learning to transform opposing parties’ requests for information into digestible lists.

This feature lets you see their demands in a pithy, easy-to-interpret format, speeding up response. (Briefpoint can interpret requests in formats accepted in all fifty states).

Respond

AI tools next use AI to help you respond faster to legal discovery requests. Tools use a variety of templates and libraries to insert language that is legally permissible and in your client’s best interest. 

For example, Briefpoint provides two ways to automate this process. The first is to click relevant responses from the menu on the left-hand side. Selecting an objection will cause that response to appear in the text in reply to the request.

However, you can also get the software to suggest objections for you (and why they apply to the request). Using this method will highlight anything the solution thinks is relevant, given the inputted text. Then, you can quickly review them, editing them where appropriate.

Finally, you can use these tools to add a substantive response. This automated piece of text provides additional context for your reply.

Download And Review

Finally, you will need to download and review the response document. Solutions vary in their usability. Some require using their integrated word-processing software, while others force you to use PDFs. 

By contrast, Briefpoint lets you download your document into Microsoft Word, which probably integrates better into your workflow.

You can see the edited document at any production stage, allowing you to add or subtract from it whenever you want. 

Automating Legal Discovery

AI tools can also automate the creation of legal discovery documents, such as requests for admission, requests for production, and interrogatories. These facilities mean you can automate the initiation aspect of legal discovery work, not just the response. 

Designing Your Document

The first step is to draft your propounding discovery document. Solutions begin by collecting essential information to populate the request. For example, Briefpoint asks for information about the case name, request type (request for admission, request for production, or interrogatory), and the responding party.

You can also link it to an existing case or client or a new one. 

Add Requests

The next step is to add your requests. Automation software accelerates this process by including pre-built requests grouped by case type and theories of law. 

For example, Briefpoint lets you select interrogatories related to “auto torts” with a click and add them to your request. 

Download And Review

The final step is to download and review your newly generated request document. Again, Briefpoint lets you edit it in Word, ready to attach in an email or print.

Understanding The Benefits Of Automating Legal Discovery

While automating legal discovery work can save you time and money, it also offers a multitude of additional benefits. For instance, using tools properly can help reduce errors in discovery responses. 

These tools can quickly identify key themes in the documents you receive and offer permissible retorts that reduce the risk of unnecessarily revealing privileged information. 

Furthermore, such tools can also help you improve your relationship with your client. Instead of poring over paperwork, you can focus more on your case and building healthy client relationships. 

Ultimately, these tools shift the balance of focus of your work. Briefpoint reduces drudgery, helping you operate more efficiently and spend time on the most enjoyable aspects of your job.

Briefpoint Automates Legal Discovery

Discovery responses cost firms $23,240, per year, per attorney. $23,240 estimate assumes an associate attorney salary of $150,000 (including benefits – or $83 an hour), 20 cases per year/per associate, 4 discovery sets per case, 30 questions per set, 3.5 hours spent responding to each set, and 1800 hours of billable hours per year.

Under these assumptions, you save $20,477 using Briefpoint, per year, per attorney.

Test Briefpoint yourself by scheduling a demo here.