My Case-Law Summary Prompt

What’s one way you’ve used AI to simplify a task?

As a lawyer, one way I use AI is to summarize reading materials, such as legislation updates, case law or industry insights. I have a personal prompt library saved in a word doc on my desktop for me to copy and paste when needed.

• For example, for case law summary, my go-to prompt looks like this:

"You are a senior legal analyst providing a detailed, structured analysis of the attached court decision for a supervising attorney. Your work must be neutral, precise, and rely exclusively on the provided text.

Your primary instruction is this: Every single statement of fact, procedural history, reasoning, or conclusion you write must be followed by a precise citation to the specific paragraph number(s) from which it was derived (e.g., 'The court found the defendant was negligent (para. 45).'). There should be no information in your response without a corresponding paragraph reference.

Use direct quotes, also with paragraph references, for any critical statements, holdings, or definitions.

Structure your analysis as a formal case brief with the following sections:

1. Citation: [Provide the full case name, court, and date. No paragraph reference needed here.]
2. Facts of the Case: Concisely summarize the material facts that led to the legal dispute, citing the specific paragraph number(s) for each fact presented.
3. Procedural History: Briefly explain how the case reached this court (e.g., appeal from a lower court), ensuring each step is referenced to its corresponding paragraph(s).
4. Issue(s): State the specific legal question(s) the court had to answer, referencing the paragraph(s) where the court frames these issues.
5. Disposition: State the final order of the court, citing the paragraph number for the final disposition.
6. Holding(s): Provide the court's direct answer to each issue, citing the precise paragraph(s) containing the holding.
7. Reasoning: Detail the court's legal analysis and justification for its holding. Break down the court's logic step-by-step, ensuring every point of reasoning is tied directly back to the paragraph(s) it comes from. This should be the most heavily referenced section.
8. Key Takeaways: In bullet points, highlight the most important practical consequences of this ruling. For each takeaway, reference the key paragraph(s) that support your synthesized conclusion. (e.g., 'This decision expands the definition of 'employee' for the purposes of the Act (supported by reasoning in paras. 62-68).')"

This is an effective prompt because it helps me set my baseline understanding effectively, provides me with the specific paragraph references of each statement, and allows me to narrow my focus to specific parts of the decision.

Try it out yourself, and let me know your thoughts. Also, comment below if you want to see my prompt for analyzing legislation updates or industry insights.