In This Article
Introduction
Legal work involves research, document review, and matter coordination. OpenClaw can assist with research summaries, draft document briefs, and manage matter timelines — but never for final legal advice. The agent accelerates; the attorney is responsible. See law firms guide for firm-specific getting it running.
Critical boundaries: verify every citation and conclusion. Use local models for confidential matters. Document your use in ethics compliance. Client confidences require secure, local getting it running. One firm cut research time by 35% — we'll show you the setup.
Legal Research Assistance
The agent can search, summarize, and draft research memos. You verify every citation and conclusion. Use local models for confidential matters. Never rely on agent output without attorney review.
Research memos. "Research [issue]. Jurisdiction: [X]. Find: relevant statutes, case law, secondary sources. Draft memo with citations." The agent compiles; you verify every cite. AI can hallucinate citations — check each one in Westlaw or Lexis. Use the agent for orientation and draft structure; you own the final memo.
Case law summaries. "Summarize [case]. Key holdings, reasoning, relevance to [our matter]." The agent drafts; you verify against the actual opinion. Useful for quick orientation; never cite without reading the source.
Regulatory research. "What are the [agency] requirements for [activity]? Include: regulations, guidance, enforcement actions." The agent compiles; you verify. Regulatory research changes; confirm currency.
Confidential matters. For client-specific research, use local models. Cloud APIs send prompts to third parties — privilege and confidentiality at risk. See data privacy.
Document Summarization
Long contracts, depositions, and case files can be summarized by the agent. Useful for quick orientation. Full review remains human responsibility. Consider data handling for client documents.
Contract review support. "Summarize this 50-page contract. Key terms: indemnification, limitation of liability, termination, IP." The agent drafts; you verify. Use for orientation before detailed review. Never rely on the summary for diligence — read the contract.
Deposition summaries. Long depositions can be summarized by theme or topic. The agent drafts; you verify against the transcript. Useful for trial prep; you own the accuracy.
Due diligence. For M&A or financing, the agent can summarize data room documents. You verify key findings. Accelerates initial review; you conduct the actual diligence.
Client documents. Don't put privileged or highly confidential documents into cloud AI. Use local getting it running. Document your data handling in engagement letters and policies.
Matter Management
Deadline tracking, client communication drafting, and matter updates. The agent compiles; you approve. Integrate with your practice management system via API if available.
Deadline tracking. Store matter deadlines in memory or sync from your PMS (Clio, MyCase, etc.). The agent runs daily: "Deadlines in next 14 days. Matters needing attention: [list]." Reduces missed deadlines.
Client updates. Draft matter status updates for clients. "Update on [matter]: [status]. Next steps: [list]. Estimated timeline: [X]." You personalize and send. The agent accelerates; you own the client relationship.
Internal briefings. For matter teams: "Matter [X] status. Key developments: [list]. Upcoming: [deadlines]. Action items: [list]." Keeps the team aligned.
Billing support. The agent can draft time entry narratives from matter notes. You verify and submit. Never let the agent submit time without review — billing is sensitive.
Ethics & Oversight
Legal ethics require supervision. OpenClaw assists; it does not practice law. Document your use in your ethics compliance. Client confidences: use local deployment, secure storage.
Supervision. ABA Model Rule 5.3 and state equivalents require supervision of non-lawyer assistance. Document that attorneys review all agent output. The agent is a tool; you're responsible.
Competence. Don't use the agent for areas outside your competence without appropriate support. If you're a corporate lawyer using it for litigation research, verify carefully. The agent can miss nuance.
Confidentiality. Client confidences require protection. Use local models for client-specific work. Secure storage for matter data. Document in your confidentiality policies.
Billing. If you bill for work assisted by AI, follow your jurisdiction's rules. Some require disclosure; some don't. Document your approach.
Implementation Checklist
- □ Choose workflows: research support OR matter management. Not both week one.
- □ For confidential matters: configure local models
- □ Create research and summarization templates; store in memory
- □ Connect to PMS (if matter management)
- □ Document use in ethics/compliance framework
- □ Establish review workflow: all output verified by attorney
- □ Run in parallel with manual process for 4 weeks
FAQ
Can OpenClaw replace legal research tools? No. Use it to accelerate, not replace. Westlaw and Lexis remain authoritative. OpenClaw can draft; you verify. For complex research, the agent provides a starting point — you own the analysis.
What about privilege? Treat agent interactions as you would any work product. For confidential matters, use local getting it running. Don't put privileged information into cloud AI. Document your approach for privilege protection.
Can it cite-check? The agent can draft citations, but it can hallucinate. Always verify in Westlaw, Lexis, or the primary source. Use the agent for draft structure; you own the cite-check.
What about conflicts? Don't use the agent for conflict checks. Conflict systems require human judgment and firm-specific processes. OpenClaw doesn't replace your conflict database.
Wrapping Up
OpenClaw supports legal workflows with appropriate guardrails: research assistance, document summarization, matter management. Attorneys verify all output. Use local models for confidential work. Document in ethics compliance. OpenClaw Consult advises on compliant deployment for legal teams.