In a notable advancement for legal professionals, BriefCatch has launched version 4 of its Microsoft Word add-in, which now employs generative artificial intelligence to streamline the process of legal writing and citation. Among the newly added features, legal practitioners will find AI-driven tools designed to assist with Bluebook citation correction and provide contextual writing advice.
For those consistently grappling with the nuances of Bluebook citation, BriefCatch’s new AI-powered tool represents a useful enhancement. Previously supporting basic citation checks, the latest version takes it a step further by identifying subtle errors, including misabbreviations, spacing discrepancies, and case name inaccuracies. According to Ross Guberman, BriefCatch’s founder and CEO, the feature reflects substantial progress in citation-checking technology after a year-long period of development. Users can apply suggestions individually or approve all changes at once, with decisions tracked for review.
Complementing the citation tool, BriefCatch introduces BriefChat, an AI-enabled writing advisor. Built exclusively from Guberman’s extensive body of legal writing expertise, BriefChat provides answers to questions on legal writing techniques, driven by previous works like books and articles authored by Guberman himself, who was a legal writing coach before developing BriefCatch. Users can interact via a chat interface, receiving detailed responses to queries about effective legal writing, with pre-set prompts catering to common questions such as enhancing persuasive or concise writing.
The AI features, while included in the latest update, are disabled by default. Firms and individual users can manage these settings to align with personal or organizational preferences, allowing flexibility in adopting AI functionalities. As BriefCatch explores further enhancements, features under consideration include state-specific citation adaptations, given certain variations from Bluebook standards in places like California and New York, alongside more advanced document analysis capabilities.
This release of BriefCatch 4 also encompasses additional improvements such as enhanced writing suggestions, user interface redesigns, and one-click editing options, further streamlining the document preparation process. For additional insights into the implications of this release, refer to the full coverage on LawNext.