In a move that signifies its growing ambition within the legal tech arena, Descrybe.ai, a free legal research platform, has launched a paid suite of legal research tools under its “Legal Research Toolkit,” catering to both commercial and non-commercial users. This initiative introduces the Cytator, an AI-driven citator poised to enhance how legal practitioners approach case law analysis.
While Descrybe continues its mission of democratizing access to legal information, co-founders Kara Peterson and Richard DiBona have designed these tools to offer additional value, particularly for legal professionals accustomed to using established services like LexisNexis’s Shepard’s and Westlaw’s KeyCite. The Cytator is crafted to offer insights into both subsequent and backward case treatments, marking a unique differentiator from other citators on the market. For more insight into the ambition driving this innovation, consider the full article on LawNext.
Additional features of the toolkit include a Brief Checker, Legal Issue Explorer, Enhanced Search, and Case Analysis, all of which are designed to streamline the research process for legal professionals. Notably, the Brief Checker flags potentially erroneous citations, an invaluable advantage in ensuring legal documents maintain accuracy.
However, legal professionals should be cautious, as no citator is immune to errors. Some instances of ambiguity in citation evaluation highlight ongoing challenges, echoing findings from a 2018 law librarian study regarding citation accuracy in prominent citators.
The launch of Descrybe’s paid suite could fill a significant void left by the acquisition of Casetext, a budget-friendly legal research service. Priced at $20 a month for commercial use, this new offering provides a cost-effective alternative for legal practitioners seeking comprehensive legal research solutions. Yet, as the toolkit lacks statutory and secondary legal sources, it will still necessitate supplementation with other research tools for thorough legal research tasks.