Most AI prompts for lawyers you find online are one line long: "Write a motion to dismiss." The result is two pages of generic filler that cites nothing you can use and sounds like nobody in particular. The 16 prompts below are longer on purpose. Each one tells the AI who it is working for, in which jurisdiction, in what format, and above all what it must not do. That last part is what keeps it from inventing cases.
They work in ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini. Replace everything in [BRACKETS], and redact client names before pasting any document.
How these prompts are built
Every prompt here follows the same five parts:
- Role: "You are assisting a plaintiff's employment lawyer in [STATE]."
- Material: the document or the facts, pasted below the instructions.
- Task: one deliverable, not five.
- Format: numbered list, table, page:line cites.
- Limits: "Do not cite case law. If something is missing, write 'not found.'"
If you only remember one thing from this post, make it the fifth part. The Mata v. Avianca sanctions in 2023 happened because nobody told the tool, or checked, what it could not do.
Prompts for client communication
1. A rambling client email becomes a dated timeline
When to use: a new client sends four paragraphs (or a voicemail transcript) and you need the facts in order before the consultation.
You are assisting a [PRACTICE AREA] attorney in [STATE]. Below is a message from a new client. Turn it into a timeline: - one line per event, oldest first, format MM/DD/YYYY (or "date unclear") - after each event, in parentheses, who was involved - at the end, a list called "Missing information" with the questions I need to ask Do not give any legal analysis. Do not fill in dates that are not in the text. [PASTE MESSAGE]
2. Case status update without legalese
When to use: the client asks "what's happening with my case?" for the third time and the honest answer is "we are waiting on the court."
Write a short email (under 150 words) to my client explaining where their case stands. Facts: [e.g., we filed the motion to compel on 10/14; the other side has until 10/28 to respond; the judge usually rules within 30 to 60 days after that]. Plain English, 8th-grade reading level, warm but not chatty. Explain what happens next and when they will hear from me again. No predictions about how the judge will rule.
3. Answering "how much will I get?" without promising anything
When to use: personal injury, employment or divorce clients who want a number at the first meeting.
My client asked how much money they will get from their [TYPE OF CASE]. Write a reply I can send by email that: (1) explains honestly that I cannot give a number yet, (2) lists the 3 or 4 factors that will affect the result in plain English, (3) says when I expect to have a better sense, and (4) does not mention any amount, percentage or prediction. Under 180 words, direct, no legal jargon.
I ran it for a rear-end car accident case. Real output:
Hi Maria, I understand wanting a number, and I wish I could give you one today. The honest answer is that it's too early, and any figure I gave you now would be a guess. A few things will shape the result. First, your medical treatment: how long it lasts and what your doctors say about recovery. Second, your lost wages and any work you can't do going forward. Third, the insurance coverage available on the other driver's policy. Fourth, the evidence about how the accident happened, including the police report. Once you finish physical therapy and we have your complete records, usually a few weeks after your last appointment, I'll be able to talk with you about a realistic range. Until then, keep every bill and receipt and keep going to your appointments. I'll check in with you again on November 20.
Notice it did not slip in "cases like yours usually settle for..." That is the sentence that ends up in a bar complaint.
4. Document checklist by matter type
When to use: before the first meeting, so the client shows up with the right papers.
Create a document checklist for a new [MATTER TYPE, e.g., uncontested divorce with minor children] client in [STATE]. Group it by category, one line per document, with a short note in plain English on where the client can find each one. Mark with (*) the ones I need before filing. Maximum 20 items.
Prompts for pleadings and motions
5. Complaint outline (structure, not final text)
When to use: you know the case but want the skeleton in 10 minutes instead of an hour.
You are assisting an attorney drafting a complaint in [COURT, STATE]. Facts: [TIMELINE]. Claims I plan to plead: [e.g., breach of contract, unjust enrichment]. Give me: 1. A numbered fact section outline, one fact per paragraph, each with the exhibit that proves it 2. For each claim, the elements as headings, with the facts above that support each element 3. A prayer for relief in logical order 4. Weak points the defense will attack Mark every element as [VERIFY ELEMENT AGAINST STATE LAW]. Do not cite cases or statutes by number.
6. Opposition map, argument by argument
When to use: the other side filed a motion and you need to see every argument with the answer next to it.
Below is a motion filed by the opposing party. Build a table with columns: (1) argument in their words, short; (2) record evidence that answers it, with exhibit and page; (3) whether the argument is factual or legal; (4) what I need to research. Do not write the opposition. Do not cite case law. If the record does not answer an argument, write "no record answer, needs research." [PASTE MOTION] [PASTE OR DESCRIBE RECORD]
7. Clarity pass: cut the filler
When to use: on your own draft, before filing.
Edit the text below for clarity. Keep every legal argument, every citation and every fact exactly as written. Cut redundant words, "it should be noted that," doubled phrases and sentences longer than 35 words. Show the edited version, then a list of what you changed. Do not add any argument or authority. [PASTE TEXT]
Tested on a 260-word paragraph from a sample summary judgment brief. Real output (the change list):
Edited version: 158 words. Changes: (1) Removed "It is respectfully submitted that" from the opening sentence. (2) Merged two sentences that both said the contract was unambiguous. (3) Replaced "at this point in time" with "now." (4) Split a 61-word sentence about the notice provision into two sentences. (5) Removed "clearly" and "plainly" (four instances). (6) Changed "the Defendant herein" to "Defendant" throughout. No citations or facts were changed.
A 40% cut without touching the argument. Judges read hundreds of briefs; shorter wins.
8. Reply brief: point by point
When to use: you have the opposition and your original motion and need to find what they did not answer.
Compare my motion (first text) with the opposition (second text). List: (a) arguments in my motion the opposition did not address at all, (b) arguments they addressed only with facts, not law, (c) new arguments they raised that were not in my motion. For each, one line on how I could respond. No case law.
9. Deposition outline from documents
When to use: preparing to depose a witness with a stack of emails and records.
I am deposing [ROLE, e.g., the plaintiff's former supervisor] in a [TYPE] case. Below are the relevant documents. Build an outline: topics in a logical order, 5 to 10 short, open questions per topic, and for each topic the document (by exhibit number) I should show the witness. Mark questions meant to lock in a fact with (LOCK). No leading questions in the first two topics.
10. Interrogatory responses: first pass on objections
When to use: you received 25 interrogatories and want a starting point for which ones are overbroad.
Below are interrogatories served on my client in [STATE / federal court]. For each one, tell me: (1) what it actually asks in plain words, (2) whether it looks overbroad, unduly burdensome, vague or seeking privileged information, and why, (3) what information my client would need to answer it. Do not draft final objections and do not cite rules by number; I will apply the local rules.
Prompts for contracts
11. Contract review from your client's side
When to use: a business client sends a vendor or lease agreement the night before signing.
I represent [THE TENANT / THE BUYER / THE SERVICE PROVIDER]. Review the contract below and list the 8 clauses with the most risk for my client, ordered by risk. For each: section number, the risk in one sentence, and proposed redline language. Flag anything about indemnification, limitation of liability, auto-renewal, termination and governing law. Do not comment on enforceability under specific state law. [PASTE CONTRACT]
12. Demand letter that is firm but professional
When to use: unpaid invoice, breach of contract or a landlord holding a deposit.
Write a demand letter from my firm on behalf of [CLIENT] to [OTHER PARTY]. Facts: [FACTS AND AMOUNT]. Tone: firm, factual, no threats beyond the legal action my client is actually prepared to take. Include: summary of facts, the amount, a deadline of [X] days to respond and how to pay or contact me. Under 350 words. Do not cite statutes; I will add them.
13. Redline comparison in plain English
When to use: the other side sends "a few small changes" in version 4.
Below are two versions of the same agreement. List every substantive difference: section, what version A says, what version B says, and who the change favors. Ignore formatting and typo fixes. End with the 3 changes I should push back on first.
Prompts for running the firm
14. Engagement letter scope section the client actually understands
When to use: you want to avoid the "I thought that was included" conversation later.
Write the "Scope of Representation" section of an engagement letter for [MATTER]. Include: what is included (bulleted), what is NOT included (bulleted, at least 5 items, e.g., appeals, collection of judgment), and how additional work will be billed at [RATE / FLAT FEE]. Plain English. Under 250 words.
Real output for a flat-fee uncontested divorce:
Scope of Representation. The Firm will represent you in your uncontested divorce in Travis County. This includes: preparing and filing the Original Petition for Divorce; preparing the Final Decree of Divorce based on the agreement you and your spouse reach; one round of revisions to the decree; and attending the prove-up hearing. This does NOT include: negotiating terms if your spouse disagrees with the agreement; any contested hearing or trial; preparing qualified domestic relations orders (QDROs) to divide retirement accounts; modifications or enforcement after the decree is signed; appeals; or tax advice. If your divorce becomes contested, or you ask us to handle anything on the second list, we will tell you before doing the work and bill it at $325 per hour, or we can agree on a new flat fee in writing.
I would check "QDROs" against what you actually do. Some firms include them in the flat fee. The prompt does not know that, which is why you read before sending.
15. Informational post that stays inside Rule 7.1
When to use: LinkedIn or the firm blog, when you want to post without promising results.
Write a LinkedIn post (under 200 words) for an attorney in [STATE] explaining [TOPIC, e.g., what to do in the first 48 hours after a car accident]. Educational tone, practical steps, no promises of results, no "call now," no claims about being the best or a specialist, no client stories. End with one line that this is general information, not legal advice.
16. Client meeting becomes a next-steps email
When to use: right after a call, while you still remember what you agreed.
Below are my rough notes (or a transcript) from a meeting with my client. Write a follow-up email with: (1) a 3-line summary of what we discussed, (2) "What I will do" with dates, (3) "What I need from you" with dates, (4) the next time we will talk. Plain English. Leave out anything that sounds like strategy we did not agree to share in writing. [PASTE NOTES]
Common mistakes with legal prompts
- Leaving out the jurisdiction. "Draft a non-compete" without the state gets you something unenforceable in California and useless in Texas.
- Asking for cases. No prompt makes a general chatbot a reliable case finder. Research goes in Westlaw, Lexis or CourtListener.
- Pasting unredacted documents into a free account with training turned on.
- Accepting the first draft. Ask for a second version: "cut it in half," "less formal," "no adjectives." The second is almost always better.
- Not saving what worked. Keep a shared doc with the prompts your firm uses every week, with the date and who tested it.
A prompt is where you start, not where you finish
These 16 prompts cover the tasks that eat most of a small firm's week. If you want to see where each one fits, along with tools, prices and the ABA rules that apply, read the guide on AI for legal work. And if you notice you run prompts 1, 2 and 4 every single day for new clients, that is a sign the work should run on its own: the post on ChatGPT for lawyers shows how to turn it into an intake agent.
Want to skip this part?
Ready-made AI agents for law firms: nothing to build, no prompts to write, they already work for you.
- Screens new clients from website chat and texts, by practice area, around the clock
- Collects conflict-check names, asks for the right documents and books the consultation on your calendar
- Flags emergencies and hands you the conversation, and never gives legal advice
Frequently asked questions
What are the best AI prompts for lawyers?
The ones that name the jurisdiction, give the AI one clear task, fix the output format and forbid citing case law. Prompts for fact timelines, opposition maps and contract risk lists save the most time.
Can I use these prompts in ChatGPT and Claude?
Yes. They work in ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini. For long documents like depositions or exhibit binders, Claude tends to follow the instructions more closely.
Is it safe to paste client documents into a prompt?
Redact names and identifiers first and turn off training on your data. For sensitive matters, use a business plan with contractual data protections, in line with Rule 1.6 and ABA Formal Opinion 512.
Why do the prompts say not to cite case law?
Because general chatbots invent cases that look real. Lawyers have been sanctioned for filing them. Do your research in a legal database and read every opinion you cite.
