The best AI tools for lawyers depend on your work: contract lawyers want drafting and review inside Word, litigators want research, discovery and medical chronology help, and small firms want document automation. Legal-specific tools are built with confidentiality and citations in mind. This page lists ten in no particular order, then covers the risks to manage.
Legal AI has moved fast from novelty to everyday tool. Lawyers now use it to draft first versions, review contracts against a playbook, summarise records and answer research questions. The opportunity is real, and so are the risks, because a confident wrong answer in a legal document can do real harm.
Below are ten AI tools for lawyers in no particular order, sorted alphabetically, most from specialist legal tech companies. Each description comes from the company's own website, re-checked today. If you're deciding what to automate first, my guide on what law firms can safely automate is a sensible starting point.
AI tools for lawyers at a glance
In the free plan column, Yes means the company's own site describes a free plan, Trial only means a time-limited trial, and No means the site points to a demo instead. Most legal AI tools are sold by demo.
| Tool | Type | Good for | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alexi | Legal research and drafting AI | Firms wanting a private AI platform | No |
| Briefpoint | Discovery drafting AI | Discovery responses | No |
| Definely | Contract review tools | Complex contract navigation | No |
| DraftWise | Contract drafting AI | Drafting from firm precedents | No |
| EvenUp | Personal injury AI | Demand letters and case work | No |
| Gavel | Document automation | Automating legal documents | Trial only |
| Legalfly | Enterprise legal AI | In-house legal teams | No |
| Paxton | Legal AI assistant | Small firms and solo litigators | Trial only |
| Spellbook | Contract AI in Word | Drafting inside Word | Trial only |
| Supio | Plaintiff law AI | Plaintiff firms with many records | No |
Ten AI tools for lawyers
Alexi
Best for: Law firms that want a private AI platform for research, drafting and analysis across matters.
Briefpoint
Best for: Litigators who want discovery requests and responses drafted from the documents they upload.
Definely
Best for: Transactional lawyers who need to navigate, proof and check complex contracts and their definitions.
DraftWise
Best for: Firms that want drafting help grounded in their own precedents and past deals.
EvenUp
Best for: Personal injury firms that want help with demands, medical records and case preparation.
Gavel
Best for: Small firms and solo lawyers who want to automate documents and client intake workflows.
Legalfly
Best for: In-house legal teams that want AI for research, contract review and negotiation across the business.
Paxton
Best for: Small firms and litigators who want drafting, document analysis and research in one assistant, with a trial.
Spellbook
Best for: Contract lawyers who want AI review and drafting suggestions inside Microsoft Word.
Supio
Best for: Plaintiff and personal injury firms that want AI help organising records and building cases.
The risks the Law Society asks lawyers to manage
Here's the part that matters more than any feature list. The Law Society's guide to generative AI explains that outputs presented as accurate can be factually incorrect, which is often called hallucination, and it lists risks including misuse or disclosure of confidential information and data protection concerns.
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So treat every AI output as a first draft from a junior who's never met the client. Check each citation against the source, keep client data in tools whose terms and security you've reviewed, and tell clients how you use AI if your regulator or engagement terms expect it.
Where legal AI saves the most time
- First drafts of contracts, letters and discovery responses.
- Contract review against your own playbook or standard positions.
- Summaries of long records, transcripts and medical files.
- Document automation for repeat matters such as wills, leases or engagement letters.
Bringing AI into a firm safely
- Write a short AI policy: which tools, which data, who checks the output.
- Start with one task and one team, and measure the time saved.
- Check where client data is stored and whether it trains any model.
- Keep a human sign-off on everything that leaves the firm.
- Review the policy every few months, because tools and guidance change fast.
Questions to ask a legal AI provider
- Where is client data stored, and for how long?
- Is any of our data used to train models?
- How does the tool show its sources? You'll want to check every citation.
- What happens to our data if we leave?
Ask each provider for a short security summary you can share with clients who ask. More clients are asking how their lawyers use AI, and a clear, calm answer builds trust far better than a vague one.
Telling clients how you use AI
Many clients now expect their lawyers to use AI to work faster, and some want to know exactly how. A short paragraph in your engagement letter explaining which tasks use AI and how outputs are checked removes a lot of awkward questions. For ideas on presenting your firm online, this guide to promoting a law firm online has practical steps.
Do you make AI tools for lawyers or law firms? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
My plain advice on AI tools for lawyers
Pick the tool that fits the work you do most, not the one with the biggest launch. A contract team will get more from AI inside Word than from a general research assistant; a personal injury firm will get more from tools built around medical records.
And keep the lawyer in the loop. AI's very good at a first pass and a quick summary; judgement, strategy and the final check are still yours. If a tool can't show you where an answer came from, don't rely on it for anything that's going to a client or a court.
Frequently asked questions
What AI tools do lawyers use?
Contract drafting and review tools, research assistants, discovery and litigation tools, and document automation are the most common.
Is it safe to use AI for legal work?
It can be, with care. The Law Society highlights risks such as hallucination and disclosure of confidential information, so checks and policies matter.
Can AI replace lawyers?
No. It speeds up drafting, review and research, but legal judgement and responsibility stay with the lawyer.
Do legal AI tools keep client data confidential?
Ask each provider where data is stored, who can access it and whether it's used to train models, before you upload anything.
What's a good first AI project for a small firm?
Document automation or first drafts of routine letters are low risk and save time quickly.
Are there free AI tools for lawyers?
Most legal AI tools here offer demos or trials rather than free plans.
