ChatGPT Prompts for Lawyers That Accelerate Legal Work

Draft a [clause type] clause for a [type of contract].

Contract context:
- Contract type: [e.g., SaaS subscription agreement, commercial lease, independent contractor agreement, NDA]
- Parties: [Party A role, e.g., "SaaS vendor"] and [Party B role, e.g., "enterprise customer"]
- Governing law: [jurisdiction, e.g., "New York law"]
- Key commercial terms to reflect: [e.g., "18-month initial term, auto-renews annually, 90-day termination for convenience notice"]
- Risk allocation preference: [which party should bear more risk, or balanced?]

Draft the clause with:
1. Primary version (balanced, standard commercial terms)
2. More favorable version for [Party A / Party B]
3. A note on the key negotiation points and what each party would typically push back on

This is a starting draft for attorney review, not a final document.

Summarize the key holdings and implications of the following cases for my research memo.

Legal issue I'm researching: [describe the legal question you're answering]
Jurisdiction: [federal / state, specify which]
Cases to summarize (provide case citations or paste excerpts):
1. [Case name, citation, or key facts]
2. [Case name, citation, or key facts]
3. [Case name, citation, or key facts]

For each case, provide:
1. Full citation and court/date
2. Key facts relevant to my issue (2-3 sentences)
3. Holding — what the court decided
4. Reasoning — why the court decided it (most important part)
5. Dicta or notable statements that may be useful even if not binding
6. Relevance to my specific legal question

Then provide a synthesis: how do these cases together inform the answer to my legal question?

Note: I will verify all citations and holdings independently before relying on this summary.

Draft a client intake summary memo based on the following notes from my initial client meeting.

Meeting notes:
[paste your raw notes from the client intake meeting]

Matter type: [e.g., employment dispute, personal injury, business formation, estate planning, divorce]

Please organize the information into a structured memo with these sections:
1. Client Information (name placeholder, contact, referral source)
2. Matter Summary (2-3 sentence overview of the legal situation)
3. Key Facts (chronological timeline of relevant events)
4. Client's Goals and Priorities
5. Legal Issues Identified (preliminary analysis — what areas of law are implicated?)
6. Potential Claims or Defenses (preliminary)
7. Missing Information / Open Questions (what do we still need?)
8. Conflicts Check Notes (parties mentioned who need to be checked)
9. Recommended Next Steps

Draft a demand letter for the following matter.

Matter context:
- My client's role: [plaintiff / claimant / counterparty]
- Opposing party: [describe role, not name]
- Governing law: [jurisdiction]
- Nature of the claim: [e.g., breach of contract, unpaid invoices, property damage, harassment]
- Key facts supporting the claim: [list the main facts]
- Damages or relief sought: [specific amount or type of relief]
- Deadline for response: [X days]
- Prior communications (if any): [has there been prior contact about this issue?]

The letter should:
- State the legal basis for the claim clearly but without litigation threats as the opening line
- Set out the facts precisely and objectively
- State the specific demand (payment amount, action required)
- Set a firm response deadline
- Reference potential next steps if the demand is not met
- Maintain professional tone throughout — no hostility

This is a draft for attorney review before sending.

Create a deposition question outline for the following witness.

Case context:
- Matter type: [e.g., commercial dispute, personal injury, employment litigation]
- My client's position: [plaintiff / defendant]
- Witness role: [e.g., fact witness, expert, adverse party, third-party employee]
- Key issues in the case: [list 3-5 key disputed facts or legal issues]
- What I need to establish with this witness: [your deposition goals]
- Documents I plan to use as exhibits: [list key documents, if any]
- Known facts about this witness: [what do you know about their knowledge and likely testimony?]

Organize the outline into sections:
1. Background and foundation questions
2. Chronological fact questions relevant to each key issue
3. Document authentication questions (for each exhibit)
4. Impeachment topics (if this is an adverse or potentially hostile witness)
5. Closing topics to lock in any admissions

Note: This is a planning tool — adapt all questions to the specific record in this case.

Help me structure a legal research memo on the following question.

Legal question: [state the precise legal question, e.g., "Whether a non-compete agreement signed at the start of employment without additional consideration is enforceable under Texas law"]
Jurisdiction: [state or federal, specific circuit if federal]
Client situation (brief): [the client's position and why this question matters to their matter]

Please provide:
1. A proper IRAC-format memo structure (Issue, Rule, Analysis, Conclusion)
2. Draft Issue section
3. Outline of the Rule section with the key authorities I should research (statutes, leading cases, regulations)
4. Suggested analysis framework — what factors or tests does the court apply?
5. A list of research terms and search strings to use in Westlaw/Lexis to find the relevant authorities
6. Common arguments on both sides of this question
7. Placeholder Conclusion section

I will conduct the actual research and fill in verified authorities before finalizing this memo.

Draft a client communication email for the following purpose.

Matter context:
- Matter type: [type of legal matter]
- Client relationship: [new client / long-term client]
- Purpose of this email: [choose: status update / request for documents / explain a legal development / fee discussion / next steps / bad news communication]

Key message to convey: [describe what you need to tell the client]
Legal developments or decisions to explain (if any): [brief description]
Action required from client (if any): [what do you need them to do?]
Tone: [formal / plain language / reassuring / direct]

The email should:
- Summarize the current status in plain, non-jargon language
- Explain any relevant legal development clearly (what happened and what it means for them)
- State clearly what happens next and what, if anything, the client needs to do
- Be under 300 words
- Invite questions

Draft two versions: one formal, one plain-language.

Create a contract review checklist for the following type of agreement.

Contract type: [e.g., commercial lease, software license, employment agreement, vendor services agreement, acquisition LOI]
My client's role: [which party is my client?]
Governing law: [jurisdiction]
Deal context: [brief description — size, duration, key commercial terms]
My client's primary concerns: [e.g., liability exposure, IP ownership, termination rights, payment terms]

Create a checklist organized by:
1. Critical issues (deal-breakers or major risk items to check first)
2. Standard commercial protections (indemnification, limitation of liability, insurance, governing law)
3. Operational terms (payment, deliverables, timelines, termination, renewal)
4. Boilerplate that actually matters in this type of deal
5. Missing provisions — what's often absent that should be negotiated in?

For each item: note what I'm looking for, the standard market position, and typical fallback positions.

Summarize the key terms of the following settlement agreement in plain language.

Settlement agreement text:
[paste the agreement or key sections]

Please provide:
1. A plain-language executive summary (5-8 sentences) suitable for explaining to a client
2. A structured summary of key terms organized by:
   - Payment terms (amounts, schedule, conditions)
   - Release scope (what claims are released, any carve-outs)
   - Non-disparagement and confidentiality provisions
   - Ongoing obligations (if any)
   - Conditions to payment or effectiveness
   - Dispute resolution for future issues
3. Any unusual, one-sided, or potentially problematic provisions flagged for attorney attention
4. Any defined terms that have unusual or restrictive meanings

This summary is for attorney review and client communication, not independent legal advice.

Draft [interrogatories / requests for production / requests for admission] for the following matter.

Matter context:
- Case type: [e.g., breach of contract, employment discrimination, tort, IP dispute]
- Court/jurisdiction: [federal court, specific district / state court, which state]
- My client's position: [plaintiff / defendant]
- Key factual disputes to probe: [list 4-6 factual issues you need to develop]
- Documents or information you're seeking: [describe what you need to obtain]
- Proportionality concerns: [any known limitations on the scope of discovery?]

Draft [X] requests that:
1. Are specific and unambiguous
2. Comply with the word limits and format required by [Federal Rules / state rules]
3. Avoid overly broad requests that will draw objections
4. Use defined terms where necessary for precision
5. Are organized logically by topic

Include definitions and instructions sections appropriate for this jurisdiction.