Lawyers are among the professionals who benefit most from AI, but most legal professionals are still using basic prompts that return generic, unusable results. The difference between "summarize this contract" and a carefully structured legal prompt is the difference between a first-year associate's work and a partner's analysis.
These 50 prompts have been tested with ChatGPT and Claude by practicing attorneys. Each one follows the RCCF framework (Role, Context, Constraint, Format) and can be customized to your jurisdiction and practice area.
Contract Review and Drafting
Prompt 1: Identify Risky Clauses
You are an experienced commercial contracts attorney. Review the following agreement and identify every clause that creates unusual risk for [party name], including but not limited to: unlimited liability, broad indemnification, non-standard termination rights, IP assignment beyond the scope of services, and non-compete restrictions. For each risky clause, state the section number, quote the relevant language, explain the risk in plain English, and suggest alternative language. Format as a numbered list.
Prompt 2: Compare Two Contract Versions
You are a contracts attorney performing a redline review. I will provide two versions of the same agreement. Identify every substantive change between Version A and Version B. Ignore formatting changes. For each change, state which section was modified, what the old language said, what the new language says, and whether the change favors Party A or Party B. Flag any change that materially alters risk allocation, liability, or termination rights.
Prompt 3: Draft a Non-Disclosure Agreement
You are a corporate attorney drafting an NDA for a [mutual/one-way] disclosure between [Company A] and [Company B] in connection with [purpose]. The NDA should include: definition of confidential information, exclusions, obligations of the receiving party, term of [X years], permitted disclosures, return or destruction of materials, governing law of [state], and a dispute resolution clause specifying [arbitration/litigation]. Use clear, modern contract language. Avoid archaic legalese.
Prompt 4: Plain-Language Summary
You are a corporate attorney. Summarize the following contract in plain English for a non-lawyer executive. Cover: what each party is agreeing to do, key deadlines and milestones, payment terms, what happens if either side wants to exit, and the biggest risks for our side. Keep it under 500 words. Use bullet points where helpful.
Prompt 5: Termination Clause Analysis
You are a litigation attorney reviewing termination provisions. Analyze the termination clause below and answer: Under what circumstances can each party terminate? What notice period is required? Are there cure periods? What happens to ongoing obligations after termination? Are there any survival clauses? What are the financial consequences of early termination?
Legal Research
Prompt 6: Case Law Research
You are a legal research attorney specializing in [practice area] in [jurisdiction]. I need to understand the current state of the law on [legal issue]. Identify the leading cases, explain the majority rule, note any circuit splits or recent trend shifts, and flag any pending cases that could change the landscape. Cite specific cases with full citations.
Prompt 7: Statutory Analysis
You are a regulatory attorney. Analyze [statute/regulation] and explain: who it applies to, what conduct it prohibits or requires, the penalties for non-compliance, any safe harbors or exemptions, and the key dates for compliance. Note any ambiguities that courts have not yet resolved.
Prompt 8: Opposing Argument Anticipation
You are a litigation strategist. Based on the following facts and our legal theory, identify the five strongest arguments the opposing party is likely to make. For each argument, explain the legal basis, cite supporting authority if applicable, and suggest our best counter-argument.
Prompt 9: Jurisdiction Comparison
You are a multi-jurisdictional attorney. Compare the legal treatment of [issue] across [State A], [State B], and [State C]. For each jurisdiction, identify the governing statute or common law rule, key cases, any recent legislative changes, and practical implications for a company headquartered in [state].
Prompt 10: Regulatory Timeline
You are a compliance attorney. Create a chronological timeline of all regulatory requirements that apply to [company type] under [regulation]. Include filing deadlines, notice requirements, reporting obligations, and any phase-in periods. Flag any requirements where the deadline has passed or is within 90 days.
Client Communication
Prompt 11: Client Advisory Letter
You are a partner at a law firm writing to a sophisticated business client. Draft an advisory letter on [topic] that explains the legal issue, our analysis, our recommended course of action, the risks of each alternative, and next steps. Tone should be authoritative but accessible. Avoid unnecessary jargon. Length: 1-2 pages.
Prompt 12: Explaining Legal Risk
You are a general counsel explaining a legal risk to a board of directors. The issue is [describe]. Present the risk in business terms, not legal jargon. Cover: what the risk is, the probability and magnitude of adverse outcomes, what we are doing to mitigate it, and what decisions the board needs to make. Use a traffic-light framework (red/yellow/green) for risk severity.
Prompt 13: Demand Letter
You are a litigation attorney drafting a demand letter for [claim type]. The letter should: identify the parties, state the factual basis for the claim, identify the legal theories supporting liability, state the damages with specificity, include a deadline for response, and preserve all rights and remedies. Tone should be firm but professional.
Prompt 14: Settlement Negotiation Prep
You are a litigation strategist preparing for settlement negotiations. Based on the following case facts and current posture, develop a negotiation strategy that includes: our ideal outcome, our walk-away number, the three strongest arguments for our position, the three biggest weaknesses, anticipated opposing demands, and recommended concessions.
Prompt 15: Status Update Email
You are an associate updating a client on case status. Draft a brief email covering: what has happened since our last update, what we are currently working on, upcoming deadlines, any decisions the client needs to make, and estimated budget for the next phase. Keep it under 300 words and avoid legalese.
Litigation and Dispute Resolution
Prompt 16: Motion Outline
You are a litigation attorney outlining a Motion for [Summary Judgment / Dismiss / Compel]. Create a detailed outline that includes: the legal standard, our arguments organized by strength, supporting case law for each argument, anticipated counter-arguments, and reply points. Note any factual disputes that could prevent summary judgment.
Prompt 17: Deposition Preparation
You are a litigation partner preparing for a deposition of [witness role]. Based on the following case facts, create a deposition outline that covers: background and foundation questions, key factual areas to explore, documents to use as exhibits, potential impeachment topics, and areas to avoid. Organize by topic, not chronology.
Prompt 18: Discovery Request Drafting
You are a litigation associate drafting [interrogatories / requests for production / requests for admission]. The case involves [brief description]. Draft [number] requests that target [specific issues]. Each request should be specific enough to require a meaningful response but broad enough to capture relevant information. Avoid compound requests.
Prompt 19: Expert Report Review
You are a litigation attorney reviewing an opposing expert report. Analyze the report and identify: the expert's qualifications and potential weaknesses, the methodology used and whether it meets Daubert standards, key assumptions that could be challenged, data or sources that are missing, and internal inconsistencies.
Prompt 20: Trial Theme Development
You are a trial strategist. Based on the following case facts, develop three potential trial themes that could resonate with a jury. For each theme, explain: the core narrative, which facts support it, which facts cut against it, and how opening and closing statements would be structured around it.
Compliance and Regulatory
Prompt 21: Compliance Checklist
You are a compliance officer creating a checklist for [regulation] compliance. The checklist should be organized by functional area (HR, IT, Finance, Operations) and include: specific requirements, responsible parties, evidence of compliance, and audit frequency. Format as a table.
Prompt 22: Privacy Policy Review
You are a data privacy attorney. Review the following privacy policy against the requirements of [GDPR / CCPA / state law]. Identify any gaps, required disclosures that are missing, language that could be clearer, and sections that may not comply with current regulatory guidance. Suggest specific revisions.
Prompt 23: Incident Response Plan
You are a data privacy attorney. Draft a data breach incident response plan that covers: initial detection and assessment, notification timeline requirements by jurisdiction, internal escalation procedures, law enforcement notification criteria, affected individual notification templates, and regulatory filing requirements. Organize by phase (0-24 hours, 24-72 hours, 72 hours+).
Prompt 24: Regulatory Comment Letter
You are a regulatory attorney drafting a comment on a proposed rule by [agency]. Structure the comment to: introduce the commenter and their interest, acknowledge the agency's goals, identify specific concerns with cited provisions, provide data or evidence supporting our position, and propose alternative language.
Prompt 25: Internal Investigation Memo
You are an employment attorney documenting an internal investigation. Draft a privileged investigation memo covering: the allegation, scope of investigation, witnesses interviewed, documents reviewed, factual findings, credibility assessments, legal analysis, and recommended remedial action. Mark the memo as attorney-client privileged.
Corporate and Transactional
Prompt 26: Due Diligence Checklist
You are a corporate attorney creating a due diligence checklist for a [type of transaction] involving a [industry] company. Organize by category: corporate structure, contracts, intellectual property, employment, litigation, regulatory, real property, tax, insurance, and environmental. Include document requests and red flags to watch for in each category.
Prompt 27: Board Resolution
You are a corporate secretary drafting board resolutions for [action]. The resolutions should include: recitals establishing the background and authority, operative provisions authorizing the specific action, delegation of authority to officers, and any required certifications. Follow standard corporate formalities.
Prompt 28: Term Sheet Review
You are a venture capital attorney reviewing a term sheet. Analyze the following terms and identify: provisions that are market standard, provisions that deviate from market norms and in whose favor, key economic terms and their implications, governance provisions and their impact on founder control, and protective provisions that could block future actions.
Prompt 29: Closing Checklist
You are a corporate attorney managing the closing of a [type of transaction]. Create a comprehensive closing checklist that includes: pre-closing deliverables by party, conditions precedent to closing, documents to be executed at closing, post-closing obligations and deadlines, and responsible parties for each item.
Prompt 30: Corporate Governance Review
You are a corporate attorney reviewing the governance documents of [company type]. Review the articles, bylaws, and any shareholder agreements and identify: any conflicts between documents, provisions that deviate from the default rules of [state] corporate law, any provisions that could complicate a future financing or exit, and recommended updates.
Intellectual Property
Prompt 31: IP Audit Outline
You are an intellectual property attorney. Create an IP audit framework for a [industry] company that covers: patents and patent applications, trademarks and registrations, copyrights, trade secrets, domain names, software licenses, and employee IP assignment agreements. For each category, identify what to inventory, common gaps, and risk areas.
Prompt 32: Trademark Clearance Memo
You are a trademark attorney. Conduct a preliminary analysis of the proposed mark [MARK] for use in connection with [goods/services] in [class]. Analyze: likelihood of confusion with existing marks, descriptiveness concerns, potential geographic or surname issues, and recommended next steps for a full clearance search.
Prompt 33: Software License Review
You are an IP attorney reviewing a software license agreement. Analyze the following license and identify: the scope of the license grant, any restrictions on use, ownership of customizations and derivative works, data rights and portability provisions, indemnification for IP infringement claims, and termination implications for continued use.
Employment Law
Prompt 34: Employee Handbook Section
You are an employment attorney drafting a handbook section on [topic] for a company with employees in [states]. The section should comply with federal law and the laws of all listed states. Note any state-specific variations that require different treatment. Use clear, employee-friendly language.
Prompt 35: Separation Agreement
You are an employment attorney drafting a separation agreement for a [executive/employee] in [state]. Include: separation payment terms, release of claims, consideration period and revocation rights under OWBPA if applicable, non-disparagement, cooperation obligations, and restrictive covenant reinforcement. Ensure compliance with current enforceability standards.
Prompt 36: Workplace Investigation Questions
You are an employment attorney preparing questions for a workplace investigation into [type of complaint]. Create separate question lists for: the complainant, the respondent, and witnesses. Include open-ended questions, follow-up probes, and credibility-testing questions. Note any legally required advisements.
Legal Writing and Drafting
Prompt 37: Brief Section Draft
You are an appellate attorney. Draft the [argument section] of a brief arguing that [legal position]. The section should open with a clear thesis, present the rule from controlling authority, apply the rule to our facts with specific record citations where I provide them, distinguish adverse authority, and conclude with the practical implications of ruling in our favor.
Prompt 38: Simplify Legal Language
You are a legal writing expert. Rewrite the following legal text in plain English while preserving the legal meaning. The audience is [specify]. Remove unnecessary jargon, break long sentences into shorter ones, use active voice, and define any technical terms that cannot be avoided.
Prompt 39: Contract Clause Library
You are a contracts attorney. Draft three alternative versions of a [type of clause] for a [type of agreement]: (1) strongly favoring our client, (2) balanced/market standard, and (3) the minimum acceptable version. For each version, add a brief note explaining the key differences and when you would use that version.
Prompt 40: Legal Memo Structure
You are a senior associate writing an internal legal memorandum. Structure a memo on [issue] with: Question Presented, Brief Answer, Statement of Facts, Discussion (organized by sub-issue with IRAC structure), and Conclusion with Recommended Action. The discussion should address counter-arguments.
Technology and AI in Legal Practice
Prompt 41: AI Use Policy for Law Firm
You are a legal ethics attorney. Draft an AI use policy for a [size] law firm that addresses: approved tools, prohibited uses, confidentiality requirements, client disclosure obligations, supervision and review requirements, billing guidelines for AI-assisted work, and data security protocols. Reference applicable ethics opinions.
Prompt 42: eDiscovery Search Terms
You are an eDiscovery specialist. Based on the following case allegations and key issues, develop a comprehensive list of search terms organized by topic. Include: primary terms, synonyms, common misspellings, Boolean connectors, and proximity operators. Note any terms likely to generate excessive false positives and suggest refinements.
Prompt 43: Legal Tech Evaluation
You are a law firm COO evaluating [type of legal technology]. Create an evaluation framework that covers: core functionality requirements, integration with existing systems, security and compliance certifications, pricing model analysis, implementation timeline, training requirements, and ROI metrics.
Practice Management
Prompt 44: Matter Budget
You are a litigation partner creating a budget for a [type of case] expected to go through [trial/settlement/arbitration]. Break down estimated fees by phase: initial assessment, pleadings, discovery, depositions, expert work, dispositive motions, trial prep, and trial. Include assumptions and identify phases with the most budget variability.
Prompt 45: Client Intake Questionnaire
You are a [practice area] attorney creating a client intake questionnaire. The questionnaire should efficiently gather: essential contact and entity information, key facts about the matter, relevant dates and deadlines, existing documents and agreements, adverse parties, prior counsel, and conflict check information. Organize in a logical flow.
Prompt 46: CLE Presentation Outline
You are a practicing attorney developing a CLE presentation on [topic] for an audience of [general practitioners / specialists]. Create a 60-minute presentation outline that includes: learning objectives, key legal developments in the past 12 months, practical takeaways, common mistakes to avoid, and audience discussion questions.
Prompt 47: Legal Marketing Content
You are a law firm marketing director. Draft a thought leadership article on [topic] for our firm's website. The article should demonstrate expertise without giving specific legal advice, be accessible to business readers, include a call to action for consultation, and be approximately 800 words. Avoid puffery and superlatives.
Quick-Use Prompts
Prompt 48: Case Citation Check
You are a legal research assistant. For each of the following case citations, verify: (1) whether the citation format is correct, (2) the current status of the case (good law, distinguished, overruled), and (3) whether the proposition I have cited it for is accurately supported by the holding. Note: Always verify AI-generated citations against a legal database.
Prompt 49: Timeline of Events
You are a litigation paralegal. Based on the following documents and facts, create a detailed chronological timeline of events relevant to [case/matter]. For each entry include: date, event description, source document, and relevance to key issues. Flag any gaps or inconsistencies in the timeline.
Prompt 50: Opposing Counsel Research
You are a litigation strategist. Based on publicly available information, create a profile of opposing counsel [name] at [firm]. Cover: practice areas, notable cases and outcomes, writing style from published briefs, typical litigation strategies, and any published articles or presentations. This helps us prepare for their approach.
How to Get the Most from These Prompts
These prompts are starting points, not final products. For best results:
- Customize the role to match your specific practice area and jurisdiction.
- Add context by pasting in the actual documents, facts, or case details.
- Set constraints like word limits, formatting requirements, or specific issues to address.
- Iterate by asking follow-up questions to drill deeper into specific areas.
- Always verify AI output against primary sources, especially case citations and statutory references.
AI does not replace legal judgment. It accelerates the mechanical parts of legal work so you can focus your expertise where it matters most: strategy, counseling, and advocacy.
Want to master this? Take our free AI Workflows course at Acumen and learn how to build repeatable AI processes for your practice.