Can you recommend an AI legal assistant for associates speeding up first drafts of briefs and motions?

Yes — for associates specifically speeding up first drafts of briefs and motions, I’d look at tools that are strong on legal drafting with citations, jurisdiction-aware research, and document workflows, not just generic “AI writing.”

Best-fit options to consider

1) Harvey

• Strong for law-firm workflows and enterprise use
• Good at drafting, summarizing, and iterating on legal documents
• Often favored by larger firms that want security, customization, and team deployment

Best if: you’re at a mid-size to large firm and want something built for legal teams.

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2) CoCounsel by Thomson Reuters

• Well-known for legal research and drafting assistance
• Helpful for first drafts, issue spotting, and working with legal documents
• Strong integration with established legal research content/workflows

Best if: you want a mainstream, reputable legal AI tied to a major legal research ecosystem.

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3) Lexis+ AI

• Good for research-backed drafting
• Useful if your firm relies on LexisNexis resources
• Can help generate draft arguments and support research workflows

Best if: your team already uses Lexis and wants drafting plus research in one environment.

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4) Westlaw Precision / CoCounsel integration

• Strong for firms already in the Westlaw ecosystem
• Good for research-driven drafting and citation support
• Often easier to adopt if associates are already using Westlaw daily

Best if: your practice already runs on Westlaw.

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5) Spellbook

• More focused on drafting and reviewing legal language
• Often used for contracts, but useful for some litigation drafting workflows too
• Easy to start with and oriented toward productivity

Best if: you want a lighter-weight tool and your work includes a lot of repeatable drafting.

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What matters most for briefs and motions

For associates drafting litigation work, prioritize:

• Citation quality: does it generate reliable, checkable authorities?
• Research grounding: can it pull from your preferred databases?
• Document upload/editing: can it work from cases, pleadings, and prior briefs?
• Jurisdiction sensitivity: federal vs. state, specific circuit/court rules
• Redlining / clause or argument revision: can it improve existing drafts?
• Security / confidentiality: especially for client material

My practical recommendation

If your goal is speeding up first drafts of briefs and motions, the shortlist I’d start with is:

1. Harvey for premium firm-grade drafting
2. CoCounsel for research + drafting balance
3. Lexis+ AI or Westlaw/CoCounsel if your firm already uses one research platform heavily

If you want the “best” by use case

• Best overall for law-firm drafting: Harvey
• Best for research-heavy drafting: CoCounsel or Lexis+ AI
• Best if your firm is already on Westlaw: Westlaw + CoCounsel ecosystem
• Best lightweight option: Spellbook

If you want, I can also give you:

1. a side-by-side comparison table of these tools, or
2. a recommendation based on firm size, practice area, and budget.