AI Prompts for Paralegals

Summarize the following case facts into a clear internal case summary for the attorney handling the matter.

Matter name: [caption / party v. party]
Practice area: [personal injury / employment / family / contract dispute / etc.]
Our client: [name and role: plaintiff / defendant / petitioner]
Key facts (paste chronologically or as notes): [dump the facts here]
Claims or causes of action alleged: [list, or write "unknown"]
Current procedural posture: [pre-suit / complaint filed / discovery / trial]

Produce:
1. Caption line and a one-sentence summary of the dispute
2. Parties and their roles
3. Statement of facts in chronological order (neutral, no argument)
4. Claims or causes of action, each with a one-line status
5. Key dates and deadlines mentioned in the facts
6. Open questions and missing information for the attorney to follow up on

Rules:
- Use only the facts I provided. Do not invent dates, names, dollar amounts, or legal conclusions.
- Flag anything ambiguous or assumed with [VERIFY].
- Neutral, factual tone. No advocacy language.
- Bullet points, under 400 words.

Create a deposition digest from the transcript excerpt below.

Deponent: [name and role]
Deposition date: [date]
Case: [caption]
Transcript excerpt (include page:line references as they appear): [paste transcript]

Format the digest as a table with three columns:
| Page:Line | Topic | Summary of testimony |

Requirements:
- One row per meaningful topic or admission, in transcript order.
- Keep each summary to 1-2 sentences in plain English.
- Preserve the exact page:line citation from the transcript. Do not renumber, estimate, or shift citations. If a citation is unclear, write [CITE?].
- Quote verbatim only for key admissions, in quotation marks.
- Do not paraphrase in a way that changes meaning, and do not add testimony that is not in the excerpt.
- After the table, list up to 5 admissions or inconsistencies worth flagging for the attorney.

Draft a status update email to a client about their matter.

Client name: [name]
Matter: [short description]
What has happened since the last update: [bullet points]
What happens next: [next steps and rough timing]
Anything we need from the client: [documents, signatures, info, or "nothing right now"]
Sender: [your name, title, firm]

Requirements:
- Warm, professional, reassuring but honest tone.
- Plain English. Explain any legal term the first time it appears.
- Structure: brief greeting, what happened, what is next, what we need from you, how to reach us.
- Under 200 words.
- Do not promise outcomes, predict results, or give legal advice. Describe process and next steps only.
- Leave a [placeholder] wherever a specific date or fact needs the attorney to confirm.

Draft a first set of written discovery requests for the following matter.

Case: [caption]
Practice area / claim type: [e.g., breach of contract, auto negligence]
Party we are serving: [opposing party name and role]
Key issues we need to develop: [list 3-6 factual issues]
Jurisdiction: [state or federal court]

Produce two sections:
A) Interrogatories: 10-15 numbered questions
B) Requests for Production: 10-15 numbered document requests

Requirements:
- Tie each request to the issues I listed. Avoid boilerplate that does not fit this case.
- Use clear, standard discovery phrasing ("Identify all...", "Produce all documents that...").
- Keep each request to a single subject so it cannot be objected to as compound.
- Add a short [DEFINITIONS] placeholder note reminding me to insert definitions and instructions per local rules.
- Do not cite specific rule numbers unless I provided them. Mark any rule reference as [RULE: verify with local rules].
- This is a starting draft for the attorney to review, tailor, and finalize.

Build a chronology of events for this matter from the notes below.

Case: [caption]
Source notes and document references (paste dates, events, and where each came from): [dump notes]

Output a table:
| Date | Event | Source | Significance |

Requirements:
- One row per event, sorted earliest to latest.
- Use only dates and events in my notes. Do not infer or estimate dates. If a date is partial or unknown, write it exactly as given (e.g., "March 2024" or "[date unknown]").
- In "Source," record where the fact came from (e.g., "Medical record p.12", "Email 3/4/24") using only what I provided.
- In "Significance," note in a few words why it may matter (liability, damages, notice, deadline). Keep this factual, not argumentative.
- Below the table, list any gaps or conflicting dates you noticed.

Draft a demand letter for the following matter.

Our client: [name]
Recipient / opposing party: [name, and their insurer if applicable]
Type of claim: [e.g., personal injury, unpaid invoice, breach of contract]
Liability facts: [what happened and why the other side is responsible]
Damages: [itemized: medical bills, lost wages, repair costs, amounts owed]
Total demand amount: [$amount]
Response deadline: [date]
Sender: [attorney name, firm]

Structure:
1. Introduction and statement of representation
2. Statement of facts (chronological, factual)
3. Liability: why the recipient is responsible, in plain terms
4. Damages: itemized summary with the total
5. Demand amount and deadline to respond
6. Professional closing

Requirements:
- Firm, professional, non-inflammatory tone. No threats or insults.
- Use only the facts and figures I provided. Do not invent injuries, bills, or legal citations.
- Mark anything to confirm with [VERIFY].
- Draft for attorney review and signature. This is not final and not legal advice.
- Under 600 words.

Summarize the following contract clause or clauses in plain English.

Contract type: [e.g., commercial lease, NDA, services agreement]
Reviewing on behalf of: [our client's name and role, e.g., tenant, buyer]
Clause text (paste exactly): [paste clause]

For each clause, produce:
1. Clause title or topic
2. Plain-English summary (2-3 sentences, no legalese)
3. What it means for our client specifically
4. Any obligation, deadline, dollar amount, or automatic renewal it creates
5. A [FLAG] for anything one-sided, unusual, or worth the attorney's attention

Requirements:
- Explain only what the text actually says. Do not assume terms that are not written.
- Do not opine on enforceability or give a legal opinion. Describe the language, then flag it for the attorney.
- Neutral tone. Under 300 words per clause.

Turn the intake notes below into a structured client intake summary for the attorney.

Prospective client: [name]
Date of intake: [date]
Type of matter: [practice area]
Intake notes (paste raw notes): [dump notes]

Produce:
1. Client and contact information (only the fields I provided)
2. Summary of the matter (3-5 sentences, neutral)
3. Key facts and dates
4. Potential deadline or statute-of-limitations concerns to check, flagged as [VERIFY]. Do not calculate any deadline.
5. Parties involved and any potential conflicts to run
6. Documents the client has versus documents we still need
7. Open questions for the attorney

Requirements:
- Use only information in my notes. Do not fill gaps with assumptions.
- Do not assess the merits or give legal advice. Organize the facts only.
- Bullet points, under 400 words.

Help me format and organize citations for a filing. I will provide the source details. Do not add, supply, or invent any authority.

Citation style: [Bluebook / California Style Manual / other]
Document: [brief or motion name, court]
Sources (paste the details I have for each: case name, reporter, court, year, pincite; statute; etc.):
[list sources]

Do two things:
A) Format each citation I provided in the requested style. If a required element is missing (reporter, pincite, year, court), insert [MISSING: element] rather than guessing it.
B) Build a cite-check checklist I can work through. For each source, list what I must verify myself: that the authority exists, that it is still good law, that the pincite supports the proposition, and that any quote is accurate.

Rules:
- Do NOT generate, confirm, or recall any case, statute, quote, or citation. You only format what I give you and remind me what to check.
- Never state that an authority is valid or good law. That is for me to confirm in a citator.
- If I ask you to supply a missing citation, refuse and tell me to look it up in the reporter or database.

Rewrite my rough time entries into clear, professional billing narratives.

Matter: [matter name]
Billing guidelines to follow: [e.g., no block billing, start with an action verb, describe purpose, or "standard"]
Rough entries (paste one per line, with the time value): [paste entries]

For each entry, produce a polished narrative that:
- Starts with an action verb (Draft, Review, Analyze, Confer, Prepare)
- States the specific task and its purpose ("...to prepare for X")
- Avoids vague terms like "attention to file," "work on," or "miscellaneous"
- Avoids block billing: split distinct tasks into separate lines if my note combined them
- Keeps the original time value exactly as I entered it. Never change, round, or invent time

Output as a table: | Time | Rewritten narrative |

Do not add tasks I did not list. Keep each narrative to one clear sentence.

Summarize the records excerpt below into a review sheet for the attorney.

Case: [caption]
Record type: [medical records / billing records / employment file / business records]
Client or subject: [name]
Records excerpt (paste, keeping any page or Bates numbers): [paste]

Output a table:
| Date | Provider / Source | Entry summary | Page/Bates |

Then, below the table:
- Key findings relevant to [issue, e.g., injury, treatment, damages]
- Gaps in the records (missing dates, documents referenced but not present)
- Items to flag for the attorney

Requirements:
- Summarize only what the records state. Do not diagnose, interpret medically, or draw conclusions the record does not support.
- Preserve dates and page/Bates numbers exactly. If any is unclear, write [VERIFY].
- Plain English. Neutral tone.

Draft a meet-and-confer letter to opposing counsel.

Case: [caption]
Recipient: [opposing counsel name and firm]
Issue: [e.g., deficient discovery responses, overdue production, objection dispute]
Specifics (which requests or responses, and what is wrong with each): [list]
What we are asking them to do: [supplement responses, produce documents, withdraw objections]
Deadline to respond: [date]
Sender: [attorney name, firm]

Structure:
1. Reference the case and the specific discovery at issue
2. Identify each deficiency by request number and explain it plainly
3. State exactly what we are asking for and by when
4. Note our willingness to discuss by phone before any motion practice
5. Professional closing

Requirements:
- Professional, cooperative but firm tone. No hostility.
- Cite only the request numbers I provided. Do not invent rule citations; mark any rule reference as [RULE: verify].
- Use only the facts I listed.
- Draft for attorney review and signature. Under 400 words.