Casetext, a company known for its innovative legal technology solutions stemming from Stanford University’s CODEX program, has introduced a groundbreaking tool that is changing the landscape of legal research: CARA. Pablo Arredondo, VP of Legal Research at Casetext, has passionately championed CARA, highlighting its potential to significantly enhance legal research efficiency and effectiveness. This article delves into CARA, exploring its functionality as a ‘brief-as-query’ legal research tool and its capacity to uncover critical insights within legal documents.
What is CARA and Why is it a Game Changer for Legal Research?
CARA stands for Case Analysis Research Assistant. Unlike traditional legal research tools that rely on keyword searches, CARA adopts a novel ‘brief-as-query’ approach. Instead of formulating keyword strings, users simply upload an entire legal brief into the system. CARA accepts briefs in both Word and PDF formats, offering flexibility and ease of use for legal professionals.
From a user perspective, CARA acts as an intelligent assistant, meticulously analyzing the uploaded brief – be it your own or opposing counsel’s. Its primary function is to identify potential weaknesses, overlooked legal arguments, or pertinent case law that may be absent from the document. In essence, CARA helps legal researchers ensure comprehensive coverage of relevant legal precedents and explore alternative strategies.
Alt: CARA legal research tool interface displaying brief upload and analysis options, emphasizing user-friendly design for legal professionals.
How CARA’s ‘Brief-as-Query’ System Works
CARA’s power lies in its sophisticated data mining and analytical capabilities. Upon uploading a brief, CARA meticulously examines the document, extracting key information and legal citations. This data is then used to construct a comprehensive ‘mega-query’ that is run against Casetext’s extensive database of case law.
The analysis performed by CARA goes beyond simple citation checks. It delves into the depth of case discussions within the brief and broader textual context. As Arredondo explained, CARA considers not only direct citation relationships (where Case A cites Case B) but also “soft citation” relationships. This means CARA can identify relevant cases (like Case B) even if they are not directly cited in the brief (Case A), but are connected through a common cited case (Case C citing both A and B). This nuanced approach ensures a more thorough and insightful research outcome.
Furthermore, CARA is designed to filter out noise and prioritize relevant results. It intelligently discounts frequently cited procedural cases, such as Celotex, preventing these ubiquitous citations from skewing research results and ensuring focus remains on substantive legal arguments.
Alt: Example of CARA research results showing related cases and legal arguments, highlighting CARA’s ability to identify relevant legal information beyond direct citations.
Benefits of Using CARA in Legal Practice
For attorneys and legal researchers, CARA offers significant advantages:
- Pre-Filing Brief Check: Before submitting a brief, CARA allows for a crucial check to identify any potentially missing cases or overlooked legal arguments, strengthening the brief’s legal foundation.
- Opponent Brief Analysis: Analyzing the opposing counsel’s brief with CARA can reveal weaknesses or missing case law that can be strategically exploited, providing a competitive edge in litigation.
- Efficiency in Legal Research: CARA streamlines the legal research process by automating the initial analysis and quickly identifying relevant case law, saving valuable time and resources.
- Comprehensive Legal Insight: By considering both direct and soft citation relationships, CARA provides a more comprehensive and nuanced understanding of the relevant legal landscape.
In conclusion, CARA represents a significant advancement in legal research technology. Its ‘brief-as-query’ approach, combined with sophisticated data analysis, empowers legal professionals to conduct more thorough, efficient, and insightful legal research, ultimately leading to stronger legal strategies and outcomes. For those in the legal field seeking to enhance their research capabilities, CARA from Casetext is undoubtedly a tool worth exploring.
