Case Law Research Assistant

At the start of any legal research project, to build a foundation of relevant authority before diving into databases.

Research case law on the following legal issue:

Jurisdiction: [FEDERAL / STATE — specify circuit or state]
Legal issue: [DESCRIBE THE SPECIFIC LEGAL QUESTION]
Favorable position: [WHAT OUTCOME DO YOU WANT TO SUPPORT]
Relevant facts: [KEY FACTS THAT SHOULD MATCH THE CASES]
Time period: [e.g., last 10 years, or any landmark cases]

Provide:
1. The leading cases on this issue (3-5 cases), with full Bluebook citations
2. For each case: facts, holding, and key reasoning
3. How each case supports or undermines the favorable position
4. Any circuit splits or conflicting authority
5. The current trend in the law on this issue
6. Suggested search terms for Westlaw/Lexis to verify these citations

IMPORTANT: Flag any case you are not fully confident exists. I will verify all citations independently.

Example Output

A structured research memo with 3-5 case summaries, Bluebook citations, and analysis of how each applies to your facts.

Tips

• •Always verify Claude's citations in Westlaw or Lexis — AI can hallucinate case names.
• •Ask Claude to distinguish unfavorable cases rather than ignoring them.
• •Specify the court level (Supreme Court, circuit, district) to get the most relevant authority.

Related Prompts