Legal research remains one of the most time-intensive aspects of litigation practice. A complex motion might require researching case law across federal and state jurisdictions, analyzing statutory frameworks, and distinguishing unfavorable precedents.
Typical research challenges:
In a representative commercial litigation matter involving breach of contract claims with multi-state implications, an attorney might need to:
- Research contract interpretation standards across three different state jurisdictions
- Identify relevant federal case law on specific performance remedies
- Analyze recent appellate decisions that might impact damages calculations
- Distinguish opposing counsel’s cited cases in a response brief
- Complete this research within a 48-hour deadline for a court filing
Traditional legal research workflows involve:
- Manual Boolean searches in legal databases (Westlaw, LexisNexis)
- Reading dozens of potentially relevant cases to identify truly applicable precedents
- Shepardizing cases to ensure they remain good law
- Extracting relevant quotes and synthesizing legal standards
- Drafting memo with proper citation format
This process typically requires 12-20 billable hours for a moderately complex motion, with senior associates or partners spending significant time validating research quality and ensuring no critical precedents were missed.
The Solution: NeXa’s Citation-Verified AI Legal Research
NeXa transforms this workflow by combining AI-powered legal analysis with comprehensive case law databases and automatic citation verification. Unlike generic AI tools, NeXa is specifically trained on legal reasoning and provides only citation-backed responses.
How legal research transforms:
Before NeXa:
- Associate spends 12-18 hours researching and drafting motion support memo
- Partner spends 2-4 hours reviewing research and identifying gaps
- Paralegal spends 2 hours formatting citations
- Total: 16-24 hours
With NeXa:
- Attorney inputs research query in natural language: “Analyze contract interpretation standards for commercial agreements in California, Texas, and Delaware, focusing on implied covenant of good faith in the context of exclusive dealing arrangements”
- NeXa analyzes query, searches comprehensive legal databases, and generates research memo with relevant cases, statutory provisions, and legal standards
- Response includes verified citations to primary sources with pinpoint references
- Attorney reviews AI-generated analysis, validates key precedents, and refines arguments for specific case facts
- Total: 3-5 hours of strategic attorney time
Representative Workflow Example
A mid-sized law firm handling corporate litigation regularly encounters research questions requiring multi-jurisdictional analysis. Using traditional methods, research memos for substantive motions require 15-20 hours of attorney time.
After implementing NeXa, the research workflow evolves:
- Initial Query (1 minute): Attorney asks NeXa to research specific legal questions with jurisdictional parameters
- AI Analysis (3-8 minutes): NeXa searches case law, statutes, and regulations across specified jurisdictions
- Citation-Backed Results (immediate): Response includes relevant precedents with verified citations and controlling authorities
- Attorney Refinement (2-3 hours): Lawyer reviews AI analysis, validates precedents for case-specific application, and develops strategic arguments
- Brief Integration (1 hour): Key research incorporated into motion or brief with proper attribution
Measurable Impact
Legal teams using NeXa for substantive research typically observe:
- 80-90% reduction in initial research time : from 15-20 hours to 3-5 hours of strategic analysis
- Citation reliability : every legal proposition backed by verified primary source with proper citation format
- Comprehensive coverage : AI searches across jurisdictions simultaneously, reducing risk of missing relevant precedents
- Faster turnaround : research questions answered in minutes rather than days, enabling rapid response to court deadlines
The Strategic Transformation
NeXa shifts attorney focus from manual case hunting to strategic legal analysis. Instead of spending hours reading potentially relevant cases, attorneys immediately access targeted legal authorities and can dedicate their expertise to distinguishing precedents, building persuasive arguments, and developing case theory. Junior attorneys receive stronger research support, while senior attorneys can validate work product faster and with greater confidence.
