How to Use Casetext CoCounsel in 2026: Step-by-Step Guide
AI legal research and drafting assistant powered by GPT-4, now part of Thomson Reuters, that performs case research, contract review, deposition preparation, and legal document drafting.
Casetext CoCounsel was one of the first major AI legal research products to demonstrate that large language models could perform substantive legal work at a professional level. In 2023, Thomson Reuters acquired Casetext for $650 million, integrating CoCounsel's capabilities into the Westlaw ecosystem.
What CoCounsel Does Well
Legal research automation is CoCounsel's flagship capability. Attorneys can ask research questions in natural language — "Find cases supporting the argument that non-compete agreements are unenforceable in California absent consideration" — and receive a cited answer with relevant cases, statutes, and secondary sources. The research is grounded in Casetext's legal database, reducing (though not eliminating) hallucination risk.
Contract review analyzes agreements to identify key provisions, flag unusual terms, summarize obligations, and highlight missing clauses. Attorneys upload a contract and receive a structured review in minutes rather than hours.
Deposition preparation generates deposition outlines from case documents. Given a complaint, expert report, or prior testimony, CoCounsel suggests lines of questioning, identifies inconsistencies, and organizes preparation materials.
Drafting assistance helps with motions, briefs, and client letters. Attorneys provide a framework and CoCounsel drafts language, which attorneys then edit and verify.
Thomson Reuters Integration
Post-acquisition, CoCounsel is being integrated with Westlaw Precision, adding access to Thomson Reuters' comprehensive legal database — case law, statutes, regulations, and secondary sources. This integration addresses the grounding problem that affected early legal AI tools.
Who CoCounsel Is For
CoCounsel serves law firms and in-house legal departments. The standalone product targets small and mid-size firms; the Westlaw-integrated version targets large firms and legal departments already in the Thomson Reuters ecosystem. Pricing varies by access level and firm size.
What You'll Need
- A Casetext CoCounsel account (starting from a paid plan)
- A modern web browser or the Casetext CoCounsel app
- Payment method for paid features
Getting Started
Create Your Account
Visit https://casetext.com and sign up for a subscription account. You'll need an email address to register.
Start Your First Conversation
Once logged in, you'll see the main chat interface. Type a question or task in the input box and press Enter. Casetext CoCounsel supports legal-research, contract-review, deposition-prep, brief-drafting, case-law-search — start with a simple text prompt to get familiar.
Pro Tips
- Be specific: The more context you provide, the better the response. Instead of "write an email," try "write a professional follow-up email to a client who hasn't responded in two weeks."
- Iterate: If you don't get what you need, ask for clarification or refinement: "Make it shorter" or "Use a more formal tone."
- Use examples: Show Casetext CoCounsel what format you want by including an example in your prompt.
- Save useful conversations: Most platforms let you name and revisit conversations — organize by project or topic.
Common Use Cases
Legal
AI assistants providing legal information, document drafting, and regulatory guidance.
Browse Legal chatbots →Research & Analysis
Chatbots that help with data analysis, literature review, and in-depth research tasks.
Browse Research & Analysis chatbots →Troubleshooting
- Responses seem generic or unhelpful
- Add more context to your prompt. Specify the audience, tone, length, and format you need. Try starting over with a clearer description of your goal.
- The tool isn't responding or is slow
- AI chatbots can experience high traffic. Refresh the page and try again. Check the service's status page if issues persist.
- Output is too long or too short
- Explicitly specify the length: "in 100 words," "as a brief summary," or "in detail with examples."
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Is Casetext CoCounsel free to use?
- Casetext CoCounsel requires a paid subscription, starting from a monthly fee.
- Do I need an account to use Casetext CoCounsel?
- Yes, you need to create an account to use Casetext CoCounsel.
- What can I use Casetext CoCounsel for?
- AI legal research and drafting assistant powered by GPT-4, now part of Thomson Reuters, that performs case research, contract review, deposition preparation, and legal document drafting.
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