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AI and automation by role

How Paralegals / Legal Assistants can use AI and automation

Below are 13 common tasks for Paralegals / Legal Assistants, most common first. For each one you get the best fix (AI, automation, a feature in software you already have, or a simpler process), the steps to set it up and, for AI fixes, a prompt to copy.

Also called: Paralegal, Legal Assistant, Legal Secretary, Litigation Paralegal, Law Clerk, Legal Administrative Assistant, Conveyancing Assistant

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Task 2 · typically 120 min, a few times a week

Review and summarize contracts, records or discovery documents

Software featureBest fix

Use your firm's approved legal AI to review, summarize and draft

Legal AI tools such as CoCounsel, Harvey, Lexis+ AI, Spellbook and Clio Manage AI summarize documents, pull out key terms and draft first versions inside a secure, firm-approved setup. A lawyer must review all output.

Typically saves about 40% of the time30 min to set up
  1. 1Check which legal AI your firm has approved; do not paste client material into consumer AI.
  2. 2Upload the documents and ask for a summary, timeline or clause list.
  3. 3Use it for first drafts of standard documents and correspondence.
  4. 4Verify every citation, quote and fact against the source before it goes to a lawyer or client.

Tools: Thomson Reuters CoCounsel Legal · Harvey · Lexis+ AI · Spellbook · Clio Manage AI

One more way to fix it
AI

Have an approved AI build a summary, timeline or issues list

For long records or contracts, an approved AI produces a first-pass summary with page references, which you check instead of starting from scratch.

Typically saves about 45% of the time5 min to set up
  1. 1Confirm the AI tool is approved for client confidential material.
  2. 2Upload the documents.
  3. 3Use the prompt below and ask for page or section references.
  4. 4Check each key point against the source before relying on it.
Prompt to copy
Review the attached [CONTRACTS / RECORDS / DOCUMENTS] for [MATTER OR PURPOSE]. Give me: 1) a one-paragraph summary, 2) a timeline of key dates and events, 3) a table of [KEY TERMS: parties, term, payment, termination, liability, renewal], 4) anything unusual or missing compared with [STANDARD OR CHECKLIST]. Cite the page or section for every point. If something is not in the documents, say so.

Tools: Firm-approved AI: Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT Business or Enterprise, Claude Team or Enterprise, or Gemini in Google Workspace

How to automate this task

Task 3 · typically 20 min, every day

Calendar court deadlines and key dates

Software featureBest fix

Use court-rules calendaring to calculate deadlines

LawToolBox, CompuLaw, Clio court rules and Smokeball calculate related deadlines from a trigger date using court rules and update them when dates change.

Typically saves about 50% of the time1 h to set up
  1. 1Check whether your practice management system includes court rules calendaring.
  2. 2Enter the trigger event (service date, hearing date) on the matter.
  3. 3Let the tool create all related deadlines on the shared calendar.
  4. 4Keep a second-person check on critical dates as your firm requires.

Tools: LawToolBox · CompuLaw · Clio court rules · Smokeball · MyCase

How to automate this task

Task 4 · typically 45 min, a few times a week

Do new client intake and conflict checks

AutomationBest fix

Use an online intake form that creates the contact and runs the conflict search

Clio Grow, Lawmatics, MyCase or a form tool connected to your system collect intake details once and feed the conflict check, so nobody retypes them.

Typically saves about 50% of the time2 h to set up
  1. 1Turn your intake questionnaire into an online form (Clio Grow, Lawmatics, MyCase, TaxDome organizer, or Microsoft or Google Forms).
  2. 2Connect it so submissions create the contact or lead in your system.
  3. 3Run the conflict search from the created record.
  4. 4Send the engagement letter from the same record once cleared.

Tools: Clio Grow · Lawmatics · MyCase · TaxDome · Zapier or Power Automate

One more way to fix it
Automation

Trigger new-client setup automatically when the proposal is signed

A signed proposal or engagement letter can create the project, folders, chat channel, billing schedule and kickoff tasks in one go.

Typically saves about 60% of the time2 h to set up
  1. 1Write your new-client setup checklist.
  2. 2Use your proposal or practice tool's native integrations, or a Zapier, Make or Power Automate flow triggered by "signed".
  3. 3Have it create the project from a template, the client folder, a Slack or Teams channel, and the billing record.
  4. 4Send the welcome email and kickoff booking link automatically.

Tools: Zapier · Make · Power Automate · Karbon, TaxDome or Clio · Asana, Monday or Teamwork

How to automate this task

Task 5 · typically 30 min, every day

Chase clients for documents and information

Software featureBest fix

Request documents through a portal with automatic reminders

TaxDome, Karbon, Canopy, Content Snare, SmartVault and Clio for Clients send clients a checklist, collect the files in the right place and chase them for you.

Typically saves about 55% of the time2 h to set up
  1. 1Turn your usual document list into a request template (by service: bookkeeping, tax return, new matter).
  2. 2Send it through your portal or Content Snare instead of email.
  3. 3Turn on automatic reminders every few days until it is complete.
  4. 4Files land in the right client folder, so you stop saving attachments by hand.

Tools: TaxDome · Karbon · Canopy · Content Snare · SmartVault · Clio for Clients

One more way to fix it
Automation

Set up automatic chasers for outstanding client items

If you have no portal, a simple automation sends polite reminders for open items and stops when they are received.

Typically saves about 45% of the time1 h to set up
  1. 1Keep outstanding items in one list (spreadsheet, Asana, Monday or your practice tool) with client email and due date.
  2. 2Build a flow in Zapier, Make or Power Automate: email the client when an item is overdue.
  3. 3Repeat every three days, stopping when the item is marked received.
  4. 4Escalate to a call after three reminders.

Tools: Zapier · Make · Power Automate · Asana or Monday automations

How to automate this task

Task 6 · typically 15 min, every day

Fill in timesheets and log billable hours

Software featureBest fix

Let a time tracker build your timesheet from your activity

Timely, Laurel, Clio's time capture, Harvest with calendar sync and Toggl record what you worked on, and AI suggests entries you approve instead of reconstructing your day.

Typically saves about 50% of the time30 min to set up
  1. 1Check what your firm already uses (Clio, Harvest, Productive, Karbon, Toggl) and whether it has automatic capture or calendar sync.
  2. 2Turn on capture for your calendar, email and documents.
  3. 3At the end of each day, review the suggested entries and approve them.
  4. 4Fix the client or matter code on anything it guessed wrong.

Tools: Timely · Laurel · Clio time capture · Harvest calendar integration · Toggl Track

One more way to fix it
Process fix

Log time at the end of each task, not at the end of the week

Reconstructing a week of time from memory is slow and loses billable hours. A timer or a two-minute end-of-day habit is faster and more accurate.

Typically saves about 35% of the time10 min to set up
  1. 1Start a timer in your time tool when you switch clients, or add a note after each task.
  2. 2Block five minutes at the end of each day to tidy entries.
  3. 3Keep a short list of standard descriptions for common work.
  4. 4Submit daily; managers stop chasing timesheets on Friday.

Tools: Harvest, Toggl, Clio or your time system

How to automate this task

Task 8 · typically 60 min, every day

Answer client emails and requests

AIBest fix

Have AI draft replies to routine email

Paste the thread and a one-line instruction; edit the draft instead of writing from a blank page. Most routine replies take a minute instead of five.

Typically saves about 35% of the time5 min to set up
  1. 1Open the AI assistant your company allows (or the one built into Outlook or Gmail).
  2. 2Paste the email thread, or use the built-in "draft reply" button.
  3. 3Tell it the point you want to make in one line.
  4. 4Read the draft, fix anything wrong, and send.
Prompt to copy
Draft a reply to the email below. My point: [WHAT YOU WANT TO SAY IN ONE LINE]. Keep it under 120 words, friendly and direct, and match the tone of the sender. Do not invent facts or commitments.

Email:
[PASTE THE EMAIL]

Tools: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or Microsoft Copilot · Gmail "Help me write" or Outlook Copilot

One more way to fix it
Software feature

Move routine client requests into a portal or shared board

A client portal (Clio for Clients, TaxDome, Karbon, Moxo, or a shared Asana, Monday or Notion board) lets clients see status themselves, which cuts the "where are we?" emails.

Typically saves about 30% of the time2 h to set up
  1. 1List the questions clients email most (status, next steps, where is my file).
  2. 2Set up a portal or shared board that shows those answers.
  3. 3Send clients the link and a short how-to at kickoff.
  4. 4Reply to status emails with the link until it becomes a habit.

Tools: Clio for Clients · TaxDome · Karbon · Moxo · Asana, Monday or Notion shared views

How to automate this task

Task 9 · typically 180 min, once a month

Prepare client invoices and review billed time

Software featureBest fix

Generate invoices straight from approved time entries

Clio, Harvest, Productive, Karbon, QuickBooks Time and Xero turn approved time and expenses into invoices in bulk, so billing is a review, not a rebuild.

Typically saves about 45% of the time2 h to set up
  1. 1Make sure time is logged to the right client and project with billable flags.
  2. 2Set rates and invoice templates once per client.
  3. 3At billing time, generate drafts in bulk and review exceptions only.
  4. 4Send with online payment links.

Tools: Clio · Harvest · Productive · Karbon · QuickBooks Time · Xero

One more way to fix it
AI

Have AI tidy time entry descriptions before billing

Clients question vague entries. AI rewrites rough notes into clear, consistent billing descriptions in your firm's style. Clio Manage AI and some billing tools do this built in.

Typically saves about 40% of the time5 min to set up
  1. 1Export the draft bill's time entries.
  2. 2Paste them with the prompt below.
  3. 3Check that every rewritten entry is true to what was done.
  4. 4Paste back or update in your billing system.
Prompt to copy
Rewrite these time entries as clear billing descriptions for a client invoice. Rules: start with a verb, say what was done and why it matters to the matter or project, under 25 words each, no internal jargon, do not add work that is not in the original. Keep the date and hours unchanged.

[PASTE ENTRIES]

Tools: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or Microsoft Copilot · Clio Manage AI

How to automate this task

Task 10 · typically 10 min, every day

Find times and schedule meetings

Software featureBest fix

Send a booking link instead of trading emails

Outlook Bookings, Google Calendar appointment schedules or Calendly let people pick a time that already works.

Typically saves about 80% of the time15 min to set up
  1. 1Turn on the booking page built into your calendar (Outlook Bookings or Google appointment schedules), or use Calendly.
  2. 2Set your working hours and buffers.
  3. 3Paste the link in your signature and in replies that ask "when works?".

Tools: Microsoft Bookings · Google Calendar appointment schedules · Calendly

How to automate this task

Task 11 · typically 20 min, every day

Hunt for files, numbers or answers someone already has

Software featureBest fix

Ask your workspace AI instead of searching folders

Microsoft Copilot (formerly Microsoft Copilot), Gemini in Google Workspace, Glean, Notion AI and Slack AI can answer questions from your company's own files, chats and email.

Typically saves about 50% of the time10 min to set up
  1. 1Check whether your company already pays for Copilot, Gemini in Google Workspace, Glean, Notion AI or Slack AI.
  2. 2Ask it the question in plain words, e.g. "What did we quote Acme for the Q3 renewal?"
  3. 3Open the source it cites to confirm.
  4. 4If you have none of these, ask IT. It is often cheaper than the hours lost.

Tools: Microsoft Copilot · Gemini in Google Workspace · Glean · Notion AI · Slack AI

One more way to fix it
Process fix

Agree one home for each kind of file

Most searching comes from the same thing living in three places. Pick one place per type and link to it.

Typically saves about 35% of the time1 h to set up
  1. 1List the five things people search for most.
  2. 2Pick one home for each (one folder, one wiki page, one system).
  3. 3Pin the links in your team channel.
  4. 4Move or delete the copies.

Tools: SharePoint, Google Drive, Notion or Confluence

How to automate this task

Task 12 · typically 30 min, every day

Copy the same information between systems or spreadsheets

AutomationBest fix

Connect the two systems so data moves itself

A Zapier, Make, n8n or Power Automate flow copies new records from one system to the other the moment they appear.

Typically saves about 80% of the time2 h to set up
  1. 1Write down the trigger ("new row in", "new form submission", "deal marked won") and where it should go.
  2. 2Check if the two tools already have a built-in integration; turn it on if so.
  3. 3If not, build a two-step flow in Zapier, Make, n8n or Power Automate.
  4. 4Run it next to your manual process for a week, then stop copying by hand.

Tools: Zapier · Make · n8n · Microsoft Power Automate

One more way to fix it
AI

Have AI pull the details out into a table you can paste

Paste emails, PDFs or forms and get back clean rows in the exact columns your system needs.

Typically saves about 60% of the time5 min to set up
  1. 1Collect the source text (emails, PDFs, screenshots).
  2. 2Give the AI the column names you need.
  3. 3Paste the table into your spreadsheet or import file.
  4. 4Spot-check a few rows against the source.
Prompt to copy
Extract the following fields from the text below into a table with exactly these columns: [COLUMN 1], [COLUMN 2], [COLUMN 3]. One row per [ITEM]. Leave a cell blank if the value is not stated. Do not guess.

[PASTE TEXT OR ATTACH FILES]

Tools: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or Microsoft Copilot

How to automate this task

Task 13 · typically 45 min, every day

Sort through and reply to email

AIBest fix

Have AI draft replies to routine email

Paste the thread and a one-line instruction; edit the draft instead of writing from a blank page. Most routine replies take a minute instead of five.

Typically saves about 35% of the time5 min to set up
  1. 1Open the AI assistant your company allows (or the one built into Outlook or Gmail).
  2. 2Paste the email thread, or use the built-in "draft reply" button.
  3. 3Tell it the point you want to make in one line.
  4. 4Read the draft, fix anything wrong, and send.
Prompt to copy
Draft a reply to the email below. My point: [WHAT YOU WANT TO SAY IN ONE LINE]. Keep it under 120 words, friendly and direct, and match the tone of the sender. Do not invent facts or commitments.

Email:
[PASTE THE EMAIL]

Tools: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or Microsoft Copilot · Gmail "Help me write" or Outlook Copilot

One more way to fix it
Process fix

Batch email twice a day and let rules file the noise

Rules move newsletters, notifications and CCs out of your inbox, and checking at set times stops email from cutting your day into pieces.

Typically saves about 25% of the time20 min to set up
  1. 1Create rules that move notifications, newsletters and emails where you are only CC'd into folders.
  2. 2Turn off desktop and phone notifications for email.
  3. 3Pick two or three set times a day to process the inbox to zero.
  4. 4Tell your team that anything urgent should come by phone or chat.

Tools: Outlook or Gmail rules

How to automate this task

Quick wins

Have you tried…

Have you had AI draft a reply to a tricky or routine email?
You paste the email and say the point you want to make; the AI writes a draft you edit. Outlook and Gmail now have this built in.
Do you send a booking link instead of emailing back and forth about times?
A booking link shows your free times so the other person picks one. Outlook and Google Calendar both have this built in.
Have you connected two apps so information copies itself between them?
Tools like Zapier, Make or Power Automate watch for something new in one app and create it in the other, so nobody retypes it.
Have you asked an AI that can see your company files a question, instead of digging through folders?
Microsoft Copilot (formerly Microsoft Copilot), Gemini in Google Workspace, Glean and similar tools search your email, chats and files and answer with links to the source.
Have you used a time tracker that suggests your timesheet from your calendar and files?
Tools like Timely, Laurel or Clio's time capture record what you worked on in the background. At the end of the day you approve the suggested entries instead of reconstructing them.
Do clients upload documents through a portal that chases them for you?
Portals like TaxDome, Karbon, Content Snare or Clio for Clients send a checklist, collect files in the right folder and send reminders until everything is in.
Have you used your firm's approved legal AI to summarize documents or draft a first version?
Tools like CoCounsel, Lexis+ AI, Harvey or Clio Manage AI work inside a secure setup and can summarize long documents or draft standard ones. A lawyer still reviews everything.
Does a signed proposal automatically set up the new client project, folders and billing?
An automation in Zapier, Make, Power Automate or your practice tool can create everything a new client needs the moment they sign, so nobody does it by hand.

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