Best AI legal tools
Best AI stack for legal teams, ranked by effect on the work, with the risk read beside each one.
Le
+1TL;DR
- 01Choose one broad legal assistant before buying overlapping research and drafting products.
- 02Use a specialist contract tool when agreement review is the repeated bottleneck.
- 03Keep matter access, source verification and final legal judgement with accountable lawyers.
- 04Measure research turnaround, review cycle time and outside-counsel demand.
We picked these tools for legal leaders managing research, drafting, review, and contract records, with matter controls and lawyer approval.
The stack at a glance
| # | Tool | Level | Grade | Trains on your data |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harvey | Workflow tools | A+ | No training on user data |
| 2 | LeLegora | Workflow tools | A+ | No training on user data |
| 3 | CoCounsel | Workflow tools | A+ | No training on user data |
| 4 | Lexis+ AI | Workflow tools | A | No training on user data |
| 5 | Spellbook | Workflow tools | A+ | No training on user data |
| 6 |  Ironclad | Systems of record | A+ | Yes, with opt-out |
Oximy grade and training readings are shown on the assessment date. We do not show prices: vendor pricing is mostly quote-only, and we print a number only with a source and a date.
The recommended tools
In rank order. Named customers come from the vendor's own published stories, which we opened and checked. They show the tool is used for that job, not that it worked.
Harvey supports legal research, drafting, contract analysis, due diligence, and review.
What it should move: lawyers spend less time researching matters, preparing first drafts, and reviewing documents.
Best fit
The catch
Harvey receives privileged and confidential material. Teams need matter separation, source checks, jurisdiction checks, and lawyer review.
Legora supports legal research, document review, drafting, and collaboration.
What it should move: it shortens matter work, document reviews, and drafting.
Best fit
- It fits lawyers who need research, review, and drafting assistance alongside shared matter work.
- Accor uses Legora to extend the capacity of its in-house legal team.[3]
The catch
Legal context can differ across matters and jurisdictions. Teams need access controls, citation checks, and clear responsibility for final advice.
CoCounsel supports legal research, document analysis, drafting, and review.
What it should move: it shortens research and document analysis.
Best fit
- It fits legal teams that want research, drafting, and review connected to their Thomson Reuters sources.
The catch
Coverage depends on product access and available sources. Lawyers must inspect authorities, dates, jurisdictions, and source records.
Lexis+ AI searches legal authorities, summarises results, and assists drafting.
What it should move: it shortens research and the path from authorities to a reviewable draft.
Best fit
- It fits teams that want assistance based on their LexisNexis research collection.
- Rupp Pfalzgraf LLC uses Lexis+ AI for legal research, motion drafting and locating precedents.[4]
The catch
Generated analysis can omit an authority or misstate its weight. Review citations, dates, and jurisdiction in the source.
Spellbook drafts, reviews, and rewrites contract language inside documents.
What it should move: it shortens contract reviews, first drafts, and redlines.
Best fit
The catch
Suggested language can miss commercial context or conflict with the playbook. Control document access, clause approval, and final legal review.
Ironclad manages contract intake, approvals, negotiation, signatures, and executed agreements.
What it should move: it shortens contract cycles and time spent on approvals and contract term searches.
Best fit
- It fits companies that need one controlled process and repository for commercial agreements.
- Benjamin Moore uses Ironclad to manage and automate workflows for procurement, sales and confidentiality agreements.[7]
- Gong uses Ironclad as a contract repository connected to procurement, reporting and risk review.[8]
The catch
Revenue and procurement processes depend on Ironclad. Legal operations must manage templates, connections, and legacy contract migration.
Where to start
Work spans many matter types
Compare Harvey and Legora on representative research, drafting, and review tasks.
Research takes too long
Choose CoCounsel or Lexis+ AI for the research collection and jurisdictions your team already uses.
Contracts dominate the workload
Use Spellbook for drafting and review, and use Ironclad for intake, approvals, and executed agreements.
More people need access
Set matter permissions, retention, source checks, and the lawyer responsible for the final work.
Questions
References
- 01A&O Shearman: how it uses HarveyHarveyVendor-published
- 02The Adecco Group: how it uses HarveyHarveyVendor-published
- 03Accor: how it uses LegoraLegoraVendor-published
- 04Rupp Pfalzgraf LLC: how it uses Lexis+ AILexisNexisVendor-published
- 05NEAR Foundation: how it uses SpellbookSpellbookVendor-published
- 06CunninghamLegal: how it uses SpellbookSpellbookVendor-published
- 07Benjamin Moore: how it uses IroncladIroncladVendor-published
- 08Gong: how it uses IroncladIroncladVendor-published