Deep Research
Deep Research is an advanced research mode that produces structured, memo-quality reports by searching across multiple sources and iteratively deepening its analysis.
Deep Research is off by default. Toggle it on in the AI Assistant panel before submitting your query. Responses take longer than standard search but are significantly more comprehensive.
How it works
Ask a research question
Enter your question in the AI Assistant with Deep Research toggled on. Example:
"What are the defenses to a breach of fiduciary duty claim in New York?"
Multi-source search
The AI searches across four source categories in parallel:
| Source | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Internal documents | Files uploaded to the current Matter (contracts, memos, exhibits). |
| Case law | U.S. case law via CourtListener's 50M+ citation database. |
| Web | Public legal resources, law review articles, and government sites via Tavily. |
| Statutes | Federal and state statutory databases. |
Iterative deepening
After the initial search, the AI evaluates what it found and identifies knowledge gaps - areas where the results are thin or conflicting. It then runs additional targeted queries to fill those gaps automatically.
This cycle repeats until the AI determines it has sufficient coverage to answer the question comprehensively.
Structured report
The AI produces a research report that includes:
- A direct answer to your question.
- Supporting analysis organized by sub-topic or element.
- Inline citations linking each claim to its source (case, statute, or document).
- A summary of open questions or areas where the law is unsettled.
Fact cache
Deep Research builds a fact cache as you ask follow-up questions within the same session. Prior findings are retained so:
- Follow-up queries start from a richer knowledge base.
- The AI avoids redundant searches for information it already retrieved.
- You can refine or narrow your research incrementally without starting over.
When to use Deep Research
| Scenario | Standard search | Deep Research |
|---|---|---|
| Quick case lookup | Recommended | Overkill |
| Single-issue legal question | Good | Better |
| Multi-element analysis (e.g., "elements of fraud in Texas") | Limited | Recommended |
| Memo or brief preparation | Insufficient | Recommended |
| Cross-jurisdictional comparison | Limited | Recommended |
Deep Research responses take longer to generate due to iterative search cycles. For quick lookups, use standard Case Law Search instead.