ChatGPT and Generative AI Legal Research Guide

Communicating Effectively with ChatGPT

• ChatGPT is designed to understand and respond to human natural language input, similar to communicating with a person.
• To get the most out of ChatGPT, it's crucial to provide clear and specific questions or prompts with adequate context.
• Like a person, ChatGPT can only generate useful responses if it fully understands the question or request.

Providing Sufficient Context

• Giving ChatGPT more words and context in your prompt allows it to better comprehend and respond accurately.
• Adequate information and context is key for ChatGPT to understand the prompt.
• The more details and background you provide, the more relevant and useful ChatGPT's response will be.

How ChatGPT Generates Responses

• ChatGPT works by predicting the next word in a sequence based on the provided prompt.
• Longer prompts with more context give ChatGPT more information to generate precise and relevant responses.

In summary, communicating naturally but providing ample context through detailed prompts is essential for getting the most value out of ChatGPT's language abilities.

The following are tips for formulated effective prompts:

Be Clear and Specific:

Aim for clarity and specificity in your prompts to ensure ChatGPT understands your request accurately. In the legal realm, fact patterns need to be detailed enough for ChatGPT to discern the legal issue at hand and search its training data for pertinent information. Avoid ambiguous terms or phrases, and instead, use clear and precise language that leaves little room for misinterpretation.

• Example 1: Presenting a fact pattern, "A client entered into a contract for the purchase of a commercial property in San Francisco, California. However, the seller failed to disclose a pending zoning restriction at the time of sale. The client seeks to rescind the contract. Can you find California cases that discuss non-disclosure of material facts during a property sale and summarize them?"
• Example 2: Detailing a fact scenario, "A technology firm in Silicon Valley is facing a patent infringement lawsuit from a competitor regarding a specific software algorithm. The competitor claims our client's new product features an algorithm that is substantially similar to their patented one. Can you identify potential defenses the firm could assert against the patent infringement claim?"

Provide Information/Adequate Context:

Embed relevant context within your prompt to guide ChatGPT towards a more accurate and useful response. Detailed legal fact patterns are crucial as they provide the necessary backdrop for ChatGPT to identify the legal issue and retrieve relevant information from its training data. If there’s a particular format or style you desire in the response, mention that within your prompt.

Example 1: Presenting a fact pattern, "A restaurant owner in Los Angeles is being sued by a customer who claims to have found a foreign object in their meal, causing injury. The owner claims the object was not present when the meal was served. Can you draft a memo outlining similar California cases and the legal standards applied in such scenarios?"

Example 2: Detailing a scenario, "A client is involved in a dispute with a neighbor over the boundary line between their properties in San Diego. They have a land survey but the neighbor disputes its accuracy. Can you summarize the legal issues that may arise in this boundary dispute and the relevant California laws pertaining to it?"

Ask Follow Up Questions:

Utilize iterative prompting by building upon previous interactions or responses from ChatGPT. This allows you to narrow down or expand on topics, achieving a more nuanced or detailed response.

• Example 1: Starting with a broad question: "What are the general principles of trademark law?" Then, based on the response, narrow down to: "Given a scenario where a small business in Sacramento uses a logo similar to a well-established brand, what trademark infringement issues might arise according to California law?"
• Example 2: After obtaining information on a general legal topic, delve deeper into specifics: "What are the implications of breach of contract?" followed by "In a situation where a software developer in San Jose fails to deliver the project on the agreed deadline, what remedies might the client seek according to California law?"

Provide  Examples:

Providing examples within your prompt can be instrumental in steering ChatGPT towards the desired output. Examples give a clear picture of what you are looking for, especially in creative or complex requests.

Example 1: "Given a scenario where an employee in a San Francisco-based tech company shares confidential project details with a competitor, draft a clause for a non-disclosure agreement that could prevent such situations in the future."

Example 2: "In a case where a tenant in Los Angeles fails to pay rent for three consecutive months, provide an example of a notice to quit that complies with California law."

Edit Your Prompts:

If the initial response from ChatGPT doesn't meet your expectations, refine your prompt by rephrasing your question or providing additional information. Moreover, giving specific feedback on what aspect of the response was unsatisfactory can be helpful in guiding ChatGPT to better answers.

Example 1: If a provided response lacks detail: "Please provide a more detailed explanation on the process of filing a motion to dismiss in California civil courts, particularly focusing on the grounds of lack of evidence."

Example 2: If the initial response did not cover all asked aspects: "Please provide recent case law on adverse possession claims in California, particularly focusing on cases where the possessor made significant improvements to the property."

Study Help:

Torts Lecture on Strict Liability:

• Role-play as a law professor and draft a concise lecture on strict liability in tort law, focusing on key principles, real-world examples, and relevant case law.

Rule Against Perpetuities Scenario:

• Given the factual scenario involving Ms. Ramirez's will, analyze whether the will violates the Rule Against Perpetuities, providing a clear explanation of your reasoning based on the rule's definition.

Erie Doctrine Mnemonic:

• Craft a memorable mnemonic device to help remember the key aspects of the Erie Doctrine.

Civil Law vs Common Law:

• Provide a detailed yet concise explanation of the differences between civil law and common law systems, including historical origins, procedural distinctions, and examples of countries following each system.

Research:

1907 U.S. Constitutional Amendment:

• Identify the amendment to the U.S. constitution that was passed in 1907 and summarize its key provisions.

Affirmative Action Cases:

• Compile a list of federal and 9th circuit cases that center on affirmative action, summarizing the key holdings and implications of each case.

International & Comparative Law Inquiry:

• Acting as a librarian specializing in International and Comparative Law, guide on how to find regulations applicable to an American mining company operating in Brazil.

Antitrust Law and Sports Book Recommendation:

• Recommend a book written in English that delves into antitrust law as it relates to baseball, or if unavailable, a book on antitrust law in the sports realm.

Dog Attack Legal Analysis:

Input as separate questions:

• Provide a list of ten court cases concerning dog attacks.
• Locate an Arizona statute addressing dog bite liability.
• A dog with no prior history of violence bit a child who trespassed onto its owner's yard in Arizona. Apply the relevant statute and case law to assess the dog owner's liability.

Navajo Water Rights Research:

Input as separate questions:

• Recommend books on Navajo water rights, listing the most relevant first.
• Recommend books on the history of the relationship between the Navajo Nation and the U.S. federal government.
• Draft a literature review based on the listed books about Navajo water rights and the federal government.
• Create an essay outline on the history of Navajo water rights using the provided books.

Writing:

Fictional Opinion for Google LLC v. Oracle America, Inc.:

• Draft a fictional opinion on Google LLC v. Oracle America, Inc. in the voice of Justice Samuel Chase, focusing on key legal arguments and reasoning.

Legal Memo on Undisclosed Bat Infestation:

• Given the scenario of Wilbur and Wilma, draft a legal memo to your supervisor discussing potential legal actions Wilma could pursue against Wilbur regarding the undisclosed bat infestation.

1992 Rio Summit Essay:

• Write a succinct essay on the impact of the 1992 Rio Summit on international environmental law, with a focus on historical context and a mention of the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development.

Miscellaneous:

Student Organization Naming:

• Brainstorm twelve creative names starting with the letter "K" for a student organization uniting crochet enthusiasts eyeing careers in maritime law.

Law School Success Tips:

• Provide actionable tips for a first-year law student with a lower class rank aiming to secure a job offer through On-Campus Interviews (OCI), focusing on networking, skill-building, and showcasing strengths.