In the coming months, an in-house lawyer may use generative AI-powered Microsoft 365 Copilot to draft a contract.
As the attorney starts working on such an agreement in Copilot’s version of Microsoft Word, he or she could utilize familiar Thomson Reuters legal tools for assistance.
For example, the lawyer could seek to replace the limitation of liability clause with a preferred example from Thomson Reuters’ Practical Law tool and review related guidance.
Additionally, the attorney could ask Westlaw to verify whether a limitation of liability clause is enforceable under the governing jurisdiction’s law, according to a demonstration video.
The lawyer will quickly receive an answer to their query within Copilot for Word, along with links to the relevant legal authorities.
The Thomson Reuters legal drafting capabilities integrated with Microsoft 365 Copilot will be made available for legal professionals in beta alongside Microsoft’s Copilot release schedule.
“We are very proud to partner with Microsoft, leading the legal profession towards unlocking the value from Microsoft 365 Copilot for our customers, and their clients,” said Steve Hasker, Thomson Reuters’ president and CEO, in a prepared statement.
Reviewing edits
A lawyer working on a contract in Microsoft 365 Copilot could also request a summary of changes by clause to review.
The technology will use Thomson Reuters’ Document Intelligence functionality to quickly extract and provide a comparison of the modified clauses.
Document Intelligence is an AI-powered tool trained by Practical Law attorney-editors to provide a variety of contracting insights to users.
“We are thrilled to collaborate with Thomson Reuters to extend Copilot with new AI-powered experiences that will support legal professionals by saving them time and helping them drive value for the clients and businesses they serve," said Andrew Lindsay, corporate vice president of Industry, Apps & Data, Business Development at Microsoft, in a prepared statement.
Other AI investments
The Microsoft 365 Copilot plugin is one way Thomson Reuters is embracing the use of generative AI to assist legal and other professionals in their work.
Earlier this year, the company announced plans to invest $100 million annually in artificial intelligence.
Then in late May, Thomson Reuters outlined plans to incorporate generative AI across its suite of legal technology products.
For example, it said Westlaw Precision would be able to help users answer complex legal questions in seconds.
Other products it said would benefit from incorporating generative AI included Practical Law, Legal Drafting and Legal Document Review and Summary.
Thomson Reuters plans to release the new generative AI capabilities into its native platforms in the second half of 2023.
“Generative AI empowers professionals to redefine their work and discover innovative approaches,” Hasker said. “With our customers in the driver’s seat, Thomson Reuters AI technology augments knowledge, helping professionals work smarter, giving them time back to focus on what matters.”
