OpenAI launches legal-focused AI platform, escalating race for law firm users

OpenAI has introduced Astra for Law, a specialized version of its GPT-6 Astra model tailored for the legal industry. This model doesn't represent a brand new creation; instead, OpenAI has incorporated a legal search index and instructions for legal analysis to enhance the functionality of GPT-6 Astra. The enhanced model is accessible to law firms and the software companies that cater to this sector.

The index encompasses a vast array of legal resources, including U.S. case law, statutes, regulations, court rules, and administrative decisions, all pulled from over 230 million URLs. The Free Law Project's CourtListener database supplies the case law, while the benchmark used for testing rewards the model's ability to find the correct authority and relevant passages within them.

Astra for Law achieved a 54% accuracy rate on 200 questions from Vals AI's Legal Research Bench, outperforming GPT-6 Astra alone, which could only manage a 38.7% accuracy rate on the same set of questions. On case-law questions, Astra for Law retrieved 24% more reference cases compared to GPT-6 Astra, and up to 54% more of the target passages from correct opinions during an audited set.

Currently, only a limited number of selected firms have access to the model through a Trusted Access program available in ChatGPT and Codex, accessible through the model picker as GPT-6 Astra Law. An API version, gpt-6-astra-law, is expected to follow later without any specified date or pricing. Legal AI companies Harvey Technologies Inc. and Legora AB are among the API customers for this model.

For eligible firms, the API offering ensures zero data retention, and usage of ChatGPT Enterprise is excluded from human review by default. Latham & Watkins is collaborating with OpenAI on governance design for information permissions, ethical walls, and client instructions.

Alongside the model, 26 partner-built plugins have launched, connecting ChatGPT to various legal tools such as Relativity, Clio, iManage, and DeepJudge. Thomson Reuters Corp. is integrating HighQ matter context into ChatGPT and previewing a connector for its CoCounsel Legal product. Another nine plugins were developed by lawyers and legal engineers outside the vendor set, offering 47 custom skills.

ChatGPT for Word was made generally available on the same day as the Astra for Law launch. Joel Hron, OpenAI's chief technology officer, emphasized that while connectivity is important, legal professionals require more than just access to information. They need trustworthy intelligence, relevant enterprise and matter context, purpose-built legal capabilities, and the necessary governance for high-stakes work.

OpenAI has also been developing firm-specific tools on ChatGPT Enterprise, with Sullivan & Cromwell creating an agreement analyzer, Ropes & Gray focusing on deal diligence, and Cooley's tool, GO Public, handling initial public offering preparation.