Prepare court papers under a limited-scope retainer
Key facts
- Human involvement
- RedLawyer-led
- How AI is used
- List the claims the client wants in the paper and the facts in the file that support or contradict each claim. Write no sentence of the paper.
- What the lawyer must review
- You write every sentence that is filed. Model Rule 1.2(c) allows a lawyer to limit the scope of the representation if the limitation is reasonable under the circumstances and the client gives informed consent. Rule 1.2(a) requires the lawyer to abide by the client's decisions on the objectives, to consult on the means, and to abide by the client's decision whether to settle. In a criminal case the lawyer abides by the client's decision, after consultation, on the plea, waiver of jury trial, and whether the client will testify. The model rule does not itself require the consent to be in writing. Some states do. That variation was not opened. Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 11(b) applies if you sign, file, submit or later advocate the paper: after a reasonable inquiry you certify the purpose, the legal contentions, the evidentiary support, and the denials. A limited-scope retainer does not remove that certification. ABA Formal Opinion 512 requires you to review generated citations and analysis before they go to a court, and to consult local rules on disclosure of a generative tool. No standing order on limited-scope drafting was opened.
- Written for / version
- United States versionUS
Who does what
| Role | What they do |
|---|---|
| Assistance | Supporting preparation only. Consider narrowly defined preparation support after confirming the tool’s capability and permitted scope. The tool writes nothing into the document. Substantive advice, judgement and any restricted content remain with the responsible human. |
| Lawyer | Perform the substantive analysis and decisions. Independently check any permitted supporting work and approve the exact output for its intended use. |
Checklist
- Open each relied-on authority independently. Confirm its existence, current status, proposition and any quotation or pinpoint reference.
- Calculate operative dates independently from the current rule and actual triggering event. Check exceptions and record the verified deadline.
- Check the current court or regulator requirements, prescribed form and attachments for the intended document and filing.
- Confirm the output against the client’s instructions and the complete relevant source material, including omissions or contradictions.
- Resolve exceptions and record the responsible lawyer’s approval of the exact output and intended use.