# Research in the AI Assistant

## **Overview**

Paxton’s AI Assistant now includes integrated legal research, allowing you to surface relevant case law, statutes, and governing legal standards directly inside your drafting and analysis workflow. With legal research enabled, you can ask issue-based questions, explore authorities, and incorporate citations into your documents — all without switching tools.<br>

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## **Getting Started**

#### **Access Legal Research**

Legal research is built directly into the AI Assistant. To turn it on:

1. Open the **AI Assistant**
2. Click **Sources**

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1. Toggle **Legal Research** on
2. Select your preferred jurisdiction (e.g., California, New York)

Once enabled, all research queries will return verified authorities from the selected jurisdiction.

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#### **Ask a Research Question**

Type any issue, rule, or fact pattern into the Assistant.\
Paxton will return:

* Relevant cases
* Statutes and legal principles
* Concise rule statements
* Explanations tied to your jurisdiction
* Citations and source links

The Assistant supports follow-up questions within the same thread for deeper analysis.

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## **What You Can Do with Legal Research**

### **📚 Retrieve Case Law and Governing Rules**

Ask for the legal standard, relevant precedent, or elements of a claim.\
**Example**\
“What is the California rule for establishing liability in a rear-end collision?”

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### **⚖️ Summarize Cases and Statutes**

Get concise summaries of holdings, rules, and reasoning.\
**Example**\
“Summarize key cases involving aggravation of pre-existing injuries.”

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### **📝 Insert Authorities Into Drafts**

Combine research and drafting seamlessly by asking the Assistant to include supporting citations.\
**Example**\
“Draft a demand letter and include supporting California cases.”

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### **🔍 Narrow or Expand Research**

Refine your search using follow-up instructions.\
**Examples**\
“Narrow this to premises liability cases.”\
“Show additional authority from the last 10 years.”

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### **📑 Verify Sources**

Click **Sources** below each response to view:

* The full list of cases or statutes referenced
* Direct citations
* Source links for verification

This ensures transparency and accuracy in every research result.

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## **Tips for Better Results**

#### **Ask in Plain Language**

You don’t need perfect phrasing.\
Examples:\
“What's the duty of care for a landowner in Texas?”\
“Cases about unsafe conditions inside retail stores.”

#### **Specify the Jurisdiction**

Use the toggle to select your state before starting your query.

#### **Use Follow-up Questions**

Continue refining until you get the exact angle, timeframe, or case type you need.

#### **Request Applications to Your Facts**

Example:\
“Apply the rule to a rear-end collision with a sudden stop scenario.”

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## **Best Practices**

* Review all citations before relying on them
* Keep research and drafting in the same thread for context continuity
* Use Paxton to explore legal theories, validate arguments, or add authority to documents
* Save time by asking Paxton to turn research results into memos, letters, or summaries
