Astra for Law is a new foundation for law firms and legal technology companies, combining GPT-6 Astra with tools, settings, and context tailored for professional legal work.

Legal Research With a Dedicated Index

Astra for Law combines GPT-6 Astra with a legal search index and instructions designed for legal analysis and writing.

The search index can cover US case law, statutes, regulations, court rules, and administrative decisions across more than 230 million URLs. New sources are added daily.

The index also incorporates case law collected through the Free Law Project, which OpenAI says covers more than 99.9% of published US precedential case law.

The system was tested on 200 US legal research questions from Vals AI’s Legal Research Bench private validation set.

At the highest reasoning effort, Astra for Law passed the overall correctness check on 54% of questions. GPT-6 Astra using web search alone reached 38.7%.

OpenAI reported that this represented a 40% relative improvement. On case law focused questions, Astra for Law found 24% more reference cases. It also retrieved up to 54% more relevant passages from the correct court opinions in the audited set.

Support Across Legal Workflows

Astra for Law is designed to support more than legal research.

Its custom instructions can help apply research to client facts, develop arguments and deal terms, and identify weaknesses or areas of uncertainty.

For example, it can distinguish a court’s holding from other observations. It can also identify cases that weaken an argument and explain how a contract exception could change risk between parties.

OpenAI said the system initially will be offered to selected law firms through Trusted Access in ChatGPT and Codex. API access is planned for a later stage.

In ChatGPT, it will appear as GPT-6 Astra Law. The API model name will be gpt-6-astra-law.

Privacy and Governance Controls

Because legal work involves confidential client information, OpenAI is also adding controls for professional use.

Eligible firms using the Trusted Access Program will have access to Zero Data Retention on the API. ChatGPT Enterprise usage will also be excluded from human review by default.

OpenAI is working with Latham & Watkins on information permissions, ethical walls, client instructions, and firm oversight.

Custom AI Tools for Law Firms

Law firms can also build applications around their own precedents, methods, and workflows.

Sullivan & Cromwell has developed an agreement analyzer that uses negotiating playbooks and selected precedents to identify risks and propose redlines.

Ropes & Gray has built a deal diligence system for reviewing data rooms and identifying questions that could affect acquisitions.

Meanwhile, Cooley has developed GO Public, which supports work involved in preparing companies for an IPO and identifying risks that require management attention.

Legal Plugins and Integrations

OpenAI is launching 26 partner-built plugins alongside Astra for Law.

These include integrations with tools such as iManage, Intapp, DeepJudge, and Thomson Reuters HighQ. The integrations can connect legal workflows with matter files, prior deals, matter context, and other specialist resources.

There are also nine community plugins from LegalQuants, LECG, and Skills.law. These provide 47 custom skills that legal professionals can adapt for their work.

In addition, ChatGPT for Word is now generally available for lawyers. It can help with proofreading, suggested edits, and formatting issues.

Building Legal AI Around Firm Expertise

OpenAI said it plans to continue developing Astra for Law through evaluations and feedback from lawyers and legal technology partners.

The approach allows firms to combine AI with their own expertise, approved data sources, tools, and review processes.

The company is also working with Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz to explore how AI can support legal work involving complex judgment.

As Astra for Law enters early access for selected firms, its initial focus is on combining legal research, workflow support, governance controls, and integrations within professional legal environments.

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