General AI or legal AI: a practical test for a small firm

A sole practitioner or small team may move from an advisory question to a contract, then to litigation documents in the same day. An AI tool has to fit that work: little time for set-up, no separate team to check every citation, and client material that must remain confidential.

One matter, two ways of working

Build a fictional matter close to your practice: a question of French law, a few documents, a Word template and a deadline. Give the same tasks to each tool. General-purpose AI may help frame an initial idea or improve a paragraph. For legal work, ask more: can you open the cited sources, distinguish facts from legal analysis and find the passages drawn from the case file?

Time checking and revision, as well as the first answer. An untraceable citation or a draft that has to be copied and reformatted can erase an apparent time saving. Compare cost at your actual volume of matters and the support available when the tool gets something wrong.

What to test with Jimini

Jimini combines legal research with inspectable references, analysis of matter documents and drafting from your templates, including in Jimini for Word. Ask to see how you can find a source, correct a passage and control the final text. If your firm works across practice areas, request a demonstration in your speciality.

The French National Bar Council’s evaluation guide also addresses sovereignty, confidentiality and reliability. Check each supplier’s contractual terms before uploading a client matter. Our guide to choosing legal AI software brings the criteria together.