Imagine having a seasoned research assistant who never tires, understands your practice area, and can comb through a mountain of case law in seconds. For solo practitioners and small law firms, legal research is often the most time‑consuming and expensive part of serving clients. You can easily lose hours chasing down citations, comparing statutes, or writing memos—time that would be better spent advising clients or building your practice. Thomson Reuters has announced a new tool designed to change that calculus: Deep Research. This agentic AI system promises to do more than search keywords; it plans, reasons, and explains how it arrived at its recommendations. In this article we’ll unpack what Deep Research is, why it’s significant for smaller practices, and how you can start preparing to use it effectively.
The Big News: AI That Plans and Explains Itself
Traditional legal research tools act like highly sophisticated search engines—powerful, but ultimately reactive. Deep Research takes a different approach. According to Thomson Reuters, the system is designed to emulate what an expert researcher would do: plan the research task, consult the most authoritative sources, and build a transparent chain of reasoning. It is integrated into CoCounsel Legal, the company’s broader agentic AI suite. Rather than simply spitting out citations, Deep Research shows you the steps it took, explains why it chose certain resources, and surfaces potential counterarguments. The idea is to make AI a partner in the research process, not a black box you blindly trust.
Behind the scenes, Deep Research combines several technologies. It is built on curated Westlaw content and exclusive research tools like Key Numbers, KeyCite, statute annotations, and secondary sources. Thomson Reuters says these curated assets help reduce hallucinations and improve accuracy compared with generic models. The system uses a large language model to plan and structure research, then orchestrates calls to various databases to gather facts and precedents. It also leverages Westlaw’s citator tools to check whether a case is still good law. The result is a detailed research memo complete with cited sources, a summary of arguments, and suggestions for additional analysis.
The new tool also emphasises human oversight. Even with curated content, Thomson Reuters advises that attorneys review the AI’s output and use their judgement before filing documents or making recommendations to clients. Analysts in the legal tech community echo this caution, noting that AI can accelerate research but must be validated by subject‑matter experts. The company plans to release Deep Research to Westlaw and CoCounsel subscribers in the coming weeks, giving small firms an opportunity to experiment with agentic research workflows before the next busy season.
Getting Started: How Solo Lawyers Can Explore Deep Research
If you’re intrigued by the promise of AI‑assisted legal research, you don’t have to wait to begin preparing. Here are some practical steps to position yourself for success once Deep Research becomes widely available:
- Evaluate your current research workflows. Identify tasks
that consume the most time—such as compiling case lists, checking
citations, or summarising new statutes. These are prime candidates for
automation. Having a baseline will make it easier to measure the tool’s
impact. - Ensure you have access to Westlaw or CoCounsel.
Deep Research is integrated into these platforms. If you’re not already a
subscriber, explore trial offers or speak with a Thomson Reuters
representative about pricing options for smaller practices. - Organise your matters and clients. Agentic AI works best
when it has context. Create templates or checklists for common research
tasks in your practice area. For example, if you often handle employment
disputes, keep a running file of statutes, regulations, and leading
cases. This will help the AI understand your typical workflow. - Familiarise yourself with Westlaw’s existing tools.
Features like KeyCite, Key Numbers, and annotated statutes underpin Deep
Research. Practice using these functions now so you can better interpret
the AI’s reasoning later. - Set up quality control processes. Determine how you will
verify AI output. Develop internal policies for reviewing citations,
double‑checking summaries, and documenting any errors. This will help you
build trust in the system and maintain professional standards. - Stay informed about release timelines. Sign up for
updates from Thomson Reuters or industry newsletters. Many legal tech
companies host webinars, demos, and early access programmes that allow
practitioners to experiment and provide feedback before full release.
What Deep Research Means for Your Practice
Adopting agentic AI could change more than just how you conduct research. Here are several ways Deep Research might impact your firm’s business model and client services:
- Reduced research time. Automating repetitive tasks like
gathering cases and verifying citations could free up hours each week.
This may allow you to take on more clients or focus on high‑value
strategic work, such as crafting arguments or negotiating settlements. - Improved quality and consistency. Because the system
consults authoritative sources and explains its methodology, you can
reduce the risk of missing key cases or relying on outdated law. This
consistency can boost your confidence and your reputation among clients. - Enhanced collaboration. Deep Research is designed to
integrate with document management systems, allowing teams to share
research results and notes. Even a solo attorney can benefit by
collaborating with virtual assistants or contract lawyers who use the same
workflow. - Potential cost savings. Access to curated research may
reduce the need to outsource research to associates or contract
researchers. However, you’ll need to weigh subscription costs against the
time saved and new revenue opportunities. - Ethical and confidentiality considerations. AI can
amplify mistakes if misused. Always maintain client confidentiality,
verify the accuracy of outputs, and disclose any use of AI in your work
product as required by local ethics rules. Consider including a standard
disclaimer in letters or filings that the research was assisted by
AI.
Actionable Takeaways
To make the most of Deep Research when it launches, here are concrete actions you can take:
- This week: Audit your current research processes. List
out tasks, time spent, and challenges. Identify two or three tasks that
cause the biggest bottlenecks. - By the end of the month: Explore Westlaw and
CoCounsel subscription options and register interest in beta or pilot
programmes. Attend a webinar or watch a product demo to see the tool in
action. - Before integrating: Draft a simple policy outlining
how you will validate AI output. Decide who will review the work and what
criteria will trigger manual research. - Once you have access: Use Deep Research on a small
matter first. Compare its results with your own manual research to gauge
accuracy and time savings. Note any issues and provide feedback to the
vendor. - Ongoing: Update your templates and checklists to
capture insights from the AI. Continue to refine your quality control
processes and share lessons learned with peers.
Embracing the Future, but do so Responsibly
AI will not replace the nuanced judgement and advocacy skills of an experienced lawyer. However, tools like Deep Research can radically shift how you spend your time. By automating the most tedious parts of legal research and offering transparent reasoning, agentic AI has the potential to level the playing field between large firms and solopreneurs. The key will be to approach these tools with curiosity and caution—embracing the efficiency gains while maintaining rigorous oversight.
As Deep Research becomes available, take the opportunity to experiment and evolve your practice. Clients value both speed and accuracy; adopting AI thoughtfully can help you deliver on both fronts. Share your experiences with the SoloAITool community, and stay tuned for more updates on how AI is transforming legal work.
