Quillio vs manual legal research
Manual legal research — searching databases, reading cases, synthesising findings, and drafting memos — typically takes 2–6 hours per research task. Quillio produces a first-draft research memo with case citations in minutes. The lawyer then verifies the citations, adds their analysis, and refines the output. This is not a replacement for legal judgment — it is a faster way to get to the point where judgment is applied. The net result is the same quality of research output in a fraction of the time.
Time comparison
A typical legal research task (e.g., "What are the grounds for setting aside a default judgment in NSW?") takes a junior lawyer 2–4 hours of searching, reading, note-taking, and memo drafting. I produce a structured research memo with relevant cases and legislation references in under 5 minutes. The lawyer then spends 15–30 minutes verifying and refining — total time: 20–35 minutes vs 2–4 hours.
Coverage and consistency
Manual research depends on the researcher's knowledge of where to look and their search terms. I search broadly across legislation, case law, and secondary sources, reducing the risk of missing a relevant authority. I also produce research in a consistent format every time — which is valuable for firms that need standardised research memos across multiple lawyers.
Where manual research still wins
Complex, novel legal issues that require creative argumentation, reading between the lines of a judgment, or understanding the political context of a legislative change are areas where experienced legal minds add value that I cannot replicate. I am best at the 80% of research tasks that follow well-established legal principles — the routine research that consumes most of a junior lawyer's time.
Common issues
- Always verify AI-generated case citations — I cite real cases but you should confirm they exist and say what I say they say
- Complex, novel issues still benefit from experienced human analysis — I handle the routine research efficiently
- The time saving is greatest for routine, well-established legal questions — not for frontier legal issues
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