ROSS Intelligence - Detailed Review
Legal Tools
ROSS Intelligence - Product Overview
ROSS Intelligence Overview
ROSS Intelligence was an AI-powered legal research platform that aimed to revolutionize the way lawyers conduct legal research. Here’s a brief overview of its primary function, target audience, and key features:
Primary Function
ROSS Intelligence was created to assist lawyers in conducting legal research more efficiently and effectively. The platform allowed users to pose research questions in plain language, rather than using complex search strings, and it would identify relevant legal authorities and provide answers in context.
Target Audience
The platform was designed for a wide range of legal professionals, including lawyers in large and small law firms, solo practitioners, law students, pro se litigants, academics, and librarians. Its goal was to make legal services more accessible and efficient for all these groups.
Key Features
Natural Language Processing and Machine Learning
ROSS used advanced AI technologies, including natural language processing and machine learning, to understand the intent of the questions asked and identify relevant legal authorities. This approach allowed the platform to go beyond simple keyword matching and capture the context, syntax, and meaning of legal documents.
Efficient Search
The platform significantly reduced the time required for legal research. According to a benchmark study by Blue Hill Research, ROSS reduced research time by 30.3% compared to Boolean searching alone and by 22.3% compared to natural language searching alone.
High-Quality Results
ROSS improved the quality of search results, retrieving 42.9% more relevant authorities and increasing the proportion of relevant results by 30.3%. It also achieved an 86.9% higher Normalized Discounted Cumulative Gain, indicating better ranking of relevant cases.
Contextual Analysis
The platform considered additional context by matching the facts and procedural posture of the case, helping users find the most relevant cases and highlighting important context.
Business Impact
The use of ROSS was estimated to increase annual revenue per attorney by $8,466 to $13,067, due to the conversion of unbillable time to billable time, resulting in a return on investment of 176.4% to 544.5%.
Despite its innovative features and positive impact, ROSS Intelligence ceased operations in January 2021 due to financial constraints and ongoing litigation with Thomson Reuters and Westlaw.
ROSS Intelligence - User Interface and Experience
User Interface of ROSS Intelligence
The user interface of ROSS Intelligence is crafted to be intuitive and user-friendly, making legal research easier, faster, and more efficient for legal professionals.
User-Friendly Interface
ROSS Intelligence features a simple and straightforward interface that allows users to input complex legal questions in plain English, rather than using complex boolean search strings. This natural language processing capability enables attorneys to communicate with the tool as if they were speaking to another attorney or a research intern.
Search Process
Users can type their legal questions into the search bar, and the AI-powered technology quickly retrieves relevant and accurate results. The tool organizes these search results based on relevance, highlighting the matching words and providing contextual paragraphs from the cases that directly address the question asked. This eliminates the need to manually read through multiple cases, significantly speeding up the research process.
Customization and Refinement
Users can refine their searches by specifying jurisdictions, timeframes, and other relevant factors to ensure the results are relevant to their specific needs. This feature helps in identifying important parameters within the question, thanks to named entity recognition.
Additional Features
ROSS Intelligence allows users to save, email, print, or generate Bluebook citations directly from the interface. It also offers the ability to upload documents for analysis, enabling attorneys to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of legal arguments, detect potential issues, and gain insights into unfamiliar concepts quickly.
Notifications and Updates
The platform includes a “Law Monitor” feature, which provides notifications with relevant legal updates related to the user’s legal issues. This feature tracks developments in the law and sends notifications, ensuring users stay informed about changes that might affect their cases.
User Experience
The overall user experience is highly praised for its ease of use and accuracy. Users have reported significant time savings and improved research outcomes, enabling them to provide better service to their clients. The interface is sleek and modern, refined based on user feedback to ensure a better and more intuitive user experience.
User Satisfaction
Studies and user feedback indicate high satisfaction with the tool. Users find the interface intuitive and easy to use, with search results that are concise and primarily contain relevant cases. This has led to increased confidence in the tool and higher user satisfaction compared to traditional legal research methods.
ROSS Intelligence - Key Features and Functionality
ROSS Intelligence Overview
ROSS Intelligence is an AI-driven legal research platform that offers several key features and functionalities that significantly enhance the efficiency and accuracy of legal research. Here are the main features and how they work:
Natural Language Processing (NLP)
ROSS Intelligence uses NLP to allow users to conduct searches by entering questions in plain language, rather than using complex Boolean search strings or keywords. This feature enables the AI to interpret the intent of the question and identify relevant authorities within the searched documents.
Cognitive Computing and Semantic Analysis
The platform leverages cognitive computing and semantic analysis capabilities, powered by technologies like IBM Watson’s cognitive computing, to understand the context of the question and provide relevant answers. This ensures that the results are highly relevant and accurate.
Comprehensive and Relevant Results
ROSS quickly identifies the most relevant case law for research questions, often finding crucial cases that traditional research tools might miss. Users can describe their legal issue, relevant facts, and procedural posture in natural language, and ROSS will find and rank the most relevant cases.
Case Overviews and Summaries
ROSS provides custom case overviews by extracting sentences that best summarize the decision as it pertains to the user’s research question. This feature saves time by allowing users to quickly review relevant portions of a case without having to read the entire document.
Find Similar Language Feature
The “Find Similar Language” feature allows users to highlight any text and quickly find other relevant decisions with similar fact patterns, issues, and judicial reasoning. This helps in identifying supporting cases and additional authorities within seconds.
Status of Case Law
ROSS indicates whether each case is still good law, showing whether it has been overruled, criticized, questioned, cited, or superseded. This ensures that users are working with the most current and relevant legal authorities.
User Interface and Efficiency
The platform is user-friendly, allowing users to click through relevant snippets identified by the AI and review them quickly. This feature is a significant time-saver, especially when dealing with a large number of search results.
Integration with Other Tools
ROSS Intelligence has integrated with other legal technology platforms, such as Clio, to enhance its functionality. For example, Clio users can analyze citations in existing briefs using ROSS’s entire database of U.S. federal and state cases with just one click.
Cost and Accessibility
ROSS offers its full suite of features, including unlimited searches and access to its entire database, for a flat monthly fee of $125, making it accessible to solo and small-firm practitioners as well as larger law firms.
Conclusion
These features collectively make ROSS Intelligence a powerful tool for legal research, significantly improving the quality and efficiency of the research process.
ROSS Intelligence - Performance and Accuracy
Performance
ROSS Intelligence significantly improves the efficiency of legal research. Here are some key performance metrics:
- Research Time Reduction: The use of ROSS resulted in a 30.3% reduction in research time compared to using Boolean search alone and a 22.3% reduction compared to Natural Language search alone.
- Information Retrieval Quality: ROSS outperformed traditional search methods by retrieving 42.9% more relevant authorities and ensuring that 30.3% more of the results were relevant authorities. It also achieved an 86.9% higher Normalized Discounted Cumulative Gain (NDCG), which measures the ranking quality of search results.
Accuracy
The accuracy of ROSS Intelligence is highlighted through several metrics:
- Relevant Authorities: ROSS produced 55.8% of the relevant authorities within its top 20 results, compared to Boolean search which retrieved less than a third of the relevant authorities within the same range. Natural Language search performed better than Boolean but still lagged behind ROSS.
- Minimization of Non-Relevant Results: ROSS minimized non-relevant results more effectively than both Boolean and Natural Language searches. Only 37.9% of the results retrieved by ROSS were non-relevant authorities, a significant improvement over the other methods.
User Feedback and Engagement
Users found ROSS to be more user-friendly and confidence-inspiring:
- Ease of Use and Confidence: Participants in the study showed higher satisfaction with the ease of use and confidence in the results retrieved when using ROSS. As the study progressed, participants increased their use and reliance on the ROSS tool.
Business Impact
The efficiency gains from using ROSS translate into significant business benefits:
- Revenue Increase: The study estimated an annual revenue increase of $8,466 to $13,067 per attorney, based on a 25% conversion of unbillable time to billable time. This resulted in a return on investment (ROI) ranging from 176.4% to 544.5%.
Limitations or Areas for Improvement
While the report does not detail specific limitations of ROSS Intelligence, it is worth noting that the tool’s effectiveness depends on the quality and scope of its training data. For instance, the legal dispute with Reuters highlighted issues related to the use of copyrighted materials for training AI models, which could impact the tool’s development and functionality.
Conclusion
In summary, ROSS Intelligence demonstrates strong performance and accuracy in legal research, significantly reducing research time and improving the quality of information retrieval. However, the tool’s development and use must navigate legal and ethical considerations related to data sourcing and copyright.
ROSS Intelligence - Pricing and Plans
Pricing Plans
ROSS Intelligence offers three main pricing plans, each with different billing frequencies but identical features:
Monthly Plan
- $89.00 per month, billed monthly.
Quarterly Plan
- $79.00 per month, billed every three months.
Annual Plan
- $69.00 per month, billed annually.
Features
All plans include the same set of features, such as:
- Question-based Search
- Find Similar Language
- Case Treatments
- Coverage
- Case Summaries
- Document Analyzer
Free Trial
ROSS Intelligence provides a 14-day free trial, which allows users to test the platform without requiring a credit card.
Free Options
While there is no permanent free or freemium version available for general users, ROSS Intelligence is developing the ability for students and not-for-profit organizations to sign up for a free subscription. Currently, users from these groups can contact the support team to get set up.
Additional Notes
There are no setup fees or hidden charges associated with any of the plans. The pricing is straightforward, and users can choose the plan that best fits their billing preferences.
ROSS Intelligence - Integration and Compatibility
ROSS Intelligence Overview
ROSS Intelligence, an AI-powered legal research and advisory platform, integrates and operates within a variety of contexts to enhance its usability and compatibility.
Integration with Legal Databases
ROSS Intelligence seamlessly integrates with various legal databases, allowing users to access a vast array of case law, statutes, and regulations. This integration enables comprehensive legal research, including case law search, statutes and regulations search, and access to legal precedents.
Document Management and Collaboration
The platform offers features such as document analysis, document management, and research collaboration. These tools allow users to manage and analyze documents efficiently and collaborate with other team members on research projects. This includes user annotations and the ability to share research findings.
Compatibility Across Platforms
While specific details on device compatibility are not extensively detailed, ROSS Intelligence is described as an online legal research system. This suggests that it is accessible via web browsers on various devices, including desktops, laptops, and potentially tablets and smartphones, as long as they have a stable internet connection.
Security and Compliance
ROSS Intelligence ensures enterprise-grade security measures, including compliance with major security standards such as ISO27001 and SOC2. It also complies with GDPR and other privacy regulations, which helps in maintaining data security and integrity across different platforms and devices.
User Access and Permissions
The platform features granular user permissions and access control at multiple levels (document, project, organization, and party), ensuring that users can access and collaborate on documents securely and according to their authorized roles.
Conclusion
In summary, ROSS Intelligence is designed to be highly integrative with legal databases and collaborative tools, ensuring it is compatible with various platforms and devices through its web-based interface. However, specific details on mobile app availability or detailed device compatibility are not provided in the available resources.
ROSS Intelligence - Customer Support and Resources
Customer Support and Resources
ROSS Intelligence, although it has ceased operations as of January 2021 due to the costs of defending litigation, had been known for its user-friendly and efficient legal research platform. Here are some aspects that might have been relevant to customer support and resources:
User Interface and Search Functionality
ROSS allowed lawyers to ask legal questions in plain English and receive relevant case law and statutes in real-time, using natural language processing. This intuitive search functionality was a key feature that made legal research more accessible and efficient.
Training and Onboarding
Users could sign up quickly and start using the platform with minimal onboarding time. The platform was described as “simple” and “intuitive,” suggesting that users could easily get started without extensive training.
Community and User Feedback
The case studies on ROSS Intelligence’s website indicate a strong user community where lawyers shared their positive experiences and how the platform improved their research efficiency. This suggests that there might have been some form of community support or user feedback mechanisms, although specific details are not provided.
Documentation and Guides
While the current state of the website does not provide detailed support documentation, the features page outlines various tools such as Question-based Search, Document Analyzer, and Question-focused Case Overviews. These features were likely supported by some form of documentation or guides to help users maximize their use of the platform.
However, it is important to note that since ROSS Intelligence ceased operations, the availability and accessibility of these resources are uncertain. If you are looking for current support options, it would be best to contact any remaining support channels directly, though it is unlikely that active support is available given the cessation of operations.
ROSS Intelligence - Pros and Cons
Advantages of ROSS Intelligence
Efficiency in Research Time
ROSS Intelligence significantly reduces the time spent on legal research. According to a benchmark study by Blue Hill Research, using ROSS can reduce research time by 30.3% compared to Boolean search and 22.3% compared to Natural Language search.Improved Information Retrieval Quality
ROSS enhances the quality of information retrieval by identifying more relevant authorities. It retrieves 42.9% more relevant authorities and increases the proportion of relevant results by 30.3%. The tool also achieves an 86.9% higher Normalized Discounted Cumulative Gain, indicating better ranking of relevant cases.Ease of Use and User Confidence
Users find ROSS easier to use and have higher confidence in the results. The platform allows searches using plain language questions rather than complex search strings, making it more intuitive for legal researchers. User feedback indicates increased satisfaction and reliance on ROSS as they progress through their research tasks.Business Impact and ROI
The efficiency gains from using ROSS translate into significant business benefits. The study estimates an annual revenue increase of $8,466 to $13,067 per attorney, based on converting unbillable time to billable time. This results in a return on investment (ROI) ranging from 176.4% to 544.5%.Contextual Understanding
ROSS uses Natural Language processing, machine learning, and cognitive computing to understand the intent and context of the question asked. It matches cases based on the meaning and context rather than just keywords, providing more accurate and relevant results.Disadvantages of ROSS Intelligence
Dependence on Technology
While ROSS offers significant advantages, it still relies on advanced technologies like IBM Watson’s cognitive computing and machine learning. Any issues with these technologies could impact the performance and reliability of the platform.Cost
Implementing and maintaining AI-driven tools like ROSS Intelligence can be costly. The initial investment and ongoing costs may be a barrier for some law firms or legal organizations, especially smaller ones.Training and Familiarization
Although ROSS is designed to be user-friendly, legal researchers may still need time to familiarize themselves with the new technology and its capabilities. This could lead to a short-term learning curve and potential resistance to adoption.Data Quality
The accuracy and relevance of ROSS’s results depend on the quality of the data it is trained on. If the training data is incomplete, outdated, or biased, the tool’s performance could be compromised. In summary, ROSS Intelligence offers substantial benefits in terms of research efficiency, information retrieval quality, and user satisfaction, but it also comes with potential drawbacks related to cost, technological dependence, and the need for user training. ROSS Intelligence - Comparison with Competitors
Unique Features of ROSS Intelligence
Natural Language Processing (NLP)
ROSS Intelligence uses NLP and machine learning to allow users to conduct searches by entering questions in plain language, rather than using complex Boolean search strings. This capability enables the tool to understand the intent of the question and identify relevant authorities in context.
Comprehensive Results
ROSS quickly identifies the most relevant case law, often finding crucial cases that traditional tools might miss. It provides custom case overviews, indicates whether each case is still good law, and offers a “Find Similar Language” feature to identify supporting cases with similar fact patterns and judicial reasoning.
Affordable Pricing
ROSS offers its full suite of features, unlimited searches, and access to its entire database of U.S. federal and state cases for a flat fee of $125 per month, with no hidden fees or minimum contract term.
Potential Alternatives
Lexis AI (LexisNexis)
Advanced Search Interface
Lexis AI features an intuitive natural language interface similar to ROSS, allowing attorneys to pose complex legal questions and receive precise, contextually relevant answers.
Brief Analysis and Judicial Analytics
It includes tools like Brief Analysis, which reviews legal documents, identifies missing precedents, and suggests relevant cases, and Judicial Analytics, which provides insights into judges’ ruling patterns and preferences.
Harvey
Contract Analysis and Due Diligence
Harvey is particularly strong in contract analysis, due diligence, and legal research across multiple jurisdictions. It can analyze complex legal documents, extract key provisions, risks, and obligations, and assist in drafting responses to legal questions.
Collaborative Features
Harvey offers collaborative tools that allow multiple attorneys to work on the same project simultaneously while maintaining version control and audit trails.
Darrow
Legal Violation Detection
Darrow uses AI to detect hidden legal violations by scanning vast open-source datasets and documents. It also provides a complete plaintiff-finding service and supports attorneys throughout the litigation process.
PlaintiffLink Portal
Darrow’s PlaintiffLink portal connects attorneys with vetted plaintiffs, streamlining the process of finding quality plaintiffs for class action, mass tort, and mass arbitration cases.
Casetext
Automated Research Tasks
Casetext’s software, Cara, automates key legal research tasks using AI. It helps in identifying relevant precedents and legal arguments, and it is known for its ability to provide comprehensive research results.
Competitive Pricing and Features
Casetext is often compared to ROSS for its similar approach to automating legal research, though the specific features and pricing models may differ.
Each of these tools offers unique advantages and can serve as alternatives or complements to ROSS Intelligence, depending on the specific needs of the legal practice. For instance, while ROSS excels in natural language search and comprehensive case law results, Lexis AI and Harvey offer additional features like brief analysis and contract review, respectively. Darrow and Casetext provide specialized services in legal violation detection and automated research tasks.
ROSS Intelligence - Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some frequently asked questions about ROSS Intelligence, along with detailed responses to each:
What is ROSS Intelligence?
ROSS Intelligence is an AI-powered legal research tool that helps legal professionals conduct more efficient and accurate legal research. It uses Natural Language Processing (NLP) and machine learning to analyze legal questions and provide relevant case law, statutes, and documents.
How do I use ROSS Intelligence?
To use ROSS Intelligence, you start by signing up and logging into your account. You then ask your legal question in plain language, and ROSS’s AI technology processes the query to identify relevant legal documents. You can review and analyze the results, which are presented in a clear format. Additional features include finding similar cases, document analysis, and citation analysis.
What are the key features of ROSS Intelligence?
- Question-based Search: Allows you to ask legal questions in natural language and receive specific responses.
- Similar Case Finder: Identifies cases that are relevant to your query and highlights major issues.
- Document Analyzer: Highlights problematic sections in legal documents and indicates if cases have been overturned or criticized.
- Case Treatment Highlighting: Quickly locates cases that were overturned or criticized.
- Intelligent Case Summaries: Provides fast and accurate summaries of case law relevant to your question.
- Comprehensive Legal Database: Access to a large database covering many jurisdictions and legal topics.
How does ROSS Intelligence improve legal research efficiency?
ROSS Intelligence improves legal research efficiency by streamlining the process and providing more accurate results. It can handle complex legal questions that might otherwise be outsourced to external counsel, saving time and money. The tool also reduces the time spent searching through irrelevant results, ensuring that you find the most relevant case law quickly.
What are the benefits of using ROSS Intelligence?
- Efficient Legal Research: Streamlines your workflow and boosts productivity.
- Enhanced Accuracy: Improves the quality of your legal arguments with accurate and relevant case law and statutory analysis.
- Cost-Effective Solution: Saves money and effort by providing a single, convenient solution.
- Versatile Application: Suitable for law firms, solo practitioners, and law students.
- Time-Saving: Quickly finds relevant cases and provides summaries, saving hours of research time.
How much does ROSS Intelligence cost?
- Monthly Plan: $89 per month, billed monthly.
- Quarterly Plan: $79 per month, billed every three months.
- Annual Plan: $69 per month, billed once a year. All plans include a 14-day free trial and access to the full suite of features.
Is there a free trial available for ROSS Intelligence?
Yes, ROSS Intelligence offers a 14-day free trial, allowing you to test the features and see how it can benefit your legal research needs.
Which law firms and organizations use ROSS Intelligence?
Several prominent law firms, including Latham & Watkins, Dentons, Baker Hostetler, and Jackson Lewis, have adopted ROSS Intelligence. It is also used by in-house legal teams, government agencies, solo practitioners, and law students.
How does ROSS Intelligence handle the validity of case law?
ROSS Intelligence indicates whether each case is still good law by showing if it has been overruled, criticized, questioned, cited, or superseded. This helps ensure that you rely only on valid and relevant legal authorities.
Is ROSS Intelligence compatible with different platforms?
Yes, ROSS Intelligence is cross-platform compatible, allowing you to integrate it seamlessly into your existing workflow and platforms.
ROSS Intelligence - Conclusion and Recommendation
Final Assessment of ROSS Intelligence
ROSS Intelligence is a significant advancement in the legal tools category, particularly for AI-driven legal research. Here’s a comprehensive look at what it offers and who would benefit most from using it.
Key Features and Benefits
Efficient Legal Research
ROSS Intelligence uses Natural Language Understanding (NLU) to interpret legal queries in natural language, eliminating the need for Boolean terms or keywords. This allows lawyers to find relevant case law quickly and accurately, often uncovering cases that traditional research tools might miss.
Comprehensive Results
The platform provides custom case overviews, relevant snippets, and indicates whether each case is still good law. It also features a “Find Similar Language” tool, which helps identify supporting cases with similar fact patterns and judicial reasoning.
Time Savings
ROSS can reduce legal research time by up to 80%, making it a valuable tool for busy attorneys who need to manage multiple cases efficiently.
User-Friendly Interface
The platform is modern, easy to use, and offers features like previews of relevant case portions, saving time when reviewing multiple results.
Who Would Benefit Most
Solo and Small-Firm Practitioners
ROSS is particularly beneficial for solo and small-firm practitioners with its affordable pricing of $125 per month and no minimum contract term, allowing access to comprehensive legal research tools without the high costs associated with traditional legal research platforms.
Large Law Firms
Am Law firms like Latham & Watkins, Dentons, Baker Hostetler, and Jackson Lewis have already adopted ROSS, indicating its value for larger firms as well. It helps these firms offer better and more affordable services to their clients.
Security and Compliance
Enterprise-Grade Security
ROSS complies with major security standards such as ISO27001 and SOC2, and it adheres to GDPR and other privacy regulations. This ensures that user data is secure and compliant with industry standards.
Overall Recommendation
ROSS Intelligence is a highly recommended tool for any legal professional looking to streamline their research process. Its ability to quickly and accurately find relevant case law, combined with its user-friendly interface and affordable pricing, makes it an invaluable asset. Whether you are a solo practitioner or part of a large law firm, ROSS can significantly enhance your legal research capabilities, saving you time and ensuring you do not miss critical cases. Its commitment to security and compliance further solidifies its position as a reliable choice in the legal tech industry.