Frequently asked questions
Your questions answered
- What is the new legal principals feature you are testing with California law?
- This is our take on headnotes. Our proprietary knowledge graph helps identify legal principles and their application within cases. We started with California, but this tool will soon be available across our entire database. We are providing free access to this feature while it is in beta.
- Who are you?
- descrybe.ai is a justice tech company founded in July 2023 in the Greater Boston area.
- What is justice tech?
- Justice tech is a subset of the legal tech ecosystem that focuses on using technology to improve access to the law and access to justice.
- What services do you provide?
- We provide legal information, not legal advice.
- How does your platform work?
- descrybe.ai uses artificial intelligence to summarize judicial opinions and make them searchable using natural language, rather than traditional keyword searches.
- What is the difference between the new and classic search?
- The new search is built on a completely rewritten platform, redesigned with cutting-edge AI models and incorporating insights from the past 18 months to better meet user needs and optimize performance and scalability. While the classic search remains effective, it is less advanced and does not offer Spanish or simplified language options.
- When will everything be migrated to the new platform?
- By the first week of January 2025.
- What languages are available?
- Summaries are available in both English and Spanish, allowing you to search and get results in either language.
- Is this using off the shelf translations tools?
- No. We have developed our own translation process, which we believe delivers superior results.
- Is this translating on the fly?
- No. All translations are pre-generated and stored using descrybe.ai’s unique translation and summarization process. This ensures consistency and speed in the results.
- What reading levels are available?
- We offer standard English and Spanish as well as simplified versions of both, designed for people with limited reading proficiency.
- How current are the opinions I can search?
- It depends on the court. Some release opinions immediately, while others take time. descrybe.ai includes the most recent opinions available. Check the Opinion Tracker for the latest upload date by court.
- Why is this free?
- We created descrybe.ai as a free platform because everyone deserves access to the law. Many people face barriers to case law research, with cost being just one of them. Our mission is to use AI to remove these obstacles and make legal information accessible to all.
- Are you using ChatGPT?
- No. While we use a similar AI engine to summarize legal documents, descrybe.ai does not use ChatGPT.
- Which judicial opinions can I search?
- Our database includes all available U.S. state appellate and supreme court opinions since January 1, 1980, and all available federal district, appellate, and supreme court opinions. U.S. bankruptcy courts are also included as December 2024. The earliest available dates vary. Check the Opinion Tracker for specific upload dates.
- Is this searching the internet?
- No. descrybe.ai is not searching the internet or generating answers on the fly. Our search engine only knows the cases it has summarized and is far less likely to hallucinate or conflate cases.
- Can I use these summaries in my own work?
- The summaries are for reference only and should guide your research. While we’re confident in their quality, they are not human verified, so always check the original judicial opinions. See our Legal page for more details.
- What do you track?
- We track only what’s necessary for the platform to function. We use Google Analytics for general site traffic but don’t collect any personally identifiable information. We don’t use Facebook, Twitter, or other third-party tracking.
- How can I learn more?
- Check out our News page to find in-depth reporting on our work including press releases, videos, and podcasts.
- What are you building next?
- We’re developing free and paid features on top of our proprietary dataset. Sign up for our emails or follow us on social media to stay updated on new features.
- How can I support your work?
- We rely on our users for feedback and to spread the word. Please reach out with any suggestions for product enhancements.