What We Know About Using AI for Your Legal Website Content (and Why We Don’t Recommend It)
Sarah
Artificial intelligence is nothing new, but generative AI that’s available to consumers is quickly gaining momentum. Today, people use AI platforms like ChatGPT to create everything from blogs to papers to speeches. Amidst this surging popularity, you may have considered using AI to create your legal website content.
The urge to leverage emergent technology is completely understandable. Who doesn’t want to save time, improve content quality, and raise search engine ranking? But you must consider whether AI-generated content will live up to your standards — and your readers’.
Furthermore, there are some legitimate concerns associated with using AI-generated content — especially in a tightly regulated vertical like the legal industry. There are also certain benefits to using human-written copy for your content. With all that in mind, here is what we know about using AI for your legal website content and why we don’t recommend it.
The Problem with AI-Generated Content
When facing the seemingly endless workload of the legal profession, AI-powered content generation tools can seem like the time-saving answer you’ve been searching for. With these tools, you can generate grammatically correct and syntactically sound content in seconds, especially if you know how to construct your prompts. However, just because the content is logical and typo-free doesn’t necessarily mean it will be factually correct.
When you submit your prompt, the AI algorithm will scour its dataset for information relevant to your query. The problem is that this data is based on information freely available online. And as you know, the internet is full of questionable websites, misinformation, and unreliable data.
In fact, a Manhattan attorney recently had to learn that lesson in an embarrassing, public fashion. He used ChatGPT to create a legal brief for a case in Federal District Court. However, he didn’t proofread or fact-check the brief before submitting it to the judge. As a result, the brief contained fictitious legal citations and inaccurate judicial opinions. Predictably, this drew the ire of the judge, who said he was considering imposing sanctions on the attorney.
While you may not plan on using AI to create court documents, relying on it can still be detrimental to your reputation. At best, your output may not be as well-researched as human-written content. At worst, it may contain overpromising language that violates regulatory requirements and opens the door to compliance concerns.
Benefits of Using Human-Written Legal Website Content
Publishing legal website content that was by humans has many advantages. By working with an experienced copywriting firm that generates original content, you can:
Receive Well-Researched Copy
Human copywriters don’t have the luxury of tapping into the entire internet in seconds. Instead, they must carefully research each topic and vet their sources. While this does increase the time it takes to create content, it also yields higher-quality copywriting that is accurate and trustworthy.
Publishing well-researched copy allows you to build your authority within your vertical. You can become a trusted source of information for clients and cultivate an extensive library of high-ranking content.
Carefully Promote Your Differentiators
Artificial intelligence may be able to quickly generate copy, but it doesn’t know what makes your brand unique. It also doesn’t know how to target your local area and set you apart from other firms in the same location.
Conversely, a talented copywriting agency will emphasize your firm’s strengths and competitive differentiators to help you stand out from other practices in your area. With the right copywriting team in your corner, you can accentuate what you do best and demonstrate why you are the best legal professional for a client’s needs.
Avoid Overpromising Language
As you know, tightly regulated sectors like the legal industry must be wary of using overpromising or misleading language. Including the wrong language in your legal website content could expose you to civil liability and cause you to incur sanctions.
But when working with an experienced copywriting firm like Write Collective, you will be paired with a wordsmith who understands your industry’s nuances. As such, you can expect compelling and engaging content that is free from overpromising language or prohibited claims.
Ensure All Case Law and Sources Are Cited
As you can tell by the incident involving the Manhattan attorney, there is no room for error when citing case law and sources. While most AI platforms do not provide citations, human copywriters do. When you partner with a legal copywriting agency, you can expect eagle-eyed editors to carefully vet each citation and ensure it is a reputable and trustworthy source. This added layer of verification is designed to help preserve your brand reputation and protect your firm’s image.
Properly cited content also demonstrates your expertise to readers. Should your audience have questions or concerns about certain statistics or claims, they can easily access the links and verify the information themselves.
Need Quality Copy? Connect with the Wordsmiths at Write Collective
When it comes to generating legal website content, working with talented human copywriters is the best approach. By partnering with a dynamic team of wordsmiths, you can receive and publish engaging copy, knowing that all content was written with the end-user in mind and preserving your brand reputation.
If you want to work with copywriting pros that understand the nuances of the legal industry, Write Collective is the team for you. Our legal copywriting staff specializes in creating high-quality content for attorneys across all practice areas, including criminal defense, family law, and personal injury. Every piece of content is then carefully reviewed by our editing team and transformed into publish-ready copy that you can be proud of.
Explore our packages, and let Write Collective start creating compelling, captivating copy for your website today.