Clearbrief

Clearbrief is legal drafting software that works in Word, tying claims to supporting evidence through clickable citations. It is best suited to litigators and legal teams handling document-heavy matters. Its combination of evidence checking and case-material assembly is useful, but the Solo plan’s $300/user/mo starting price sets a high bar for individual buyers.

Overview

Rather than serving as a general-purpose writing assistant, Clearbrief focuses on legal work grounded in source documents. Users can check claims, locate evidence, and carry that evidence into linked citations, while separate tools help organize facts for litigation. The company was founded by Jacqueline Schafer in 2020 and is headquartered in Seattle.

Key features

Drafting and evidence checking

Analyze and Add Fact-Cite help verify claims and find supporting material in source documents. Clickable citations connect a statement to its evidence, making the record easier to trace while reviewing legal writing. This focus is valuable when accuracy and support matter; it is less relevant for teams that do not draft against documentary evidence.

Assembling case materials

Table Builder, timelines, and summaries help extract and arrange facts from document sets. Clearbrief also offers AI-generated investigation reports with hyperlinked citations, Tables of Authorities, exhibits, and hyperlinked filings. These tools extend the product beyond drafting into trial preparation, particularly for litigation workflows.

Integrations and controls

Clearbrief describes integrations with LexisNexis, Fastcase vLex, Clio, iManage, Relativity, and PACER. Bring Your Own Storage lets organizations keep documents in their own cloud. Clearbrief says customers control whether and how generative AI is used, customer data is never used to train large language models, and the product is SOC 2 Type 2 certified. Those controls may matter to organizations assessing how sensitive legal documents are handled.

Pricing

Clearbrief has a free Law Students plan for law students. It offers a no-cost way into the product for that audience, but it is not a general free plan for legal professionals. A free trial is also available.

Solo costs $300/user/mo, billed monthly per user; multi-year agreements may have lower pricing. This is aimed at individual practitioners who need paid access, but the per-user monthly cost is substantial. Enterprise Unlimited uses custom pricing, offers volume discounts, and includes 1:1 training for responsible AI use, making it the organizational option rather than a transparent-price alternative for solo buyers.

Platforms

Clearbrief supports web and Windows. Its Windows MSI installer launches the add-in from Microsoft Word, aligning the product with legal drafting in Word; readers seeking a mobile app should look elsewhere.

Who it's for

Clearbrief says it serves litigators, in-house legal teams, courts, government agencies, arbitrators, and boutique firms. It is most compelling for people who routinely need to connect written arguments to source evidence or turn document sets into case materials. Teams that do not work with legal documents are unlikely to benefit from its specialized focus.

Pros and cons

• Evidence-linked drafting: clickable citations and fact-checking tools connect claims to supporting source material.
• Litigation preparation tools: tables, timelines, summaries, reports, exhibits, and filings support work beyond drafting.
• Organizational controls: BYO storage, AI-use controls, and the stated security and data-training policies address document handling concerns.
• High paid entry price: Solo starts at $300/user/mo, which may be difficult to justify for an individual with occasional legal drafting needs.
• Narrow specialization: the feature set centers on legal writing and case documents, not general writing tasks.

Alternatives

Consider Harvey if you want a paid legal AI product with Android, iOS, web, API, and extension platforms; its price requires a demo request. LegitQuest is another freemium option with web and API access; its Plus (SMEs) plan is 40,000 INR per year, billed yearly or half-yearly, and includes fewer than five IDs, five keyword suggestion alerts, and 1,200 AI chats annually. Choose Robin AI if its extension and web platforms better suit your workflow; it is paid and has a free plan and trial.

DocJuris may suit buyers looking for a paid platform with an annual fee sized to contract volume and enabled apps, unlimited users, and 25+ standard apps, agents, and enterprise integrations. OpusLaw offers a freemium web alternative, with Carta Actus at $9.99 a month for 300 messages per month, 10 TTS uses per month, seven Practice Hub tools, and email support; Carta Corpus is $29.99 a month. Consider Vincent by Clio if Android or iOS access is a priority.

Alice is a paid alternative with a free trial and a Core plan at €85 a month per user, billed monthly or yearly, with a 15% yearly discount shown and unlimited cases. Judicio may fit users looking for a professional plan with 5,000 credits per month, one seat, and 10,000 free upload pages per month before usage costs apply; it has a free trial but no free plan. Browse Legal AI Software for more options.

Verdict

Clearbrief is a strong fit for litigation-focused legal professionals who need drafting tied closely to evidence and tools for assembling case materials. Its evidence links, document-set workflows, and organizational controls make a clear case for teams with that work. Look elsewhere if you need a general-purpose writing assistant, mobile access, or a lower-cost paid plan.