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OpenAI Launches Astra for Law for Legal Industry
Confirmed
In Short: OpenAI has launched Astra for Law, a legal-specific version of its GPT-6 Astra model, designed to support lawyers and legal tech firms.
OpenAI has launched Astra for Law, a legal-specific version of its GPT-6 Astra model, designed to support lawyers and legal tech firms. Initially, it will be offered to selected firms through Trusted Access in ChatGPT and Codex, with API access coming soon.
Astra for Law pairs GPT-6 Astra with instructions for legal analysis and writing, settings for thorough work, and a new Legal Search Index. The tool aims to improve legal research and analysis by finding more relevant cases and providing more comprehensive answers.
According to OpenAI, Astra for Law found 24% more reference cases and retrieved 54% more relevant passages from correct court opinions compared to GPT-6 Astra using web search alone. It also showed a 40% improvement in correctness.
The initial target market for Astra for Law includes Am Law 200 firms and legal tech vendors, with plans to expand access over time. OpenAI has been working with early adopter firms to adapt ChatGPT Enterprise with custom interfaces and integrations to proprietary data.
OpenAI has also launched 26 partner-built plugins and 47 community plugins for legal work in ChatGPT. These plugins give firms skills they can adapt and extend, and include tools from providers such as Thomson Reuters, Intapp, Harvey, Legora, DeepJudge, and iManage.
OpenAI has long collaborated with the Free Law Project, making its caselaw collection available through the platform. This collaboration aims to enhance legal research and analysis.
Astra for Law is designed to be used by law firms and legal technology companies to build AI products and workflows. It will initially be offered to selected firms through Trusted Access in ChatGPT and Codex, with API access coming soon.
OpenAI is working with Latham & Watkins to design for information permissions, ethical walls, client instructions, and firm oversight. This collaboration aims to ensure that Astra for Law meets the high standards of the legal industry.
Sullivan & Cromwell, Ropes & Gray, Skadden, and Cooley have already developed firm-specific legal tools with OpenAI. These tools are designed to support the expertise and judgment of lawyers and legal technology firms.
Astra for Law brings legal research and analysis closer to being conducted under one hood, making the process more effective and efficient. This is an important development for the legal industry, as it aims to improve the accuracy and efficiency of legal work.
OpenAI’s engineers have been working with early adopter firms to adapt ChatGPT Enterprise with custom interfaces and integrations to proprietary data. This collaboration aims to ensure that Astra for Law meets the specific needs of the legal industry.
What's confirmed
- On case-law-focused questions, Astra for Law found 24% more reference cases than GPT‑6 Astra using web search alone at the highest reasoning effort.
- Astra for Law combines GPT-6 Astra with settings, tools, and context tailored for professional legal work.
What's still developing
- Initially it’s understood that OpenAI had been looking at rolling out its legal vertical capability as part of Codex, but it seems that between the start of this year and now it’s taken a branding shift, as so often happens.
- Legal research often begins with finding the exact right authority, locating the relevant passages, and understanding how relevant and binding they are to the situation at hand.
- We’ll maintain the legal configuration so builders can focus on their own products and workflows.
- We’ll build the next chapter of Astra for Law alongside the lawyers and legal technology partners who put it into practice.’ And here’s a video about Astra for Law.
- Related information Show News Legal Technology Follow OpenAI Launches Legal-Specific Configuration of GPT-6 Astra, Its Latest LLM The company said Astra for Law is target at Am Law 200 firms and legal tech vendors, and provided details on its co-development partnerships with Sullivan & Cromwell, Ropes & Gray, Skadden and Cooley. 6 minute read September 17, 2026 at 04:00 PM By Benjamin Joyner What You Need to Know OpenAI announced Thursday the launch of Astra for Law, a configuration of the company's latest large language model (LLM), GPT-6 Astra, designed specifically for legal work.
- Email Share Font Size Small Medium Large Print Credit: doomu/Adobe Stock This article has been updated with additional information on OpenAI's legal tech integrations OpenAI announced Thursday the launch of Astra for Law, a configuration of the company's latest large language model (LLM), GPT-6 Astra, designed specifically for legal work.
- OpenAI Launches Legal-Specific Configuration of GPT-6 Astra, Its Latest LLM | Law.com Skip to content Law.com Products & Resources Law.com Compass Radar VerdictSearch Scholar China Law & Practice CLE Center Search Ask a Question Tools Back to menu Tools Law.com Compass Law.com Radar Verdict Search Scholar.
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- The new offering, which is embedded into the company’s latest model, GPT-6 Astra, is tuned for precise and thorough work, OpenAI said, with context tailored for legal work.
- Thomson Reuters is bringing HighQ matter context into ChatGPT and previewing a forthcoming CoCounsel Legal connector.
- “We were grateful to preview early versions of Astra for Law, which were built with legal use-cases in mind,” said Savva.
- In a major announcement involving players from across the legal tech ecosystem, OpenAI today (17 September) unveils Astra for Law – it’s most powerful large language model to date configured into a new foundation for law firms and legal technology companies to build on.