A brief to counsel, and an assistant that reads it

What goes in a brief to counsel

1. Backsheet: the parties, the court and file number, the instructing solicitor and counsel’s name.
2. Instructions: what counsel is asked to do (advise, draft, appear) and any deadline or hearing date.
3. Summary of the matter: the facts, the history of the proceedings and the issues as the solicitor sees them.
4. Index of documents: pleadings, orders, affidavits, expert reports and correspondence, in a logical order.
5. The documents: paginated, so counsel can refer to a page precisely.
6. Fee arrangements: the costs agreement or disclosure.

How to brief a barrister well

• Be specific about the task. "Advise on prospects" and "settle the defence" are different jobs.
• Give the deadline and the reason for it.
• Flag the documents that matter most, rather than leaving counsel to find them.
• Tell counsel what the client wants and what the client fears.

Briefs in Barrister AI

Upload the brief. Briefs maps the matter from its documents, answers questions from them with references back to the page, and drafts from them. It works alongside Barrister AI’s Australian case law and legislation, so an answer can draw on both the brief and the authorities.

Frequently asked questions