As technology continues to evolve, user expectations and the broader technological landscape are increasingly becoming shaped by AI and automation amongst other advancements. In response, legislatures are beginning to explore how these technologies might factor into their long-term planning – for consumption of their content, as a potential tool, and potential risks. One approach is our approach to structured authoring in Microsoft Word, which promotes interoperability, flexibility, and more streamlined workflows across legislatures.
For legislative drafting attorneys, efficiency and accuracy are paramount. Traditionally, drafting attorneys navigate multiple platforms – tracking legislative requests, conducting legal research, and drafting statutory language – before ultimately compiling everything into Microsoft Word. This fragmented workflow can lead to inefficiencies and inconsistencies.
However, by bridging gaps in current workflows, bringing separate but related tasks into the same environment, and one already familiar to legislative drafting attorneys, the drafting process can become more seamless than ever and enable drafting attorneys to focus on the quality of the bills they are creating.
Bridging the Gap Between Research and Drafting
Drafting attorneys often switch between numerous applications and databases, searching for relevant statutes, past legislation, and reference materials. Some attorneys rely on memory, but for many, manually tracking down citations and cross-referencing multiple sources is time-consuming, prone to error, and may result in loss of focus.
The integration of a legal research feature in an existing legislative drafting workflow would enable legislative drafting attorneys to:
- Browse consolidated statutes, bills, resolutions, and legislative documents from both current and past sessions
- Conduct advanced searches across multiple parameters to surface the most relevant data quickly
- Pull statutory text directly into draft documents without switching between applications
- Create new statutory sections within the research tool, visualizing them in the context of existing law
Some key considerations for this include:
- Developing a web-based application, accessible online or directly within the current platform
- Seamless linking to legislative request management tools and drafting components
- Creating a one-stop shop for research, statute integration, and new law creation
By bridging gaps in current workflows . . . the drafting process can become more seamless than ever and enable drafting attorneys to focus on the quality of the bills they are creating.
Advanced Browsing and Search Capabilities
A legal research tool should introduce a comprehensive law browsing feature – one that will enable users to navigate statutory content by subject area, drill down to specific sections, and compile relevant legal text in an organized manner.
For those who prefer targeted searches, advanced search functions enable users to refine results by keyword, legislative session, subject, and committee. AI-assisted search capabilities could further support attorneys in quickly locating relevant legal materials, improving the accuracy and efficiency of their work.
With a research tool that incorporates the above, drafting attorneys could instantly pull up bills related to their subject matter instead of manually sifting through archives. This ensures comprehensive legal analysis and minimizes conflicts with existing statutes.
Seamless Statute Integration and Drafting
The ability to import statutory sections directly into your drafting platform is also a key consideration. Traditionally, drafting attorneys must exit their research application, locate necessary statutes again within drafting tools, and manually insert them into their documents.
However, by integrating research into the drafting environment, the process could be streamlined. This would give attorneys the ability to import sections into their draft with a single click, reducing redundancy and improving drafting efficiency.
Additionally, implementing a tool that allows for new statute creation, would enable drafting attorneys to insert proposed statutory sections into the existing legal framework. Furthermore, with real-time contextual visualization, attorneys could see exactly where new laws fit. This would ensure coherence and compliance with broader legislative structures.
Enhancing Legislative Workflows with AI and Automation
Utilizing tools like AI and automation to support staff with the drafting and research process can also provide drafting attorneys with the tools to enhance the quality of bill drafts:
- AI-assisted recommendations could provide related statutes, previous legislative attempts, and contextual insights, supporting drafters with making informed decisions
- Automated citation tracking could ensure accuracy in referencing statutes and legal precedents
- Machine learning-based text analysis could help with identifying patterns in past legislation, improving predictive drafting and reducing inconsistencies
A Unified Ecosystem for Legislative Drafting
The use of one central drafting and research platform ensures that legislative professionals can do more within a single interface. With prior innovations streamlining publication processes, a legal research tool integrates one of the most critical components of law-making – legal analysis – directly into the drafting environment.
For drafting attorneys, this would mean fewer disruptions, reduced manual effort, and a more transparent, integrated drafting experience. The ability to save research sessions, store legislative materials, and pull statutory text directly into drafts would also significantly enhance workflow efficiency and accuracy.
One tool that can do this is a Microsoft Word-integrated solution, like Propylon’s LWB 360® platform.
Looking Ahead: The Future of Legislative Drafting
Propylon’s LWB 360 legal research tool represents just the beginning of a broader movement to modernize legislative processes. As technology continues to advance, the goal remains clear: to create a more efficient, transparent, and accurate drafting experience, allowing attorneys to focus on what they do best – creating the laws that shape society.
By embracing Microsoft Word as a hub for legislative drafting and integrating research tools, legislatures can streamline operations, reduce errors, and improve the overall quality of law-making.
The future of legislative drafting is here, and it’s smarter, faster, and more connected than ever.
