Cooley law firm has launched an AI platform built with Legora that helps startups analyze contracts and answer legal questions without hiring lawyers, targeting Y Combinator's summer batch first. The move reflects startups' early-stage need for affordable legal guidance—a problem highlighted by cases like Legora's CEO leaving his company exposed to major damages through early ChatGPT contracts—and suggests legal services are becoming standard for AI-backed tools, pushing law firms to reconsider their customer base.
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Cooley, a Palo Alto law firm, built an AI-powered platform with legal AI startup Legora that helps startups analyze nondisclosure agreements, contractor agreements, locate business forms, and answer legal questions about company documents. The platform will roll out first to Y Combinator's summer batch.
Why it matters
Startups often lack resources for legal counsel at early stages, and early legal mistakes can lead to major disputes—Legora's CEO Max Junestrand left early contracts with ChatGPT that exposed his company to huge potential damages. This platform extends legal aid to smaller businesses that wouldn't typically hire lawyers, suggesting legal services are becoming standard for anyone with access to AI and forcing lawyers to rethink who their customers are.
What to watch
Cooley frames the platform as extending its legal aid rather than replacing its 1,400 lawyers. Whether it can actually help startups avoid costly lawsuits remains to be seen, but it signals a shift in how legal services reach early-stage companies.
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