Legal Research Overview

import Casedev from 'casedev';

const client = new Casedev({ apiKey: process.env.CASEDEV_API_KEY });

// Search for cases on a topic
const results = await client.legal.find({
  query: 'qualified immunity excessive force',
  jurisdiction: 'us-federal',
});

console.log(`Found ${results.found} cases`);
for (const candidate of results.candidates) {
  console.log(`${candidate.title}: ${candidate.url}`);
}

// Find similar cases to expand research
const similar = await client.legal.similar({
  url: results.candidates[0].url,
  numResults: 5
});

// Verify a citation before citing it
const verification = await client.legal.verify({
  text: '531 U.S. 98'
});

if (verification.summary.verified > 0) {
  const citation = verification.citations[0];
  console.log(`Verified: ${citation.case.name}`);  // "Bush v. Gore"
}

// Get full document text
const doc = await client.legal.fullText({
  url: 'https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/118365/bush-v-gore/',
  highlightQuery: 'equal protection'
});

async function researchWithVerification(topic: string) {
  // 1. Deep search with multiple query variations
  const research = await client.legal.research({
    query: topic,
    additionalQueries: [
      `${topic} Supreme Court`,
      `${topic} leading case`,
    ],
    numResults: 15
  });

  // 2. Verify each candidate before presenting to user
  const verified = [];
  for (const candidate of research.candidates) {
    const result = await client.legal.verify({ text: candidate.title });
    if (result.summary.verified > 0) {
      verified.push({
        ...candidate,
        citation: result.citations[0]
      });
    }
  }

  // 3. Expand research with similar cases
  if (verified.length > 0) {
    const similar = await client.legal.similar({
      url: verified[0].url,
      numResults: 5
    });
    return { primary: verified, related: similar.similarSources };
  }

  return { primary: verified, related: [] };
}