Bench & Bar January/February 2026

Anyone can access and use the free version of Descrybe. There’s no sign in. You don’t have to provide your name or email. You just plug in an inquiry and away you go. NEW DEVELOPMENTS Kara and Richard, have recently added some important new features. First and perhaps foremost, Richard empha sized that unlike many legal research tools, Descrybe does not call a public LLM like ChatGPT to respond to inquiries. Rather it responds to inquiries without leaving the platform in any way. That’s important since it reduces the risks of hallucinations and inaccuracies and keeps data secure. Secondly, as set out above, Descrybe now offers a paid version with a more robust set of features. The paid version is $10 per month for personal users and $20 per month for commercial users. And in keeping with the goal of making the tool affordable, it’s month to month, no long term subscription required. But not to worry, the free version still packs a wallop. You get the natural language query tool, the case law research, the translations into Spanish and importantly the translation into simplified English instead of legalese. Says Kara, “we are still committed to having base search available to everyone.” That’s no small feat in an industry where “affordable” can mean upwards of $500 per month per user with long term subscriptions. Next, Descrybe is in the process of adding statutes and regs to the tool for research purposes; it’s already up and running for some states like New York, California, Flor ida, Texas and Arizona. Finally, the newer version also includes a unique approach to legal citation tools. Descrybe’s citator provides an analysis of relevant legal issues and includes a feature that allows researchers to see not only how later courts interpreted a case but also how the judges who wrote the original opinion cited and treated earlier authorities. FREE OR ALMOST FREE The goal of Descrybe was pretty well summed by Kara this way, “Our products

are powerful, built on top technology, yet remain affordable and easy to use.” It can’t be emphasized enough: Descrybe is trying to position itself as a valid legal research engine at an affordable (or even free) price point. If it does what Kara and Rich say, if it doesn’t completely level the playing field between the large “haves” in the legal world and the smaller “have nots,” it certainly tilts it toward a fairer one. In the age of overpromised, overhyped and costly legal AI tools, it’s a refreshing change. Time will tell if Descrybe can deliver on its promises, but for cash-strapped practi tioners, it's certainly worth a look. *An unedited version of this article was originally published by the American Bar Association’s Law Practice Division’s Legal Tech blog, Law Technology Today. It can be found by accessing https://www. americanbar.org/groups/law_practice/ resources/law-technology-today/2025/ affordable-ai-tool-for-solo-and-small-firms/

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

STEPHEN EMBRY is a frequent speaker, blogger and writer. He is publisher of TechLaw Cross

roads, a blog devoted to the examination of the tension between technology, the law and the practice of law. He is also co-author of a book entitled, “Mass Tort Claims Resolution Facilities,” and the 2017 and 2016 editions of the American Bar Association’s “TechReports.” Formerly a member of Frost Brown Todd LLC and the firm's class action, privacy and mass tort groups, he is a national litigator and advisor who is experienced in developing solutions to complex litigation and corpo rate problems. He now practices with his own firm, embryLaw LLC, and serves as co-chair of the Kentucky Bar Association’s Law Practice Committee.

27 bench & bar