Judgement Citation Retrieval using Contextual Similarity

TL;DR

This paper presents an NLP and machine learning-based method for automating legal citation retrieval from case descriptions, significantly improving accuracy and efficiency in legal research.

Contribution

It introduces a novel approach combining textual embeddings with clustering and supervised retrieval for legal citations, achieving high accuracy on SCOTUS data.

Findings

Achieved 90.9% citation retrieval accuracy

Demonstrated effectiveness of embedding models in legal text analysis

Automated legal citation extraction reduces manual effort

Abstract

Traditionally in the domain of legal research, the retrieval of pertinent citations from intricate case descriptions has demanded manual effort and keyword-based search applications that mandate expertise in understanding legal jargon. Legal case descriptions hold pivotal information for legal professionals and researchers, necessitating more efficient and automated approaches. We propose a methodology that combines natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning techniques to enhance the organization and utilization of legal case descriptions. This approach revolves around the creation of textual embeddings with the help of state-of-art embedding models. Our methodology addresses two primary objectives: unsupervised clustering and supervised citation retrieval, both designed to automate the citation extraction process. Although the proposed methodology can be used for any dataset, we employed the Supreme Court of The United States (SCOTUS) dataset, yielding remarkable results. Our methodology achieved an impressive accuracy rate of 90.9%. By automating labor-intensive processes, we pave the way for a more efficient, time-saving, and accessible landscape in legal research, benefiting legal professionals, academics, and researchers.