5 ChatGPT mistakes that undermine your results
A lawyer went from 'ChatGPT is useless' to 'I can't practice without it' when he stopped making these 5 mistakes.
Most lawyers are hindering their efforts to leverage AI.
They blame ChatGPT for "not being good enough for legal work." But the problem isn't the tool—it's how they're using it.
Here are the 5 biggest mistakes lawyers make (and how to fix them):
Mistake #1: Treating ChatGPT like Google
They type "draft a motion to dismiss" and expect perfection, then complain when they get generic garbage.
Of course it's generic. You gave it nothing to work with.
ChatGPT isn't a search engine. It's a reasoning engine. Feed it context for better results.
Mistake #2: They quit after one try
They ask once, get a mediocre answer, and declare "AI doesn't work for legal writing."
Wrong.
The best results come from conversation. Ask, refine, ask again. Just like working with a junior associate—except this one never gets tired or defensive.
Mistake #3: No context provided
They ask ChatGPT to "draft a demand letter" with zero detail:
No case type
No jurisdiction
No facts
No tone
Then they're shocked when it sounds like a law school essay.
ChatGPT can't read your mind. It doesn't know if you're in Texas or Tennessee, if it's a personal injury case or a contract dispute, or if you want it to be aggressive or diplomatic.
Tell it. Every detail matters.
Mistake #4: All-or-nothing thinking
Either AI does 100% of the work or it's "useless."
That's like calling GPS useless because it doesn't drive the car for you.
Use AI for the heavy lifting. You do the thinking. That's the sweet spot.
Mistake #5: No preparation
They dive into complex tasks with zero preparation:
No custom instructions
No examples
No style guide
Then they wonder why every draft needs heavy editing.
More upfrontinvestment yields better output—every time.
The transformation
One lawyer in my ChatGPT Lab went from "ChatGPT is marginally useful" to "I can't imagine practicing without it."
What changed? He stopped making these five mistakes.
Last week he said:
"I went from doubting it to using it daily."
The uncomfortable truth
ChatGPT isn't failing; lawyers are.
The lawyers getting incredible results aren't using different AI tools. They're using the same tools—correctly.
If you want to join lawyers who've figured this out, check out my ChatGPT Lab. We meet weekly to share what works.
;-)
Ernie
P.S. Ready to stop making these mistakes? Apply here to join the Lab.