Topic Modelling Case Law Using a Large Language Model and a New Taxonomy for UK Law: AI Insights into Summary Judgment

42 Pages Posted: 21 May 2024 Last revised: 28 May 2024

See all articles by Holli Sargeant

Holli Sargeant

University of Cambridge, Faculty of Law

Ahmed Izzidien

University of Cambridge

Felix Steffek

University of Cambridge - Faculty of Law

Date Written: May 21, 2024

Abstract

This paper addresses a critical gap in legal analytics by developing and applying a novel taxonomy for topic modelling summary judgment cases in the United Kingdom. Using a curated dataset of summary judgment cases, we use the Large Language Model Claude 3 Opus to explore functional topics and trends. We find that Claude 3 Opus correctly classified the topic with an accuracy of 87.10%. The analysis reveals distinct patterns in the application of summary judgments across various legal domains. As case law in the United Kingdom is not originally labelled with keywords or a topic filtering option, the findings not only refine our understanding of the thematic underpinnings of summary judgments but also illustrate the potential of combining traditional and AI-driven approaches in legal classification. Therefore, this paper provides a new and general taxonomy for UK law. The implications of this work serve as a foundation for further research and policy discussions in the field of judicial administration and computational legal research methodologies.

Keywords: UK Case Law, Computational Law, Summary Judgment, Large Language Models (LLMs), Legal Taxonomy

JEL Classification: K41, C45

Suggested Citation

Sargeant, Holli and Izzidien, Ahmed and Steffek, Felix, Topic Modelling Case Law Using a Large Language Model and a New Taxonomy for UK Law: AI Insights into Summary Judgment (May 21, 2024). University of Cambridge Faculty of Law Research Paper No. 21/2024, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4836558 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4836558

Holli Sargeant

University of Cambridge, Faculty of Law ( email )

Ahmed Izzidien

University of Cambridge ( email )

10 West Road
Cambridge, CB3 9DZ
United Kingdom

Felix Steffek (Contact Author)

University of Cambridge - Faculty of Law ( email )

10 West Road
Cambridge, CB3 9DZ
United Kingdom

HOME PAGE: http://www.law.cam.ac.uk/people/academic/f-steffek/6136

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