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Smokeball Partners with Thomson Reuters for Enhanced Legal Research

Smokeball, recognized as a frontrunner in AI legal practice management software, has announced a significant upgrade to its services through its ongoing collaboration with Thomson Reuters. This latest integration involves the embedding of Westlaw Deep Research, a state-of-the-art legal research tool from Thomson Reuters, directly into Smokeball's Archie AI platform.

The integration, scheduled for later this month, aims to streamline the workflow for law firms by allowing them to access authoritative legal research reports right within the context of their ongoing cases. With this development, attorneys can pose legal research questions via Archie and receive structured reports that are not only comprehensive but also backed by proper citations. This innovative use of agentic AI in conjunction with Westlaw’s exhaustive database provides lawyers with the ability to plan and execute multi-step research effortlessly.

Enhancing Legal Workflow with AI

When legal practitioners inquire about client letters or briefings, Archie's advanced AI capabilities recognize the need for legal research. It first engages Westlaw Deep Research to compile relevant findings before generating a detailed report. Importantly, each step of the AI-driven analysis is visible to the user, and all citations link directly to Westlaw for verification. Additionally, these reports remain attached to the respective matters, providing firms with readily accessible historical data for future reference.

Hunter Steele, CEO and Co-founder of Smokeball, emphasized the importance of this seamless integration, stating, "Lawyers shouldn't have to waste time switching between the context of their matters and the authoritative research needed to advance them. With Westlaw Deep Research embedded in Archie, they can compile facts, documents, and activities pertinent to a client's case alongside trusted legal research—precisely where the work is being done. This provides firms with a robust starting point to substantiate strategies early on and formulate defensible arguments efficiently."

The partnership between Smokeball and Thomson Reuters was first announced in March of this year, aiming to create a more interconnected environment where legal practice and business operations converge. This most recent upgrade represents a crucial milestone, with further enhancements involving a CoCounsel Legal integration scheduled for early 2027.

Camillo Speroni, Head of Partnerships & Alliances at Thomson Reuters, commented on the collaboration's evolution: "When Thomson Reuters and Smokeball announced our partnership, we aimed to create a cohesive legal experience that merges business operations with practice realities. The integration of Westlaw Deep Research into Archie AI marks a paramount progression, blending reliable legal research with the daily workflows that lawyers leverage, all within Thomson Reuters' high standards of Fiduciary-Grade AI™. This is just a glimpse of our collaborative future."

About Smokeball

Operating from its base in Sydney and with offices in Chicago and London, Smokeball is a global leader in legal AI and practice management solutions, servicing over 7,000 law firms and 34,000 users worldwide. The platform embodies innovation with tools like Archie, an AI matter assistant, and a comprehensive library boasting over 20,000 automated legal forms that drastically cut drafting times by up to 87%. By automating essential tasks such as time tracking, document creation, and case management, Smokeball empowers legal professionals to focus on what truly matters—their clients and communities. Founded in 2012 by legal tech veterans Hunter Steele, Jane Oxley, and Bart Vadala, Smokeball sets the industry benchmark for modern legal practice.

For more detailed insights, visit Smokeball.com.