How to Write Better AI Prompts: 8 Tips for Lawyers from Greg Siskind

As legal professionals increasingly integrate AI tools like ChatGPT and Visalaw.ai into their practices, the ability to write clear, strategic prompts becomes essential. Whether you're drafting petitions, reviewing consultations, or researching legal pathways, better prompting means faster, more accurate results. In this post, Greg Siskind, co-founder of Visalaw.ai, shares his top AI prompting tips for lawyers looking to work smarter.

Whether you're working on a visa case or exploring other legal issues, these strategies will help you engage with AI more effectively:

1. Assign the AI a Role

Always tell the AI what role it should play. For example, you could say: “Act as an immigration lawyer advising a client on a J-1 waiver issue.” Giving the AI this kind of context helps it shape more relevant and accurate responses.

2. Be Specific About the Task

Avoid vague commands like “analyze this.” Instead, provide clear direction: “Summarize this client’s I-601A waiver consultation and list potential red flags.” The more specific you are, the more focused and useful the output will be.

3. Ask for Clarifying Questions

Before it generates a response, instruct the AI to ask clarifying questions if needed. This can significantly improve the accuracy of its answer and reduce misunderstandings or assumptions.

4. Include Formatting Instructions

Want a bulleted list? A checklist? A table? Tell the AI exactly how you'd like the information presented. It’s generally very good at following formatting instructions—if you include them.

5. Upload Documents Instead of Pasting

When possible, upload transcripts or long documents instead of pasting them into the prompt. Uploads help avoid hitting character limits and lead to cleaner, more efficient interactions.

6. Mention Known Resources

Reference any relevant laws, templates, memos, or internal style guides. Providing this context enables the AI to generate answers that align with your specific legal standards or preferred formats.

7. Avoid Vague or Overly Broad Prompts

Instead of saying “Tell me about immigration options,” narrow the prompt to a specific visa type or fact pattern. Focus leads to better, more tailored responses.

8. Iterate and Refine

Don’t be discouraged if the AI doesn’t get it right the first time. Think of it like working with a junior associate or paralegal: give feedback, ask for revisions, and experiment with different approaches to improve the output.

Using these tips can dramatically enhance how you work with AI—turning it from a novelty into a reliable tool for legal drafting, research, and more. Learn more about how immigration attorneys are using AI for real-time research with Visalaw.ai's Core platform and are saving hours with Drafts.

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