Legal AI Intelligence

Best AI Models for Legal Work

Rankings by a 0–100 composite across 6 weighted capabilities for legal work. Source: Artificial Analysis Legal Index.

22 models evaluated · Last updated September 7, 2026

Current Top Performers

#	Model	Maker	Legal Index
1	Claude Fable 5.1 (max with fallback)	Anthropic	63
2	Claude Fable 5 (with fallback)	Anthropic	60
3	Claude Opus 5 (max)	Anthropic	60
4	GPT-6 Astra (max)	OpenAI	60
5	Gemini 3.8 Flash (high)	Google	55

Scores are Artificial Analysis's published composite across 6 weighted capabilities; we do not recompute them. Maximum possible score: 100. Source: Artificial Analysis Legal Index as of September 7, 2026.

What the Legal Index Measures

Artificial Analysis combines 6 weighted capabilities into one published Legal Index score:

Legal Knowledge — 35%

Domain-specific knowledge across legal subjects, measured with Artificial Analysis's law-focused knowledge evaluation.

Agentic Knowledge Work — 25%

Completing complex, multi-step professional knowledge tasks such as research, analysis, and drafting.

Reasoning — 15%

Applying evidence and rules to difficult problems that require structured, multi-step reasoning.

Long-Context — 10%

Finding, retaining, and reasoning over relevant information in lengthy documents and records.

Non-Hallucination — 10%

Avoiding unsupported claims when the model lacks sufficient knowledge or evidence.

Agentic Customer Interaction — 5%

Handling multi-turn, client-facing workflows while following instructions and completing the requested task.

Why This Matters for Your Firm

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Not all AI is equal for legal work

General benchmark rankings (coding, math) don't predict legal performance. A model that tops HumanEval may underperform on contract analysis or bar exam tasks.

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Use case determines the right model

Drafting intake emails, analyzing contracts, and answering legal research questions each favor different model strengths. The leaderboard helps identify the right tool for each task.

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Rankings change fast

New models release monthly. A model that was best-in-class 6 months ago may have been surpassed. Check the Artificial Analysis Legal Index regularly or talk to us about AI implementation for your firm.