ROSS Intelligence

ROSS Intelligence was one of the earliest AI-powered legal research platforms, built on IBM Watson technology. It pioneered the concept of conversational legal research, allowing lawyers to ask questions in natural language and receive AI-generated answers with supporting case law. ROSS was widely covered in legal media and represented the first wave of AI disruption in legal research. The company shut down following a lawsuit with Thomson Reuters over alleged unauthorized use of Westlaw content for AI training. This case became a landmark dispute in the legal AI industry, raising important questions about training data rights and the boundaries of fair use in AI development. ROSS is included in this directory as a historical reference. Its rise and fall illustrates both the potential of AI in legal research and the legal and business challenges that early legal AI companies faced. Many of ROSS's former team members went on to contribute to other legal AI companies.