OpenAI is taking its latest artificial intelligence model deeper into professional services with the launch of Astra for Law, a legal-focused version of GPT-6 Astra designed to help law firms handle research, document analysis, drafting and other complex legal workflows.
The company introduced the legal offering on Thursday, positioning it as an AI system that works alongside lawyers rather than replacing professional judgment. The initial rollout is limited to a small group of law firms through Trusted Access in ChatGPT and Codex.
Astra for Law combines GPT-6 Astra with specialised tools, settings and context tailored to legal work. OpenAI says the system can assist with tasks ranging from researching legal matters and analysing large volumes of documents to drafting materials, reviewing transactions and conducting deal due diligence.
The move reflects a broader shift in the AI industry as major technology companies increasingly target professional services where work often involves large document collections, specialised knowledge and repetitive research and drafting.
Rather than presenting Astra as a standalone chatbot, OpenAI is seeking to connect it with the systems and information law firms already use. The company has highlighted integrations with legal technology providers including Clio, DeepJudge, iManage, Intapp, Relativity and Thomson Reuters.
These integrations are intended to allow firms to bring their own documents, case information, precedents and established workflows into AI-assisted work while maintaining existing permissions and controls.
Data protection is also central to OpenAI’s pitch to the legal sector. The company says its legal products are designed around professional obligations such as client confidentiality and the independent judgment expected of lawyers. Its API offering includes zero data retention, while ChatGPT Enterprise provides an “eyes-off” human review posture by default, according to the company.
OpenAI’s legal push comes as competitors also expand their presence in the sector. Anthropic has introduced legal tools and integrations for Claude, including practice-focused plug-ins covering areas such as litigation, employment and commercial law.
The competition suggests that AI companies increasingly see law firms as an important market for advanced models, particularly as lawyers experiment with AI for research, drafting and document-heavy assignments.
For OpenAI, however, the larger objective appears to be embedding GPT-6 Astra into the professional infrastructure of law firms, where AI-generated output still has to operate within established procedures and remain subject to human legal judgment.
OpenAI separately describes GPT-6 Astra as a model designed for complex professional work, including multistep workflows and the production of documents, spreadsheets and presentations.
