OpenAI Launches Astra for Law

On September 18, 2026, OpenAI unveiled Astra for Law, a specialized version of its GPT-6 model tailored for legal applications. Astra for Law successfully answered 54% of 200 legal questions in testing, outperforming the 38.7% success rate of standard GPT-6 using plain web searches. The model draws from a vast database, searching 230 million URLs to ensure comprehensive coverage of legal precedents.

Astra for Law leverages data from the Free Law Project, which covers 99.9% of published US legal precedents, enhancing its reliability for legal professionals. OpenAI has also launched 26 plugins for various legal tools, including those used by API customers like Harvey and Legora, enabling them to build on Astra's capabilities.

Law firms utilizing Astra for Law will benefit from a Trusted Access program, which includes privacy controls such as zero data retention. Competitors in the legal AI space, such as Anthropic, may need to adjust their strategies in response to OpenAI's entry into this market segment.