# TCDLAi Prompt Design Guide

A six-move framework for structuring generative AI prompts in Texas criminal defense practice. The five uppercase letters build the draft. The lowercase **i** is where the lawyer stays a lawyer.

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## T — Target the legal issue

Frame the specific legal question for the AI. Be precise about the charge and the jurisdiction.

**Example prompts**
- "Analyze the elements of [specific charge] under Texas law."
- "Summarize the key defenses to [charge] in [county] court."
- "Identify the constitutional issues raised by [described police conduct]."

## C — Compile relevant facts and evidence

Give the AI the facts to organize and prioritize. Never let it add facts you did not provide.

**Example prompts**
- "List and rank the top five pieces of evidence in this fact pattern by likely impact."
- "Identify inconsistencies across the witness statements I paste below."
- "Build a timeline from these facts and flag any gaps."

## D — Define applicable laws and precedents

Point the AI to the statutes and precedents it must work from. This is where grounding happens.

**Example prompts**
- "Using only the statute text I paste, summarize the elements the State must prove."
- "From the opinion I provide, state the holding and the facts it turned on."
- "Identify what a landmark Texas case on [issue] would need to hold to help this client, then tell me to verify it." *(Do not accept invented citations.)*

## L — List potential defense strategies

Ask the AI to generate and explain possible approaches, each tied to a fact and a basis.

**Example prompts**
- "Generate three defense strategies for a case involving [charge and key facts]. Tie each to a supporting fact."
- "Compare the pros and cons of an alibi defense versus self-defense in this scenario."
- "List suppression theories supported by the facts I provided, and mark any that are not."

## A — Analyze and articulate arguments

Guide the AI to evaluate strategies and shape persuasive arguments.

**Example prompts**
- "Draft a compelling opening-statement outline based on the strongest defense angle identified."
- "Anticipate and counter the top three likely prosecution arguments."
- "Turn this defense theory into three cross-examination question sets."

## i — Inspect and improve the AI's results

Critically assess the output and refine. This step is the attorney's, and it is the one that protects you.

**Example prompts**
- "For each claim, quote the exact fact or source sentence that supports it, or mark it UNSUPPORTED."
- "Highlight any biases or assumptions in your analysis."
- "Identify where your answer lacks specificity or may be wrong on Texas law."

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### The verification rule

If you cannot pull the opinion or statute yourself from a real database, you do not have a citation. You have a hypothesis that still needs proof.
