How to Use Chrome Extension for Legal Research

Counsel Crest® Lite follows the "Work Where You Work™" philosophy - a suite of intelligent plugins and extensions that integrate with your existing tools (Word, Chrome, Gmail) rather than forcing you to adopt a new platform.

Time Required: 15 minutes | Difficulty: Beginner

What You'll Learn

• Installing and configuring the Counsel Crest Chrome extension for Counsel Crest®
• Saving cases and legal documents directly to Counsel Crest®
• Using AI-powered highlighting with AI Chat
• Creating research notes that sync with Counsel Crest®
• Organizing research into Counsel Crest® cases and knowledge folders
• One-click citation extraction and verification

Prerequisites

• Counsel Crest Counsel Crest® account (free or paid)
• Google Chrome browser (version 100+)
• 10-15 minutes for installation and setup

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Install the Chrome Extension

Open Chrome and navigate to the Chrome Web Store. Search for "Counsel Crest" or visit: chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/counsel-crest

Click "Add to Chrome", then "Add extension" in the confirmation dialog.

[Screenshot placeholder: Chrome Web Store showing Counsel Crest extension]

The Counsel Crest icon appears in your browser toolbar. If you don't see it, click the puzzle piece icon and pin it.

Counsel Crest® Integration: The extension is built specifically for Counsel Crest®'s architecture, syncing directly with your modern technology app via secure cloud synchronization.

Pro Tip: Pin the extension for quick access. Right-click the icon > "Pin" to keep it visible.

Step 2: Sign In and Connect to Counsel Crest®

Click the Counsel Crest icon. A popup appears prompting you to sign in to your Counsel Crest® account.

Enter your credentials. After authentication, the extension connects to your Counsel Crest® workspace at counselcrest.com/Counsel Crest®.

What Syncs:

• All cases from Counsel Crest®
• Knowledge Bases folders
• Notes and highlights
• AI Chat sessions
• Snippets library

[Screenshot placeholder: Extension sign-in with Counsel Crest® branding]

Counsel Crest® Advantage: Real-time sync via secure cloud infrastructure means anything you save in Chrome appears instantly in Counsel Crest®.

Pro Tip: Use the same account across devices. Your research syncs everywhere.

Step 3: Configure Extension Settings

Click the settings gear (⚙️) in the extension popup.

AI Model Selection:

• GPT-4 (best for complex analysis)
• Claude (excellent for long documents)
• Azure OpenAI (enterprise customers)
• AWS Bedrock (custom deployments)

These are the same AI providers available in Counsel Crest®'s AI Chat.

Default Save Location:

• Choose a default case or Knowledge Bases folder
• Or select "Ask each time"

Highlight Colors:

• Yellow: Key facts
• Green: Legal holdings
• Blue: Quotes for briefs
• Red: Action items

Auto-Features:

• Auto-summarize saved pages
• Auto-extract citations
• Auto-link to existing cases

[Screenshot placeholder: Extension settings with Counsel Crest® options]

Pro Tip: Start with "Ask each time" until you develop a workflow. Then set defaults.

Step 4: Save Your First Legal Case to Counsel Crest®

Navigate to a legal research site:

• CourtListener.com
• Google Scholar (Case Law)
• Federal/state court websites
• Legal blogs

Find a relevant case. Click the Counsel Crest icon and select:

• Save to Counsel Crest® Case: Links to an existing case
• Save to Knowledge Base: Adds to your library
• Save as PDF: Converts and stores

A dialog appears:

1. Title: Auto-populated case name
2. Destination: Select Counsel Crest® case or folder
3. Tags: Add tags for AI search
4. Notes: Quick context

[Screenshot placeholder: Save dialog with Counsel Crest® case selection]

Click "Save" and within seconds, the document appears in your Counsel Crest® workspace at /Counsel Crest®/cases/[id] or /Counsel Crest®/knowledge-base.

Counsel Crest® Integration: Saved documents are immediately indexed for search and available to the AI Chat.

Pro Tip: Always tag documents. Counsel Crest®'s AI search uses tags for better results.

Step 5: Use AI-Powered Highlighting with Chat Sidebar

As you read a case, select any important text. A popup toolbar appears:

• Highlight: Save with color coding
• Ask Chat: Send to Counsel Crest® chat sidebar
• Summarize: Get AI summary
• Add to Snippets: Save to snippets library (Notes include a Snippets section where all Chrome Extension captures are automatically synced)

Select "Highlight" and choose a color. The highlight saves to the document in Counsel Crest®.

NEW: Ask Chat Feature Select "Ask Chat" and the text is sent to Counsel Crest®'s AI Chat with context:

• "Explain this legal principle"
• "How does this apply to my case?"
• "Find similar holdings"

[Screenshot placeholder: Text selection with "Ask Chat" sending to Counsel Crest® chat sidebar]

Counsel Crest® Innovation: The extension doesn't have its own chat-it opens Counsel Crest®'s AI Chat in a new tab with your selection already loaded.

Pro Tip: Use consistent colors. Your Counsel Crest® workspace will show all highlights organized by color.

Step 6: Create Research Notes That Sync with Counsel Crest®

Right-click anywhere and select "Counsel Crest > Create Note" or press Ctrl+Shift+N (Cmd+Shift+N on Mac).

A note editor opens. Type your research notes with:

• Rich text formatting
• Markdown support
• Auto-linked source URL
• Date and case/folder tags

Counsel Crest® Sync: Notes save to Counsel Crest®'s notes table and appear at /Counsel Crest®/notes/[id]. They're immediately available in:

• The notes page
• Case notes tab
• Knowledge Bases
• AI search
• AI Chat context

[Screenshot placeholder: Note editor syncing to Counsel Crest®]

Counsel Crest® Advantage: Notes created in Chrome are full Counsel Crest® notes with chat sidebar access, not limited extension notes.

Pro Tip: Use Counsel Crest®'s note templates in the extension. Create templates at /Counsel Crest®/settings and they appear in the extension dropdown.

Step 7: Extract Citations and Verify Instantly

Click the Counsel Crest icon while viewing a legal opinion. Select "Extract Citations."

The extension (powered by Counsel Crest®'s AI) scans the document and identifies:

• All cited cases with Bluebook format
• Statutes and regulations
• Legal tests and standards

For each citation:

• View: Jump to citation in text
• Save to Counsel Crest®: Add to case or Knowledge Bases
• Verify: Check with Counsel Crest®'s citation verification system
• Ask Chat: Send to AI Chat for analysis

[Screenshot placeholder: Citation extraction sending results to Counsel Crest®]

Counsel Crest® Verification: When you click "Verify", the extension uses Counsel Crest®'s built-in citation verification (same system used in the main app):

• Searches legal databases (CourtListener, Google Scholar)
• Confirms case exists
• Checks if still good law
• Flags potential hallucinations

Pro Tip: Use "Save All Citations" to build a research folder in Counsel Crest® quickly.

Step 8: Access Counsel Crest® Integrated Chat from Extension

Click the chat icon in the extension popup to open Counsel Crest®'s AI Chat in a new tab.

Why This Matters: Instead of a limited extension chat, you get Counsel Crest®'s full-featured AI Chat with:

• Access to all case documents
• Persistent chat sessions
• Multiple AI providers
• Markdown rendering
• Chat history
• Context from your entire workspace

You can ask questions like:

• "Find research on qualified immunity"
• "Summarize cases I saved this week"
• "Compare Smith v. Jones with my current case"

[Screenshot placeholder: Extension opening Counsel Crest® chat sidebar]

Counsel Crest® Advantage: One AI system across the entire platform. No feature fragmentation.

Pro Tip: Keep a Counsel Crest® chat sidebar tab pinned in Chrome for instant AI access while researching.

Step 9: Use Counsel Crest® Snippets Library

Select useful text (legal quotes, code blocks, clauses) and click "Add to Snippets."

Snippets save to Counsel Crest®'s snippets system (available at /Counsel Crest®/notes with the snippets sidebar). Features:

• Categorized: Quote, code, clause, template
• Searchable: Find snippets via AI search
• Reusable: Insert into notes and documents
• Dismissible: Mark snippets as used or irrelevant

When writing in Counsel Crest®'s document editors, access your snippets sidebar to insert saved content.

[Screenshot placeholder: Snippet saved from extension appearing in Counsel Crest®]

Counsel Crest® Innovation: Snippets are a first-class feature in Counsel Crest®, not just an extension add-on.

Pro Tip: Build a snippets library (Notes include a Snippets section where all Chrome Extension captures are automatically synced) of your most-cited cases and frequently-used clauses.

Step 10: Organize Research with Counsel Crest® Collections

Click "Collections" in the extension. These sync with Counsel Crest®'s Knowledge Bases folders at /Counsel Crest®/knowledge-base.

Create collections by:

• Legal issue ("Qualified Immunity")
• Client matter ("Smith v. Johnson")
• Practice area ("Employment Law")
• Research topic ("2025 Updates")

Documents added to collections in Chrome appear in Counsel Crest®'s Knowledge Bases folder hierarchy.

[Screenshot placeholder: Collections syncing with Counsel Crest® Knowledge Bases]

Counsel Crest® Structure:

• Collections = Knowledge Bases folders
• Saved documents = Files in folders
• Highlights = Annotations in Counsel Crest®
• Notes = Full Counsel Crest® notes

Pro Tip: Create a "Read Later" collection for cases to review. Schedule time weekly to process at /Counsel Crest®/knowledge-base.

Step 11: Export Research to Counsel Crest®

After completing research, export everything to Counsel Crest® for use in briefs.

Click "Export" in the extension:

PDF Report:

• All saved cases with highlights
• Auto-generated in Counsel Crest®
• Available at case files tab

Citation List:

• Bluebook formatted
• Exported to Counsel Crest® note
• Ready for table of authorities

Research Memo:

• All notes and summaries
• Created as Counsel Crest® note
• Editable in document editor

[Screenshot placeholder: Export creating documents in Counsel Crest®]

Counsel Crest® Advantage: Exports aren't static files-they're live Counsel Crest® documents you can edit, share, and continue working on.

Pro Tip: Export research before drafting. Open the Counsel Crest® note and use the AI Chat for writing assistance.

Step 12: Use One-Click Save from Any Web Page

The extension's most powerful feature is Match Matter on IndianKanoon. Another killer feature: save any web page to Counsel Crest® with one click.

Reading an article, blog post, or news story relevant to a case? Click the Counsel Crest icon and "Quick Save."

The extension:

1. Captures full page content
2. Extracts text for Counsel Crest® indexing
3. Saves to your selected case/folder
4. Makes content available to chat sidebar
5. Adds source URL for reference

Later, in Counsel Crest®, use the chat sidebar to ask questions about saved web pages.

[Screenshot placeholder: Quick save from article to Counsel Crest® case]

Counsel Crest® Use Case: Researching jury verdicts, news about opposing counsel, legal analysis blogs-all saved and searchable in Counsel Crest®.

Pro Tip: Enable "Auto-summarize" in settings. Counsel Crest® generates summaries of saved pages automatically.

Counsel Crest® Chrome Extension Benefits

Why This Extension is Different:

Not a Standalone Tool: The extension is a front-end to Counsel Crest®, not a separate system. Everything syncs in real-time via secure cloud infrastructure.

AI Chat: Instead of limited extension AI, you get full Counsel Crest® AI Chat with complete workspace context.

True Sync: Save in Chrome, edit in Counsel Crest® desktop, view on mobile. Everything syncs via secure cloud synchronization.

Modern Stack: Built on the same modern technology foundation as Counsel Crest® for consistent experience.

Tips & Best Practices

1. Save Immediately: Don't bookmark tabs. Save to Counsel Crest® right away with proper tags.

2. Use "Ask Chat" Constantly: Selected confusing text? Click "Ask Chat" to get Counsel Crest®'s AI explanation instantly.

3. Tag Consistently: Use the same tags in Chrome and Counsel Crest® for seamless organization.

4. Leverage Snippets: Build a library of reusable content for faster brief writing.

5. Pin Counsel Crest® Chat Tab: Keep a Counsel Crest® chat sidebar tab open while researching for instant AI access.

6. Export Weekly: Export week's research to Counsel Crest® as organized notes for easy reference.

7. Review Highlights in Counsel Crest®: Open cases in Counsel Crest® and review all highlights with chat sidebar assistance.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• ❌ Not Tagging Saves: Untagged documents in Counsel Crest® are hard to find. Tag everything.

• ❌ Ignoring "Ask Chat": Don't just highlight-use "Ask Chat" to send text to Counsel Crest® AI for analysis.

• ❌ Saving Without Context: Add quick notes when saving. Future you will appreciate the context.

• ❌ Not Using Snippets: If you'll cite it again, save it to snippets. Don't re-search the same content.

• ❌ Skipping Citations: Use citation extraction. Manual citation finding wastes time.

• ❌ Not Syncing Settings: Log in on all devices to keep extension settings consistent.

What's Next with Counsel Crest®?

Explore more Counsel Crest® features:

• Gmail Add-on: Coming Q1 2025 - Will file emails to matters automatically
• Outlook Integration: /Counsel Crest®/outlook - NEW! Office 365 email filing
• Word Add-in: /Counsel Crest®/word - Access snippets and templates in Word
• Document Generation: Generate briefs from research with AI
• Team Collaboration: Share research collections with colleagues

Recommended Next Guides:

• How to Integrate Gmail with Counsel Crest® Case Management
• How to Use AI for Legal Research Without Hallucinations
• How to Automate Document Generation in Counsel Crest®

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Does the extension work with v1 or only Counsel Crest®? A: The extension is built specifically for Counsel Crest®. v1 is deprecated.

Q: Can I use the extension offline? A: Basic features (highlighting, note-taking) work offline and sync when you reconnect to Counsel Crest®.

Q: How does "Ask Chat" work? A: It opens Counsel Crest®'s AI Chat in a new tab with your selected text already loaded. Full AI context available.

Q: Where are highlights stored? A: In Counsel Crest®'s secure cloud storage, linked to the document. View at /Counsel Crest®/cases/[id] or /Counsel Crest®/knowledge-base.

Q: Can I share research saved via extension? A: Yes. Save to Counsel Crest® case or folder, then use Counsel Crest®'s sharing features to collaborate.

Q: Does the extension slow down Chrome? A: No. It's lightweight and only activates when you click the icon or select text.

Q: Can I customize the AI model used? A: Yes. Choose from GPT-4, Claude, Azure OpenAI, or Bedrock in extension settings. Same options as Counsel Crest®.

Q: How secure is the extension? A: Uses the same secure authentication and encryption as Counsel Crest®. All data encrypted in transit and at rest.

Q: Can multiple users share extension settings? A: Settings are per-account. Each Counsel Crest® user has their own extension configuration.

Q: Does the extension work on Firefox or Edge? A: Currently Chrome only. Firefox and Edge versions planned based on demand.

Conclusion

The Counsel Crest Chrome extension transforms web research into organized, AI-searchable content in Counsel Crest®.

What you've accomplished: ✅ Installed and configured the extension ✅ Connected to Counsel Crest® workspace ✅ Saved cases and documents with one click ✅ Used AI-powered highlighting and chat sidebar ✅ Created synced notes ✅ Extracted and verified citations ✅ Organized research into collections ✅ Exported to Counsel Crest® for brief writing

The Counsel Crest® Extension Advantage:

• Not a standalone tool-full integration with Counsel Crest®
• Real-time sync via secure cloud infrastructure
• AI Chat for AI assistance
• Snippets library for reusable content
• Modern tech stack (modern technology)

Action Item: Right now, find a case on Google Scholar, save it to Counsel Crest®, highlight a key passage, and click "Ask Chat." Experience the seamless workflow.

Welcome to effortless legal research with Counsel Crest®-capture knowledge in Chrome, organize and analyze in Counsel Crest®, all with AI assistance built-in.

Questions or need help? Visit /Counsel Crest®/help or email support@counselcrest.com.