As anyone who has taught legal research knows, Boolean searching is a superpower. The ability to craft a precise query with terms and connectors is the difference between finding a needle in a haystack and finding nothing at all. But for newcomers, the syntax of ( ), !, /p, and /s can feel like learning a new language under pressure.

The Legal Boolean Search Builder is built directly on a process I’ve been teaching for a while now—an 8-step method designed to take the guesswork out of query construction. It moves from identifying key concepts, to brainstorming alternates, and finally to connecting them with the right syntax.

For years, I’ve shared this process in slide decks, but it’s always been static. I wanted to turn it into something dynamic—a tool that could handle the syntax so that researchers could focus on the strategy.

The Building Process: An Iterative Approach

I built this project using Gemini’s Canvas, and so it may look familiar to Gemini users. It uses HTML, Tailwind CSS for styling, and vanilla JavaScript for all the interactive logic. No complex frameworks, no dependencies—just a single file you can open in any browser. I then threw it into a github repo and imported to Replit so I could host it there.

This came together in a few hours, so I’m sure there are further tweaks and improvements I could make. I’m immensely grateful to Charlie Amiot and Debbie Ginsberg for their sharp insights and invaluable suggestions that took the tool from a basic concept to a polished, user-friendly application.

Finally, this project was significantly influenced by an amazing fillable PDF created by Dan Kimmons and Tara Mospan. Dan described his process for going from worksheet to fillable PDF in these very pages a few years ago.

How It Works: Key Features

The core idea is to break down the complex task of writing a Boolean query into manageable steps.

1. The Two-Column Layout

The user interface is split into two main sections. On the left, you build your concepts step-by-step. On the right, you see your search string come to life in real-time, along with a helpful review checklist. This instant feedback loop is key to the learning process.

2. Smart Suggestions for Phrases

One of the biggest hurdles for new researchers is knowing when to use an exact phrase search (e.g., "assumption of risk") versus a more flexible proximity search. The tool helps by automatically suggesting a proximity search, filtering out common stop words to focus on the core terms.

3. The Truncation Builder

Finding the correct word root for truncation can be tricky. Is it assum! or assump!? To solve this, I added a “Truncation Builder” modal. You can enter all the variations of a word you can think of, and the tool finds the common root, providing you with the most effective truncated term to copy and use.

Try It Yourself

This project was a fantastic experience in turning a teaching methodology into a living tool. The goal was never to replace the critical thinking that goes into legal research, but to remove the syntactic barriers that can get in the way.

You can try the tool out for yourself and view the source code on GitHub. I’d love to hear your feedback!