The Contract Policy Compliance skill allows lawyers to quickly identify clauses that do not comply with their policies, meaning their model terms or favorite provisions. In this situation, CoCounsel Core reads files word-for-word to redline contracts and agreements.
A. How the AI works
Select a contract or agreement, request redlines, and provide your policies. CoCounsel then reads every word of the files to identify differences between the existing clauses and your policies, and then suggest redlines that bring the current clause into compliance with your policies.
1. Select files
At the bottom of the chat, select "⊕ Upload" and then use any of these options to select files: "Files from your database," "Recent files," or "Upload from your computer." How do I add files to the chat in CoCounsel Core?
2. Request redlines
CoCounsel confirms the selected files. Request redlines by entering the policies you want CoCounsel to ensure are present in the existing clause while it is reading the contracts, then press Enter on your keyboard or select the send button in the chat.
3. Confirm the redlines
CoCounsel interprets your request and the gray, pill-shaped label confirms the use of the Contract Policy Compliance skill. Edit the text of the policies, delete policies, add policies, or select policies from favorites. How can I use favorites? Cancel the request or select "Submit request."
4. CoCounsel begins redlining
CoCounsel shows its progress and confirms the files and policies being used for the redline. Select "Email me when complete" to be notified when your results are ready. You may also cancel your request, or select "View results" to watch CoCounsel work.
5. Navigate and verify the results.
When the results are ready, click "View results."
The results include a short memo table providing redlines for every policy for every contract. Each memo contains:
A restatement of the policy
A list of any clauses that are relevant to the policy
An explanation of the differences between the existing clause of the contract and the policy
A suggested redline to bring the existing clauses into compliance with the policy
A clean version of the new clause to copy and paste if all suggested redlines have been approved
6. Use the results
Download or copy the results.
There are multiple download options.
Download Redlined Docs
The original Word document of the contract with tracked changes relevant to the suggested redlines. The differences are included as a comment to provide rationale for the change.
Download Redlined Docs is available when the original file format is .docx.
Word Document
A restatement of all of the information in the results.
Excel Spreadsheet
A tab for every contract for every policy.
Click to enlarge
A "Combined Output" tab with all results in one table.
Click to enlarge
B. Tips and samples
1. Tips
Overall
CoCounsel understands nuance, humor, and implied references. This means CoCounsel finds information and references that traditional search engines cannot. The best requests are specific, clear, precise, and concise.
Be specific and clear
Use narrow, specific questions.
It is better to ask multiple, narrow questions rather than a single, broad question.
Broad: What was the Planned Parenthood case about? Better: What were the elements of the court’s reasoning in Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992)? |
CoCounsel may try to “help” by omitting additional information to focus on one part of a longer, complex, overbroad question.
Be precise and concise
Avoid using vague or ambiguous language, like passive voice.
Spell out legal terms a law student might not know.
Grammatical and spelling errors in a question can be misinterpreted.
Passive voice: Where the defense was sided with by the court. Active voice: Where the court sided with the defense. |
Wordy: Cases where there was a minor who was the plaintiff, and who was also under the age of 14 at the time of the alleged events that the court was considering. Better: Cases with a minor plaintiff under the age of 14. |
2. Samples
Use these samples as a starting point for your work with CoCounsel.
Requests
All agreements should include a governing law provision that specifies that the agreement is governed by Georgia law and that the Federal or state courts situated in Fulton County, Georgia have exclusive jurisdiction over the resolution of all disputes that arise under the agreement. |
Provide a policy instead of negative prompts ("find clauses that do not comply with...")
The contract must comply with the following statutory notification requirement: Section 33-15-44: Notification Requirement for Contract Renewals (a) Contracts with an automatic renewal period exceeding one month must clearly indicate the renewal clause in boldface type near the signature line. (b) Providers must notify the signatory at least 30 days before renewal, detailing the renewal’s terms and the opt-out procedure. (c) Noncompliance renders the renewal clause void, and the contract non-renewing. (d) Violation incurs a fine not exceeding $500 per occurrence. |
Provide the statute instead of generic references to legal authority ("The contract must comply with all statutory, regulatory, and case law in [jurisdiction]")
I need to analyze the school district employee manual to ensure that the existing terms comply with the following policies set by the school committee: -No employee may take paid personal leave before or after school breaks. -All retirement contributions of any percentage will now receive a 5% match. -Pay for all educators, licensed and unlicensed, will increase 2.5% annually. -Contracts must be renewed by June 1 for the following year. |
Please redline this MNDA to make sure that: 1. Information communicated orally shall be considered Confidential Information if such information is confirmed as "Confidential" in writing within a reasonable timeframe following the oral disclosure. |
Could you redline this lease to ensure that: Subletting is prohibited Any notice of termination must be 6 months prior to renewal All lease notices must be via email |
Refinements
Here in the chat, provide a narrative overview of the redlines needed from the Contract Policy Compliance results above. |
Please use the Contract Policy Compliance results above to draft a short inter-office memo that provides an overview. It's to my boss, Dr. Clarice Starling. Use a formal tone. |
Could you tell me everything you learned about the contract titled "MSA-EMEA" in the above CPC "Response"? |
Analyze the contract again, but please complete redlines with these new policies: |
Please use your Summarize skill to provide a brief summary of the .word file you just analyzed. |
Could you provide a timeline of the events in the contract you just analyzed? |
C. Limitations
1. Input limits
File types
.doc, .docx, .eml, .msg, .pdf, .txt, .zip
Files within a .zip folder must comply with file size and type limitations.
Download Redlined Docs is available when the original file format is .docx.
File size and amount
Generally, there can be a tradeoff between the size of files and the amount of files. For example, CoCounsel may be able to work with many smaller files in the same time as a few larger files. Expect to wait longer for requests with larger files or more files. CoCounsel will provide an estimated time to complete the work.
File size
500 MB .pdfs
20 MB text files
File Amount
~10 files
If a file is rejected for size, split the file into multiple, smaller files.
Upload in batches of ~100 files
Compare and contrast files
CoCounsel reviews each file on its own. This means CoCounsel cannot complete requests that require CoCounsel to compare or contrast information from separate files.
✨ Use the clauses of one contract as policies used to redline other contracts
Handwriting
Generally, if a human can read handwritten text, then CoCounsel should be able to read it, too. This means CoCounsel’s ability to read handwritten text can vary, depending on legibility.
Policies
Ideal: 5 or fewer
Max: ~30 policies
Text passages
The source of CoCounsel's Contract Policy Compliance skill cannot be text pasted into the chat. It must be a file.
2. Output limits
There is no limit to the relevant redlines that can be offered.
Answers do not contain independent legal research. To focus the results on a particular legal provision, provide it in the prompt.
Download Redlined Docs is available when the original file format is .docx.