Legal Document Review
Review legal documents (NDA, contracts, agreements) for sensitive clauses, risks, and red flags
Legal Document Review
Analyze legal documents for sensitive clauses, risks, unfavorable terms, and red flags. Provides structured review with risk assessment and recommendations.
When to use
- User asks to review an NDA, contract, or legal agreement
- User wants to find sensitive or risky clauses in a legal document
- User needs to understand implications of a legal document before signing
- User asks to compare document terms against standard/fair practices
Dependencies
- External: python3 (for DOCX extraction via python-docx)
How to execute
Step 1: Extract document text
If the document is a DOCX file, extract text:
from docx import Document
doc = Document('path/to/file.docx')
# Handle both paragraph-based and table-based layouts
text_parts = []
for p in doc.paragraphs:
if p.text.strip():
text_parts.append(p.text)
for table in doc.tables:
for row in table.rows:
for cell in row.cells:
if cell.text.strip():
text_parts.append(cell.text)
If PDF, use the Read tool directly (it supports PDFs).
Step 2: Analyze document
Perform structured analysis covering ALL of the following areas:
A. Document Overview
- Type of document (NDA, MSA, SoW, etc.)
- Parties involved and their roles
- Effective date and duration
- Governing law and jurisdiction
B. Sensitive Clauses Detection
Scan for and flag these categories with severity levels:
| Category | What to look for | Severity |
|---|---|---|
| Non-compete / Non-solicitation | Restrictions on working with competitors, hiring employees | HIGH |
| Unlimited liability | No cap on damages, indemnification without limits | HIGH |
| Unilateral termination | One party can terminate freely, other cannot | HIGH |
| IP assignment | Broad IP transfer clauses, work-for-hire beyond scope | HIGH |
| Penalty clauses | Financial penalties for breach, liquidated damages | HIGH |
| Governing law mismatch | Law of unfamiliar jurisdiction, unfavorable forum | MEDIUM |
| Confidentiality duration | Unusually long (>5 years) or perpetual obligations | MEDIUM |
| Auto-renewal / Lock-in | Automatic extension, difficult exit terms | MEDIUM |
| Data processing | Personal data obligations, GDPR/privacy compliance | MEDIUM |
| Audit rights | Right to audit your systems, records, premises | MEDIUM |
| Force majeure | Missing or one-sided force majeure clause | LOW |
| Notice requirements | Unreasonable notice periods, specific delivery methods | LOW |
| Amendment process | Unilateral right to modify terms | MEDIUM |
| Waiver of jury trial | Waiving right to jury trial or class action | LOW |
| Survival clauses | Obligations that survive termination and their duration | LOW |
C. Asymmetry Analysis
Check whether obligations are mutual or one-sided:
- Are confidentiality obligations symmetric?
- Are termination rights equal?
- Are liability and indemnification balanced?
- Who bears more risk?
D. Missing Clauses
Flag important clauses that are ABSENT:
- Limitation of liability
- Dispute resolution mechanism
- Data protection / GDPR
- Force majeure
- Warranty disclaimers
- Return/destruction of materials timeline
E. Language Red Flags
Flag vague or overly broad language:
- "including but not limited to" with open-ended lists
- "sole discretion" granted to one party
- "reasonable" without defined criteria
- "best efforts" vs "commercially reasonable efforts"
- "any and all" sweeping language
- Undefined key terms
Step 3: Generate report
Output a structured report:
## LEGAL DOCUMENT REVIEW
### Document Info
- Type: [NDA/Contract/etc.]
- Parties: [Party A] <-> [Party B]
- Date: [effective date]
- Duration: [term]
- Governing Law: [jurisdiction]
### Risk Summary
- Overall Risk Level: [LOW / MEDIUM / HIGH / CRITICAL]
- HIGH risks found: [count]
- MEDIUM risks found: [count]
### Sensitive Clauses Found
#### [HIGH] [Category Name]
- Clause: [quote or reference]
- Risk: [what this means for you]
- Recommendation: [what to negotiate or change]
#### [MEDIUM] [Category Name]
...
### Asymmetry Issues
- [list of imbalanced terms]
### Missing Protections
- [list of absent but recommended clauses]
### Recommendations
1. [Prioritized list of changes to request before signing]
Parameters
| Parameter | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
file_path |
Path to the document (DOCX, PDF, or TXT) | required |
party |
Which party you represent (for perspective) | auto-detect from context |
focus |
Specific areas to focus on (e.g., "IP", "liability") | all areas |
Examples
Example 1: Review NDA before signing
User: "Review this NDA from Client G" -> Extract DOCX, run full analysis, output structured report
Example 2: Focus on specific concerns
User: "Check this contract for IP risks" -> Run analysis with focus on IP assignment, work-for-hire, licensing clauses
Limitations
- This is AI-assisted analysis, NOT legal advice
- Always consult a qualified lawyer for important agreements
- May miss jurisdiction-specific legal nuances
- Cannot verify factual claims (e.g., company registration codes)
Related skills
invoice-generator-agent— for creating invoices referenced in contractsemail-send-bulk— for sending signed documents back
No additional documents ship with this skill.
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