The six-step workflow
- 1
1. Gather instructions
Parties, purpose, key commercial terms, governing law and anything unusual.
- 2
2. Choose a base
Use your approved precedent where possible and give the AI the structure to follow.
- 3
3. Generate a first draft
Ask for placeholders where facts are missing and a list of assumptions.
- 4
4. Run the checklist
Defined terms, cross-references, dates, party names, governing law, missing clauses.
- 5
5. Lawyer review
Read every line. Edit, restructure and remove anything you cannot justify.
- 6
6. Record
Note the reviewer, date and version on the matter.
A drafting prompt with guardrails
Review checklist
| Check | Question |
|---|---|
| Parties | Names, roles and capacities correct? |
| Definitions | Every capitalised term defined once and used consistently? |
| Cross-references | Do clause numbers point to the right clauses? |
| Dates and amounts | Match the instructions? |
| Law and forms | Does it meet the requirements where it will be used? |
| Unsupported text | Anything you cannot trace to instructions or precedent? |
Tracking it in Notion
Link the draft's review record to the matter, with a checklist property and reviewer. LawyerOS is a Notion template and does not generate or host documents; Pro with AI ($39) adds matter-linked databases and a Custom AI Agents page about Notion's own agents. Confirm what Notion AI features your plan includes.
Frequently asked questions
- Can AI draft a contract on its own?
- It can produce a draft, but a lawyer must review and take responsibility for it.
- Should I use my own precedent?
- Yes. It anchors the output to wording you already trust.
- How do I stop invented clauses?
- Constrain the prompt, ask for assumptions, and check each clause.
- Is AI-generated text confidential?
- Depends on the tool's terms; read them before entering client information.
About the author
Raghav Handa trained as a lawyer, then spent years building legal technology, from enterprise legal products to custom systems for law firms.
Keep reading
- AIAI legal writing for lawyers: improving drafts without losing your voiceHow lawyers can use AI for legal writing: tightening, restructuring and plain-English editing, with prompts, review rules and what not to delegate.3 min read · 17 October 2026
- Practice managementHow to build a clause and precedent library in NotionBuild a searchable clause library in Notion: database properties, a clause page layout, version discipline, and how to keep precedents accurate and usable.3 min read · 17 October 2026
- AIA legal AI prompt library: research, drafting and review promptsBuild a legal prompt library in Notion organised by stage (research, drafting, review), with example prompts, a database layout and version tracking.3 min read · 17 October 2026