Assistant

Prompting Guide for August by Mode

This guide provides practical prompting patterns for August's core workflows so lawyers and staff can get reliable, repeatable results across document review, research, and multi-document analysis. The patterns work in Auto, the default mode; for when to use Manual instead, see Choosing the Right Mode.

Assistant: Single Documents and Research

Core Prompting Principles

Follow these principles when working with Assistant on single documents or research tasks:

  • Be explicit about the task. State whether you want a summary, comparison, drafting support, or issue-spotting.

  • Define the audience and purpose. E.g., "for a senior M&A partner," "for client-facing email," or "for internal research notes."

  • Specify governing law and jurisdiction when relevant.

  • Anchor in uploaded text. When working from documents, tell August exactly which document or section controls.

  • Constrain length and format. Ask for "3–5 bullets," "one paragraph," or "issue list with headings and sub-bullets."

If your organization is configured for a jurisdiction, August grounds legal answers in that jurisdiction's law unless you name another one. See Indian Legal Research with August for an example.

Example Prompts for Assistant

Issue-spotting on a contract

You are an M&A associate reviewing the attached Share Purchase Agreement governed by Delaware law. Identify unusual or buyer-unfriendly provisions related to indemnities, caps, baskets, and survival periods. Produce: (1) a bullet-point issues list, (2) clause citations with section numbers, and (3) suggested negotiation asks for each issue.

Client-facing explanation

Draft a concise client email (3–5 short paragraphs) explaining the key risks you identified in the attached APA for a non-legal business audience. Use plain language, avoid legal jargon, and include one short bullet list of 'Decisions Needed from You.'

Drafting support

You are outside counsel to the buyer in a mid-market M&A transaction. Based on the attached SPA and our preferred position described below, propose alternative indemnity language that (1) reduces the cap to 10% of purchase price, (2) shortens the survival period to 12 months, and (3) adds a deductible basket. Provide 2–3 alternative formulations with brief rationales.

Tabular Review: Multi-Document and Data Room Work

Use Tabular Review when you need structured comparison across dozens or hundreds of documents. In Auto, ask for a tabular review in your prompt; in Manual, switch on Tabular Review in the Create menu. These prompting principles apply when setting up extraction tasks.

Core Prompting Principles

  • Define the population. Specify which folders or document types to include (e.g., "all customer contracts in Folder A").

  • List concrete fields. Name the exact data points you want extracted (e.g., governing law, term, renewal, assignment, change of control, termination for convenience).

  • Specify output structure. Indicate whether you want a table, summary memo, or both.

  • Indicate materiality thresholds. For example, only contracts over a certain value or with certain counterparties.

Example Prompts for Tabular Review

Standard M&A contract sweep

Run Tabular Review on all customer contracts in the 'Customer Contracts' folder. For each contract, extract: (1) counterparty name, (2) contract type, (3) term and renewal, (4) assignment, (5) change of control, (6) termination for convenience, (7) most-favored-nation clauses, and (8) any exclusivity provisions. Output as a table plus an executive summary highlighting material outliers.

Focused risk review

Using Tabular Review, identify all employment agreements with non-compete provisions exceeding 12 months or covering more than two states. Summarize in a short memo and include a table listing employee name, role, non-compete duration, geography, and governing law.

Questions Across a Whole Project

When you attach nothing, August searches every document you can access in the current project, so you can ask questions that span a whole matter. Attach specific folders or files to narrow the search. Standing context about the matter, such as key parties and background, belongs in Project Memories, which August loads into every chat in the project.

Core Prompting Principles

  • Work inside the right project. Start the chat in the project that holds the matter's documents.

  • Specify document sources. For example, limit to pleadings, correspondence, productions, or work product folders.

  • Ask for cross-document synthesis. Name the connections you want drawn across files, such as a timeline or every reference to a person.

  • Request citations and file references. Ask for pinpoint support for each conclusion.

Example Prompts for Project-Wide Questions

Chronology building

Within the 'Acme v. Beta' matter, create a chronology of key events related to the termination of the Master Services Agreement between January 2020 and June 2021. Use pleadings, correspondence, and any board minutes in the matter workspace. Provide: (1) a dated timeline with citations to documents, and (2) a short narrative summarizing how the dispute escalated.

Fact pattern extraction

In the 'Project Orion' investigation matter, identify all references to alleged improper payments to third-party distributors. For each instance, list: (1) date, (2) individuals involved, (3) counterparty or distributor, (4) amount if stated, and (5) source document with page or paragraph citation.

Templates, Playbooks, and Re-usable Prompts

Build institutional knowledge by saving and reusing effective prompts:

  • Save high-performing prompts as internal templates. E.g., "Standard SPA Issue-Spotting Prompt."

  • Embed firm playbook positions directly into prompts. E.g., "Apply the firm's M&A indemnity playbook positions below when suggesting alternative language."

  • Create practice-specific prompt libraries for Corporate, Litigation, Finance, Real Estate, Employment, and Regulatory matters.

For more on capturing firm standards, see Playbooks Overview.

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