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This guide offers practical, step-by-step best practices for using Gavel Exec, Gavel's AI assistant in Microsoft Word. You can review, redline, and negotiate contracts more efficiently. Whether you're drafting in Chat, creating reusable Playbooks, or managing more complex Projects, the guide walks you through how to structure prompts, use context files, benchmark clauses, and train the tool to reflect your preferences. We're written this specifically for transactional lawyers using legal AI in their practice.
Easy intake and document automation to auto-populate your templates.
Gavel Exec is an AI assistant embedded in Microsoft Word that helps transactional lawyers revise, analyze, redline, and train the AI to their own preferences. Below are specific, actionable best practices for getting the most out of Playbooks, Projects, and chat-based drafting in Gavel Exec.
If you're reviewing a long contract, use chat or Projects to get a quick summary first. For example:
This helps you prioritize where to spend your attention and reduce overall review fatigue.
You can ask Gavel Exec to revise your entire document or just specific sections. If you want to address just one section, drag your cursor over that section in the document to ask pointed questions.
The more specific and complete your first prompt, the more accurate and on-target the AI’s initial response will be. It’s worth investing a few extra seconds to give full context and direction.
For example:
After the first response, you can iterate further with follow-up prompts. But starting with a full, detailed prompt saves time and leads to stronger drafts up front.
The quality of Gavel Exec’s output in both Chat and Projects improves dramatically with rich, relevant context.
Upload these files early:
This helps Gavel Exec internalize your standards and gives it more to work with when responding to prompts. The earlier you upload, the less you'll have to course-correct later.
Use Gavel Exec to help you verify that every defined term is used. And that every used term is properly defined. You can prompt:
This is a quick win that improves clarity and reduces ambiguity.
Tune how aggressive or conservative you want the redlines to be. If you’re negotiating for a buyer, you might want more aggressive flags. For a seller, you may want fewer. Ask Gavel Exec:
The tone and strength of the feedback can shift accordingly.
Redlines become more accurate with your feedback. When reviewing suggested changes, mark them as "approved" or "disapproved" by using the green checkmark and the red X.
Each time you use it, it gets smarter about what should or shouldn't trigger a flag.
Playbooks are one of the most efficient ways to create a repeatable, rules-based review of your contracts. They work best when you've already decided on the language or clause types you want to flag or enforce.
One of the best ways to ensure your Playbook is tuned to your standards is to use your "gold standard" document to iterate.
Here's how:
This method gives you confidence that the Playbook flags real deviations from your preferred language. Over time, this creates a reliable benchmark for others in your firm to follow.
Chat in Gavel Exec is a powerful standalone feature as well as a key part of Projects. You can think of chat as your continuous legal drafting companion. One that can work context-free or with rich background knowledge, depending on where you use it.
Use Chat outside of a Project when:
Use Chat within a Project when:
Think of Playbooks like a junior associate applying your checklist. Over time, you can improve the Playbook to reduce false positives and handle more nuanced judgment calls. Use a Playbook when:
Projects allow you to bring everything together. You can load reference files, write custom instructions, and guide the AI through more nuanced reviews. Projects are best when:
These best practices are designed to help you move confidently from first use to advanced adoption. Start simple. Try a clause edit or a quick chat, and build from there. The more context and preferences you give it, the more accurate and aligned the AI becomes. Download Gavel Exec for free to get started today.
If you have examples, suggestions, or success stories, we’d love to hear from you. Reach out anytime at [email protected].
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