For Paralegal / Legal Assistants ·
What you'll accomplish
By the end of this guide, you'll have Spellbook installed in Microsoft Word — so you can ask AI to review contracts, flag non-standard clauses, suggest redlines, and explain what provisions mean, all without leaving the Word document you're already working in.
What you'll need
Go to spellbook.legal and create an account. Click "Install for Word." This redirects you to the Microsoft AppSource store. Click "Get it now" and "Add." Microsoft will prompt you to sign in with your Microsoft account (your work email). Once installed, Spellbook appears as a sidebar in Word.
What you should see: A "Spellbook" panel appears on the right side of Microsoft Word, with a chat interface and action buttons.
Troubleshooting: If you can't install Add-ins, your firm's IT policy may restrict it. Ask your IT administrator to approve "Spellbook" as a trusted Microsoft Add-in.
Open the contract you need to review in Microsoft Word. Spellbook works on whatever document you have open — NDA, vendor agreement, employment contract, lease, etc.
In the Spellbook sidebar, click "Review Contract" or select text and choose "Review Selection." Spellbook will analyze the contract and flag:
What you should see: A list of flagged items, each with a brief explanation of why it was flagged and a suggested redline or alternative language.
In the Spellbook chat panel, type specific questions: "What does the indemnification clause in Section 8 mean for our client?" or "Is the limitation of liability provision standard?" or "What's missing from this NDA compared to a typical agreement?" Spellbook answers based on the actual document text.
For each flagged clause, Spellbook may offer suggested alternative language. You can: click "Insert" to add the suggestion as a tracked change in Word, modify the suggestion manually, or ignore it. All changes appear as standard Word tracked changes — exactly what the attorney expects to review.
When done, your Word document has tracked changes showing all suggested edits. Save and send to the supervising attorney with a brief summary of the major issues flagged.