Build log, July 30, 2025
Build log: why we index definitions separately from operative text
The problem
The short version: why we index definitions separately from operative text is easier to get wrong than most teams assume, and the failure is usually silent.
In testing, the gap between a fast pass and a careful pass was not accuracy on the central question. It was whether the reviewer noticed the interaction with an adjacent provision.
What we do about it
Our approach is to index the document twice: once by structure, once by defined term. Findings then carry a pointer back to both, so a reviewer can confirm a conclusion without re-reading the agreement.
In the current build this runs as part of the standard pass, so it applies to every document in the set rather than only the ones someone thought to check.
Where it breaks
Scanned originals with poor image quality remain the weakest input. So do agreements that were assembled from three precedents and never reconciled, which is common in long-lived supplier relationships.
The practical takeaway is narrow: write the exception down, point it at a source, and give it an owner.
Working notes from the Lawrs team. General information about legal technology and practice, not legal advice.