A draft may look finished long before it is ready to leave the firm. A date may still need witness confirmation. A paragraph may depend on an exhibit that has changed. Attorney supervised drafting works best when those open questions are easy to find, and the person reviewing the document knows exactly what has been checked.
Check Items as You Prepare. Your Checks Stay on This Page.
Start With an Approved Assignment
Obtain the document type, recipient, purpose, governing template and the attorney’s outline. Confirm the approved factual sources and any instructions about tone or requested relief. Use the current matter number and party names from the case record.
Use a Review Copy That Shows the Open Work
Give the reviewer the version they requested and a redline when changes need comparison. Keep the questions log beside the draft. A short entry such as “Paragraph 7: witness has not confirmed the date” is more useful than a comment saying only “Please check.”
| Review Area | Evidence to Provide |
|---|---|
| Facts | Source document or confirmation still needed |
| Authorities | Verified citation and location |
| Attachments | Correct exhibit and referenced page |
| Changes | Comparison against the prior review version |
| Approval | Named attorney and approved release version |
Control the Final Handoff
When the attorney returns changes, resolve each comment without treating silence as approval. Verify that cross references still work after paragraphs or exhibits move. Check headers, page numbering and the exported PDF.
Record the exact file approved for use and the person authorizing its release. Later edits should return through the agreed review process. Administrative coordination can prepare and route the draft; legal judgment, advice and approval stay with the attorney.
Require Approval Before External Delivery
The State Bar of California’s May 2026 AI guidance addresses the increased autonomy of agentic tools and the lawyer’s responsibility to review and approve outputs. Apply that review requirement to the delivery step. A system that prepares a draft should not also send it outside the firm without the responsible lawyer’s approval.