August: Introductory Training

Welcome to August. This training guide will help you get started quickly whether you are a new user, a team lead, or an admin. By the end, you will understand how to navigate core features, run foundational workflows, and begin working confidently inside August.

What You Will Learn

How to set up your workspace after logging in successfully
How to connect document repositories or upload files, and how matter organization works
How to draft, edit, and redline documents using the built in editor
How to run basic Workflows and Playbooks and use Tabular Review
Best practices for efficient and secure work
Where to find support and next steps once you are active in August

Workspace Setup

After logging in successfully using the User Login Guide, you can begin setting up your workspace.

You will see the main Dashboard and Sidebar, which include Matters, Documents, Recent Activity, and Quick Actions. Spend a moment navigating these sections to become familiar with where work is organized and accessed.

Step 2: Add or Connect Documents

August works best when your documents are available in the platform. You can either connect your firm’s document repositories or upload files directly into a Matter.

Option A: Connect Your Document Repository

Go to Settings and select Integrations
Choose your repository such as SharePoint, OneDrive, or your firm DMS
Authenticate and select which folders or libraries to link
Once connected, these documents will appear within the Matter or Repository browser and can be used immediately for search, workflows, and editing

Option B: Upload Files Manually

Open a Matter or create a new one
Select Upload or Add documents
Drag and drop or select files such as Word documents, PDFs, spreadsheets, or email threads
Tag documents with client, matter name, date, or document type to keep materials organized

After documents are added:

Use the global search bar to test indexing by searching for a unique clause or phrase
Open a document to confirm readability, formatting, and metadata

Step 3: Basic Drafting and Editing in August

Once your documents are available, you can begin drafting and editing.

Open the editor to draft memos, letters, agreements, summaries, or internal notes
Use natural language instructions to revise or redline existing documents such as revise for clarity, simplify language, or prepare a clean comparison against an uploaded draft
Export the results to Word or PDF for further review or client use

Practice Tasks

Draft a one page memo from scratch
Upload a sample contract and request a redline
Revise a clause for clarity or simplicity

Step 4: Running a Workflow or Playbook and Using Tabular Review

Workflows and Playbooks help automate structured legal tasks across one or many documents.

Navigate to the Workflows or Playbooks tab
Select a workflow such as Contract Key Terms Extraction, NDA Review, or Document Summarization
Choose your input documents and adjust parameters as needed
Run the workflow

When results are ready, open Tabular Review to see extracted fields such as dates, parties, governing law, clause types, or identified issues. You can annotate, edit, override, or accept the entries. Export the table to CSV or Excel when needed.

A good first activity is to run a key terms extraction on a small sample set of contracts to become familiar with the workflow and review experience.

Step 5: Review Outputs Carefully

Before sharing client facing work, always review outputs for:

Accuracy
Correct formatting
Defined terms and cross references
Alignment with matter specific or firm specific expectations

August accelerates your work but final review remains essential.

Best Practices and Training Tips

Start with small samples to get comfortable
Provide clear context by uploading templates or precedent documents
Use bullet lists, tables, or clear structure to improve readability and reduce errors
Break complex requests into smaller steps
Iterate on drafts and ask for alternatives when needed
Maintain secure practices and ensure permissions are applied correctly

What to Do Next

Explore a Matter that is relevant to your work
Upload or connect sample or real documents to test indexing and workflows
Draft a memo or run a redline using the editor
Run a Playbook, review the table output, and export it
Share discoveries with your team and establish internal best practices

Need Help or Want to Share Feedback

If you run into issues or want to request new features:

Open the Help or Support panel inside August
Contact your firm’s August admin or legal tech lead
Submit feedback or suggest new workflows

Your feedback helps improve August for your entire firm.

August: Introductory Training