Auto Mode is per-Topic; mix one Auto Mode Topic (“enforceable?”) with seven Rules-based ones. Renders as one result with consistent risk badges.
When Auto Mode wins over Rules
| Use Auto Mode when… | Use Rules when… |
|---|---|
| The answer depends on case law that may have shifted recently. | The answer is a binary check against your firm’s standard. |
| You don’t have a clearly defined Acceptable / Fallback / Not acceptable position. | You have a clear position list and the contract either matches or doesn’t. |
| The question is “is this enforceable?” | The question is “does this match what we sign?” |
| You want a researched explanation, not a yes/no. | You want the same answer every time, regardless of case law. |
Turning Auto Mode on for a Topic
Enter the Question
A single question, written the way you’d write a chat prompt. “Does the claims-waiver clause hold up under current German case law?” “Is the non-compete duration enforceable in this jurisdiction?”
Pick Research Sources (optional but recommended)
Open the Research sources picker and select what Libra should consult: Wolters Kluwer, Otto Schmidt, Fedlex, or any combination of databases your firm has access to.
What the Auto Mode result looks like
When the Review runs, the Auto Mode Topic shows:| Element | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Risk badge | Libra’s overall assessment (No risk / Medium risk / High risk) based on the research and the contract together. |
| Answer | A written answer to the question, structured as: a summary of the relevant case law and what’s expected from a clause that holds up, then how your clause measures against that standard, then a concrete fix where one is needed. |
| Research citations | Numbered citations to the legal research sources that grounded the answer. |
| Document citations | Numbered citations to the contract passages the answer refers to. |
A worked example
Topic 01: Contractual penalty clause, Auto Mode enabled Question: Does the contractual penalty clause hold up against current case law? Research sources: Wolters Kluwer Answer (High risk): Standard from case law. Contractual penalty clauses are enforceable when the daily rate is proportionate to the breach and an aggregate cap limits cumulative exposure. Recent decisions strike clauses that lack such a cap as unreasonable, regardless of the daily rate’s reasonableness. Application to this clause. The daily penalty rate (€500) sits within the accepted range. However, the clause does not specify an aggregate cap on cumulative penalties — under current case law, that omission is a deal-breaker. Suggested fix. Add an aggregate cap (e.g. 5% of the contract value) to bring the clause back in line with current case law. Citations: §339 BGB; BGH judgments cited in Wolters Kluwer commentary.The user gets a research-grounded, written answer with the level of nuance only research can provide, and Libra still places it in the structured Review format alongside any Rule-based Topics.
Mixing Auto Mode and Rules in one template
A common pattern: most Topics use Rules (because your firm has clear positions on most things), and one or two Topics use Auto Mode (for the research-heavy questions where positions don’t apply).Tips for good Auto Mode questions
Ask one thing per Topic
Ask one thing per Topic
“Is this enforceable AND does the duration comply with statutory limits?” is two questions. Split them into two Topics if you need both answered.
Be specific about the legal context
Be specific about the legal context
“Under German employment law” gives you a tighter, more usable answer than the same question without jurisdiction.
Always select a research source
Always select a research source
Auto Mode works without one, but the answers tend to be more general and less reliable. Pick at least one.
Verify the research citations
Verify the research citations
Citations link out to the source. Click through and confirm the cited passage actually says what Libra summarised, same as you would a junior’s research note.
Don't use Auto Mode for things you do every day
Don't use Auto Mode for things you do every day
If your firm has run the same Review fifty times, Rules give you faster, cheaper, more consistent results. Save Auto Mode for the questions that genuinely need research.
Next steps
Review templates
Build the Rules-based parts of your template.
Understanding results
Read both Auto Mode and Rules Topics in a single Review.