QUICKSTART.md

Quick Start Guide

🚀 Get Started in 5 Minutes

1. Setup Environment

# Clone or download the project
cd legal-research-assistant

# Run the automated setup (recommended)
python setup.py

# OR Manual setup:
python -m venv venv
# Windows: venv\Scripts\activate
# macOS/Linux: source venv/bin/activate
pip install -r requirements.txt

2. Configure API Key

# Copy environment template
cp .env.example .env

# Edit .env and add your OpenAI API key
OPENAI_API_KEY=your_openai_api_key_here

3. Run the Application

# Activate virtual environment if not already active
# Windows: venv\Scripts\activate  
# macOS/Linux: source venv/bin/activate

# Start the application
streamlit run app.py

4. Use the Application

1. Open Browser: Navigate to http://localhost:8501
2. Upload Documents: Click "Browse files" and upload PDF, DOCX, or TXT legal documents
3. Process Documents: Click "Process Documents" to index them
4. Ask Questions: Enter legal questions in the query box
5. Get Answers: Receive detailed analysis with citations and conflict detection

🔍 Example Questions

• "What are the termination clauses in the contract?"
• "What are the liability limitations?"
• "What intellectual property rights are mentioned?"
• "What are the payment terms and conditions?"
• "Are there any confidentiality obligations?"

📊 Features Overview

• Multi-format Support: PDF, DOCX, TXT documents
• Semantic Search: AI-powered document retrieval
• Legal Citations: Proper section and clause references
• Conflict Detection: Identifies contradictory information
• Performance Metrics: Built-in evaluation and timing
• Export Results: Download analysis as JSON

🆘 Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Import Errors

pip install -r requirements.txt

Missing API Key

# Check .env file exists and contains:
OPENAI_API_KEY=your_actual_api_key

Port Already in Use

streamlit run app.py --server.port 8502

Memory Issues

• Reduce CHUNK_SIZE in .env
• Process fewer documents at once
• Restart the application

Getting Help

• 📖 Full Documentation: README.md
• 🐛 Report Issues: GitHub Issues
• 💬 Discussions: GitHub Discussions

🎯 Next Steps

1. Try Sample Documents: Use the included sample legal documents in /data/sample_documents/
2. Customize Settings: Modify configuration in .env file
3. Explore Advanced Features: Document comparison, section analysis
4. Deploy: Use Streamlit Cloud or HuggingFace Spaces for sharing

Happy legal research! ⚖️