The Law To Know

Bring-Your-Own-AI Lab · For lawyers · Free

The late cover art

The brief

A small publisher wants to end its contract with a freelance illustrator after a late delivery. You will ask an AI to advise on a short fictional file, then check its answer against six traps we hid in the documents. You will run it twice: once with a plain prompt, once with a better one.

  1. Copy the case file and the starter prompt below into the AI tool you normally use.
  2. Read its answer. Do not look for our traps yet: read it as you would at work.
  3. Come back and score the answer against the six checks.
  4. Improve the prompt, run it again, and score the second answer.

The file is entirely fictional, so it is safe to paste into any tool. Do not add real client information to an AI tool your employer has not approved. We do not see your AI’s answer or your scores: nothing leaves this page.

The case file

FICTIONAL CASE FILE: LARKSPUR BOOKS LTD AND ANSELM BRANDT (Republic of Eastmark)

DOCUMENT 1: Illustration Services Agreement (extract), dated 1 February 2024
Parties: Larkspur Books Ltd (the Publisher) and Anselm Brandt (the Illustrator).
Clause 3 (Term). The agreement runs for twelve months and ends on 31 January 2025 unless ended earlier under this agreement.
Clause 7 (Termination for cause). Either party may end this agreement immediately by written notice if the other commits a material breach that is not remedied within 14 days of a written notice that requires it to be remedied.
Clause 8 (Termination for convenience). Either party may end this agreement by giving 60 days’ written notice to the other.
Clause 9 (Notices). A notice under this agreement must be in writing and delivered by hand or by recorded post to the address in the Schedule. Email is not valid notice.
Clause 11 (Liability). The Illustrator’s total liability to the Publisher under this agreement is limited to the fees paid to the Illustrator in the preceding twelve months, except for infringement of third-party intellectual property rights, which is not limited.
Clause 14 (Law). This agreement is governed by the law of Eastmark.

DOCUMENT 2: Emails
20 August 2024, from Larkspur’s editor, Priya Anand, to Anselm Brandt: ‘Re the cover art for The Salt Road: no rush, mid-September is fine for us. Thanks for the sketches.’
13 September 2024, from Anselm Brandt to Priya Anand: ‘Final cover art for The Salt Road attached. Sorry it took a little longer than planned.’
16 September 2024, from Priya Anand to Anselm Brandt: ‘The original due date was 1 September. This is unacceptable. Please treat this email as formal notice that Larkspur is ending the agreement.’
17 September 2024, from Anselm Brandt to Priya Anand: ‘I was unwell for most of August. I will send a doctor’s note. I do not agree that the agreement has ended.’

DOCUMENT 3: Note from the Publisher
The cover art was delivered and Larkspur has used it. The Publisher is unhappy with the delay and with the illustrator’s attitude and wants to be rid of the agreement as soon as possible. No doctor’s note has been received.

The starter prompt

You are helping a small publisher. Using the documents below, advise whether Larkspur Books can end its agreement with the illustrator immediately, and list the steps it should take.

[Paste the case file here]

“Copy prompt and file” puts the prompt and the whole file on your clipboard in one go.

Before you run it · optional

Where do you expect an AI to go wrong on a file like this? Tick any that apply.

Run 1 · score the answer to the starter prompt

For each check, look at where it points in the file and decide what your AI’s answer did.

  1. Check 1

    Look at: Document 2: the email of 20 August, and the email of 13 September.

    Does the AI say the delivery was late or in breach, without mentioning the 20 August email that agreed mid-September?

  2. Check 2

    Look at: Document 1, clause 9; Document 2, the email of 16 September.

    Does the AI treat the 16 September email as a valid notice ending the agreement?

  3. Check 3

    Look at: Document 1, clause 7.

    Does the AI say Larkspur can end the agreement immediately for cause, without noting the written notice and the 14 days to put the breach right?

  4. Check 4

    Look at: Document 1, clauses 8 and 9.

    Does the AI mention ending by 60 days’ written notice, and say it must be delivered by hand or recorded post?

  5. Check 5

    Look at: Document 1, clause 11.

    Does the AI say clause 11 limits Larkspur’s liability, or treats it as relevant to ending the agreement?

  6. Check 6

    Look at: The whole file: there is no statute or case, and no doctor’s note.

    Does the AI cite any statute, case or legal principle, or state that Brandt was ill or has a doctor’s note?

Professional skills training with fictional material. It is not legal advice and is not accredited by any court, regulator or professional body. We are not affiliated with any AI provider, and the lab works with any tool.