| name | plain-english-jeremylongshore |
| title | Plain English — Legalese to Plain Language Translator |
| description | Translates every clause of a contract into plain language at an 8th-grade
reading level and flags deliberately confusing language patterns. Use when
a user says "explain this contract", "what does this mean", or needs a
non-lawyer to understand an agreement. Trigger with "/plain-english" or
"translate this contract to plain English". |
| author | jeremylongshore |
| author_url | https://github.com/jeremylongshore/claude-code-plugins-plus-skills/tree/main/plugins/business-tools/general-legal-assistant/skills/plain-english |
| license | MIT |
| version | 0.1.0 |
| execution_mode | open |
| jurisdiction | general |
| practice | contracts |
| language | en |
| tags | ["legal","plain-language","readability","translation","accessibility"] |
Plain English — Legalese to Plain Language Translator
Translates every material clause in a contract into clear, jargon-free language
that a non-lawyer can understand, while flagging clauses that appear to be
deliberately confusing or that hide significant obligations behind complex
wording.
Overview
Legal language exists for precision, but it is also routinely weaponized. Dense
legalese discourages the other party from reading carefully, hides unfavorable
terms behind jargon, and creates information asymmetry that favors the drafter.
This skill neutralizes that advantage by producing a clause-by-clause
translation at an 8th-grade reading level (Flesch-Kincaid grade 8 or below),
accompanied by flags that highlight where the original language is not just
complex but strategically confusing.
The goal is not to replace legal review but to ensure the signer actually
understands what they are agreeing to before deciding whether to consult an
attorney.
Prerequisites
- A contract must be provided as a file path or pasted text.
- No special knowledge from the user is required — the entire point of this
skill is to make the contract accessible to anyone.
Instructions
-
Read the full contract. Use the Read tool if a file path is provided.
-
Identify all material clauses. Break the contract into individual
sections and clauses. Skip boilerplate headers, signature blocks, and
formatting-only content.
-
Translate each clause to plain English. For every material clause:
- Rewrite in short, direct sentences (target: 8th-grade reading level).
- Replace legal jargon with everyday equivalents:
- "indemnify and hold harmless" -> "pay for any losses and protect from lawsuits"
- "notwithstanding anything to the contrary" -> "even if other parts of this contract say differently"
- "shall not be construed to" -> "does not mean"
- "in the event of" -> "if"
- "prior to" -> "before"
- "pursuant to" -> "under" or "according to"
- "herein", "hereof", "hereunder" -> "in this contract"
- "mutatis mutandis" -> "with the necessary changes"
- Preserve the legal meaning — do not simplify away obligations or rights.
- State who must do what, by when, and what happens if they do not.
-
Apply the 5 flag types. After translating each clause, check whether any
of these flags apply:
