Feature
Jurisdiction-Aware Contract Review Across All 50 US States
Clausely reads the governing law clause in your contract and applies the real state-specific rules. A non-compete that is enforceable in Florida is void in California. A security deposit clause that is legal in Texas is illegal in Massachusetts. Your analysis reflects the jurisdiction that actually applies.
3 free analyses · no credit card · real statute citations
How jurisdiction detection works
Clausely looks at four signals to determine which state’s law applies to your contract, in order of precedence.
01
Governing law clause
The primary signal. Clausely finds phrases like 'governed by the laws of the State of X' or 'exclusive jurisdiction of X courts' and uses that state as the controlling jurisdiction.
02
Parties' addresses
If no governing law clause exists, Clausely uses the parties' addresses from the signature block or recitals. The state where the primary obligated party is located takes precedence.
03
Contract-specific location
For real estate contracts, the property location. For employment contracts, the employee's primary work location. For leases, the rental property address.
04
Conflict flagging
When multiple jurisdictions are relevant and the clauses conflict (for example, a Delaware forum selection in an employment contract for a California employee), Clausely flags the conflict and explains which jurisdiction is likely to control each issue.
Real statute citations, real law
Clausely’s analysis cites actual statutes and case law, not vague legal generalities. Here are examples of the citations that appear when Clausely detects each state.
CaliforniaNon-compete enforceability
California Business and Professions Code § 16600
Non-compete clauses in employment contracts are void as a matter of public policy, with narrow exceptions for sale of business and partnership dissolution. Clausely flags non-competes in California employment contracts and marks them as unenforceable.
TexasSecurity deposits and repairs
Texas Property Code § 92.101 et seq.
Texas requires the landlord to return a security deposit within 30 days of lease termination, with an itemized deduction statement for any withholdings. Clausely flags security deposit clauses that ignore this requirement or attempt to waive tenant rights.
New YorkEmployment law (WARN, wage payment, and offer letters)
NY Labor Law Article 6 and NY State WARN Act
New York requires specific language on final pay, advance notice of mass layoffs, and wage payment timing. Clausely flags employment offers and severance agreements that fall short of New York statutory protections.
FloridaNon-compete enforceability
Florida Statutes § 542.335
Florida enforces non-competes when they protect a 'legitimate business interest' and are reasonable in time and geography. Clausely flags non-competes in Florida employment contracts and evaluates them against the statutory standard.
For any specific statute, you can verify the current text on the Cornell Legal Information Institute state code index, which links to every US state’s official code.
State coverage
All 50 US states plus the District of Columbia are supported. Deep coverage states have the most distinctive state law and the highest contract volume in Clausely’s analysis history.
Deep coverage (18)
California
Texas
New York
Florida
Illinois
Washington
Massachusetts
Pennsylvania
Georgia
New Jersey
Virginia
Ohio
Colorado
Oregon
Michigan
Arizona
North Carolina
Minnesota
Standard coverage (33)
Alabama
Alaska
Arkansas
Connecticut
Delaware
Hawaii
Idaho
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Mexico
North Dakota
Oklahoma
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Utah
Vermont
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
District of Columbia
State-law guides from the Clausely library
We publish dedicated guides for the states where contract law questions come up most often. These are the same state rules Clausely applies when it detects the jurisdiction from your contract.
California non-compete law
Why non-competes in California employment contracts are void under Business and Professions Code § 16600 and the narrow exceptions that do apply.
Read the guide →
Florida non-compete enforceability
How Florida applies the 'legitimate business interest' standard from Florida Statutes § 542.335 and what courts look for.
Read the guide →
New York employment contract law
NY Labor Law requirements for employment offers, final pay, WARN Act notice, and employment arbitration clauses.
Read the guide →
Texas lease agreement laws
Texas Property Code rules on security deposits, notice requirements, tenant repair rights, and early termination.
Read the guide →
Frequently asked questions
How does Clausely detect which state's law governs my contract?
Clausely scans the contract for a governing law clause (like 'This Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of California') and uses that as the primary jurisdiction signal. If no clause is present, it looks at the parties' addresses, the property location for real estate contracts, and the employee's work location for employment agreements. When jurisdiction is ambiguous, Clausely flags the uncertainty in the analysis.
Which states does Clausely support?
All 50 US states plus the District of Columbia. Coverage includes state-specific rules for non-compete enforceability, lease security deposit limits, employment at-will exceptions, consumer protection, arbitration enforceability, statute of limitations, and more. Coverage depth is strongest for California, Texas, New York, Florida, Illinois, and Washington, which have the highest contract volume and the most distinctive state law.
Can I trust the state-law citations Clausely provides?
The statute references point to real law and are kept current with known legislative changes through April 2026. For example, non-compete citations reference California Business and Professions Code section 16600, the FTC non-compete rule status, and state-by-state variations. However, Clausely is AI contract review software, not legal advice. For high-stakes or heavily contested matters, verify citations with an attorney licensed in your state.
What if my contract crosses multiple states?
Multi-state contracts are common in remote work, interstate business, and real estate near state lines. Clausely flags each jurisdiction relevant to different parts of the contract (for example, the governing law clause vs the employee's state of residence vs the property location) and notes when conflicts exist. The analysis calls out the specific clauses where the choice of governing law matters most for your rights.
Does jurisdiction awareness work on international contracts?
Clausely is purpose-built for US contract law. International agreements (UK, EU, Canada, Australia, etc.) are analyzed on structure and plain-language red flags but without the deep statute-level citations that apply to US contracts. For a contract with non-US governing law, treat the analysis as a structural first pass and consult counsel in the relevant jurisdiction.
Which contract types benefit most from jurisdiction-aware review?
Employment contracts (non-competes, at-will rules, final pay requirements), residential and commercial leases (security deposits, termination, habitability), and consumer contracts (arbitration clause enforceability, class action waivers, state-specific statutory protections) benefit the most. These are the categories where state law varies significantly and where the same clause can be enforceable in one state and void in another.
Try jurisdiction-aware contract review
Upload any US contract and see the state-specific citations Clausely applies to your analysis. 3 free analyses, no credit card required.
Review My Contract Free →