The chain
From First Contact to a Filed Response.
Four stages, each with a clear boundary between what the system does and what a person decides. Today this usually runs through a shared inbox, a paralegal's memory of what's urgent, and a calendar reminder someone has to remember to set.
01 — Intake
Requests arrive by web form, email, or a client portal, in whatever shape the sender chooses — inconsistent fields, missing dates, attachments buried in a message thread. An automated intake step turns each request into the same structured record every time: matter type, requesting party, relevant dates, and attachments, checked for completeness before it reaches a person. Missing information triggers an automatic follow-up request instead of sitting in a queue until someone notices. Nothing gets triaged from a half-read email.
02 — Triage & routing
Once a request is structured, it is classified by case type and routed to the attorney or team responsible for that category — litigation, compliance, contract, or subpoena response. Routing rules follow whatever categories the firm already uses, including conflict checks against existing matters where the firm's system supports it. The system does not decide case strategy or priority beyond the rules it is given; it gets the right file in front of the right person faster, with a visible queue instead of an inbox where urgency is guessed at.
03 — Subpoena response
Subpoenas carry their own clock. The moment one is logged, the system extracts the deadline, creates a tracked task with reminders at the intervals the firm sets, and assembles a response packet — the request itself, prior correspondence, and any documents already tagged as responsive — so the reviewing attorney starts from a complete file instead of an inbox search. A visible countdown replaces a date written on a sticky note or buried in a calendar invite no one else can see. The system prepares the packet. It does not decide what to produce, what to withhold, or how to respond.
04 — Where the gate is
Legal interpretation, privilege calls, litigation strategy, and anything filed with a court or opposing counsel stay with a licensed attorney, every time. The system flags what looks incomplete or overdue; it never marks a document privileged, decides what's responsive, or sends anything to a court or opposing counsel on its own. Automation here means the paperwork moves faster and nothing sits unseen past a deadline — not that judgment gets delegated to software.
