Legal Services Ontology

Comprehensive domain knowledge for law firms, corporate legal departments, and legal technology operations.

Overview

The Legal Services ontology equips AI agents with deep understanding of legal operations:

• Matter Management: Case intake, tracking, billing
• Document Automation: Contract drafting, review, analysis
• Client Services: Intake, communication, status updates
• Compliance: Ethics, conflicts, trust accounting
• Knowledge Management: Precedents, research, expertise

Ontology Layers

Role Layer

roles:
  - name: Client Intake Agent
    responsibilities:
      - Process new client inquiries
      - Gather case information
      - Perform conflicts checks
      - Schedule consultations
    permissions:
      - read: contacts, matters, conflicts_db
      - execute: create_contact, schedule_meeting, run_conflict_check

  - name: Legal Research Agent
    responsibilities:
      - Search legal databases
      - Summarize case law
      - Draft research memos
      - Track regulatory changes
    permissions:
      - read: legal_databases, precedents, matter_files
      - execute: search_westlaw, search_lexis, draft_memo

  - name: Contract Review Agent
    responsibilities:
      - Extract key terms
      - Compare to standards
      - Flag risk provisions
      - Track obligations
    permissions:
      - read: contracts, playbook, templates
      - execute: extract_terms, flag_deviation, create_summary

Domain Layer

Key Entities

Entity	Description	Key Attributes
Matter	Legal engagement	Number, Type, Status, Client, Attorney
Client	Legal consumer	ID, Name, Type, Matters, Billing
Document	Legal document	ID, Type, Version, Status, Matter
Contract	Agreement	ID, Parties, Terms, Obligations, Expiry
Time Entry	Billable work	ID, Attorney, Matter, Hours, Description
Invoice	Billing	Number, Matter, Amount, Status

Entity Relationships

erDiagram
    CLIENT ||--o{ MATTER : retains_for
    MATTER ||--o{ DOCUMENT : contains
    MATTER ||--o{ TIME_ENTRY : records
    MATTER ||--o{ INVOICE : generates
    ATTORNEY ||--o{ TIME_ENTRY : bills
    ATTORNEY ||--o{ MATTER : works_on
    CONTRACT ||--o{ OBLIGATION : contains

Interaction Layer

Common Workflows

Client Intake

sequenceDiagram
    participant P as Prospect
    participant A as Agent
    participant S as System
    participant L as Attorney

    P->>A: Inquiry Received
    A->>A: Gather Details
    A->>S: Conflict Check
    S-->>A: Clear/Conflict
    A->>A: Risk Assessment
    A->>L: Route for Review
    L-->>A: Accept/Decline
    A->>P: Engagement Letter
    P->>A: Signed Agreement
    A->>S: Open Matter

Contract Review

graph LR
    A[Contract Received] --> B[Extract Terms]
    B --> C[Compare to Playbook]
    C --> D{Deviations?}
    D -->|Yes| E[Flag Issues]
    D -->|No| F[Approve]
    E --> G[Attorney Review]
    G --> H{Negotiate?}
    H -->|Yes| I[Send Redlines]
    H -->|No| F
    F --> J[Execute]

Practice Areas

Practice	Key Activities	Agent Support
Corporate	M&A, securities, governance	Due diligence, document review
Litigation	Discovery, motions, trial	Research, deadline tracking
Real Estate	Transactions, leasing	Title review, closing checklists
IP	Patents, trademarks	Prior art search, portfolio management
Employment	HR compliance, disputes	Policy review, investigation support

Regulatory & Ethics

Rule	Scope	Agent Safeguards
Attorney-Client Privilege	All communications	Never disclose privileged info
Conflicts of Interest	New matters	Mandatory conflict checks
Trust Accounting	Client funds	Segregation, audit trails
Unauthorized Practice	Legal advice	Clear disclaimers, attorney review
Data Security	Client data	Encryption, access controls

Prompt Templates

Client Intake

You are a client intake agent for {firm_name}.

Inquiry Details:
- Contact: {contact_name}
- Source: {referral_source}
- Matter Type: {matter_type}
- Description: {description}

Gather:
1. Full contact information
2. Adverse parties (for conflicts)
3. Key dates and deadlines
4. Desired outcome
5. Budget expectations

Important:
- Do NOT provide legal advice
- Note: "This is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship"
- Flag urgent deadlines (statutes of limitations)
- Route to appropriate practice group

Contract Analysis

You are a contract review agent analyzing an agreement.

Contract Type: {contract_type}
Parties: {parties}
Key Terms Requested: {terms_to_extract}

Standard Playbook Position:
{playbook_terms}

Extract and analyze:
1. Identified terms vs. playbook standards
2. Risk provisions (indemnification, limitation of liability)
3. Unusual or non-standard clauses
4. Missing standard protections
5. Key dates and obligations

Format output as a comparison table with risk ratings (Low/Medium/High).

Legal Research

You are a legal research agent supporting {matter_name}.

Research Question: {question}
Jurisdiction: {jurisdiction}
Practice Area: {practice_area}

Search Strategy:
1. Identify relevant statutes and regulations
2. Find controlling case law
3. Note recent developments
4. Identify contrary authority

Output format:
- Issue statement
- Short answer
- Discussion with citations
- Conclusion
- Recommended next steps

Integration Points

Practice Management

System	Capabilities	Agent Actions
Clio	Full PM suite	Matters, time, billing
PracticePanther	Cloud PM	Calendar, tasks, documents
MyCase	Client portal	Communications, payments

Legal Research

Platform	Coverage	Agent Use
Westlaw	Comprehensive US law	Case research, statutes
LexisNexis	Legal and business	Research, due diligence
Fastcase	Case law	Budget-friendly research

Document Automation

Tool	Function	Agent Integration
DocuSign	E-signatures	Execution workflows
Contract Express	Document assembly	Template generation
Kira	AI contract review	Extraction, analysis

Metrics & KPIs

Metric	Description	Agent Monitoring
Utilization Rate	Billable / available hours	Target > 70%
Realization Rate	Collected / billed	Alert if < 90%
Matter Cycle Time	Days to completion	Track by type
Client Satisfaction	Survey scores	Alert if < 85%
Deadline Compliance	On-time filings	Must be 100%

Sample Agent Configuration

const legalAgent = {
  name: "Client Services",
  ontology: "legal-v1",
  autonomyLevel: "L1", // Assisted - legal requires attorney oversight

  capabilities: {
    clientIntake: true,
    conflictChecks: true,
    calendarManagement: true,
    documentDrafting: false // Requires attorney approval
  },

  guardrails: {
    requireApprovalFor: [
      "any_client_communication",
      "document_filing",
      "billing_adjustment"
    ],
    blockedActions: [
      "legal_advice",
      "case_strategy",
      "settlement_offers"
    ],
    disclaimers: {
      required: true,
      text: "This communication does not constitute legal advice."
    }
  },

  integrations: [
    "clio_manage",
    "westlaw",
    "docusign"
  ]
};

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Unauthorized Practice of Law

Legal AI agents must never provide legal advice or make strategic legal decisions. All substantive outputs require attorney review before client communication.

Getting Started

To deploy a Legal Services agent:

1. Select the Legal ontology during workspace setup
2. Configure practice management integration
3. Set up conflict check database
4. Enable mandatory attorney review workflows
5. Start with L1 (Assisted) autonomy