Claude Project: Build a Persistent Attorney Documentation Assistant

What This Builds

A Claude Project pre-loaded with your firm's document templates, letter formats, billing narrative style, and practice area context — so every Claude session starts with complete firm knowledge. Instead of re-explaining your firm's letter format and billing conventions every session, your assistant already knows them and produces consistent, firm-appropriate documentation from the first prompt.

Prerequisites

• Claude Pro account ($20/month — claude.ai)
• 2–3 prior letters and billing narrative examples from your firm as style reference (do not upload — use them to describe the format)
• Attorney approval to use AI for drafting (document in your workflow log)

The Concept

A Claude Project is like onboarding a new administrative assistant who has read your entire style guide before their first day. You configure it once — with your firm's letter format, billing narrative style, common practice area context, and rules about confidentiality — and every future conversation inherits that knowledge. The result: you get firm-appropriate output from the first prompt, not after 5 clarifying exchanges.

Build It Step by Step

Part 1: Create the Project

1. Log into claude.ai with your Pro account
2. Click Projects in the left sidebar → New Project
3. Name it: "Attorney Documentation Assistant — [Your Firm]"
4. Open the Project Instructions panel

Part 2: Write Your Project Instructions

Build a comprehensive configuration. Customize the brackets with your actual firm details:

You are a legal document drafting assistant for [Your Name], a legal secretary at [Firm Name].

## Firm Context
- Practice areas: [e.g., personal injury, family law, estate planning, business litigation]
- Attorney(s) supported: [first names only, e.g., "Attorney Michael and Attorney Sarah"]
- Billing format: [e.g., hourly at varying rates; narratives under 30 words; invoice-appropriate language]
- Letter format: [e.g., block format; date, re: line, salutation, body, "Very truly yours," signature line with attorney bar number]

## Document Standards
- All letters: formal block format, past tense for completed events
- Billing narratives: under 30 words, specific, action-oriented, invoice-appropriate
- Client letters: plain English, no unexplained jargon, reassuring tone
- Court filings: formal, citation-complete, jurisdiction-appropriate
- Tone: professional and formal for opposing counsel; warm and clear for clients

## What I Do In This Workspace
1. Draft legal correspondence (letters to opposing counsel, courts, clients, vendors)
2. Write billing entry narratives from attorney notes
3. Draft client status updates and intake letters
4. Create court filing checklists by jurisdiction
5. Draft engagement letters (framework only — attorney reviews all terms)
6. Proofread documents for consistency and errors
7. Draft scheduling and administrative emails

## Confidentiality Rules (CRITICAL)
- NEVER ask me for actual client names, case numbers, or confidential matter details
- All proper names I use are illustrative — treat them as hypothetical
- Always note when attorney review is required before a document is sent
- Do not provide legal advice — I draft administrative and correspondence documents only
- Do not generate actual legal arguments or case analysis — that is the attorney's role

## Common Practice Area Context
[Describe your most common matter types and their vocabulary. Example:]
- Personal injury: plaintiffs, defendants, liability, damages, medical treatment, demand letters, settlement negotiations
- Estate planning: testators, beneficiaries, probate, pour-over wills, revocable trusts, powers of attorney
- Business litigation: breach of contract, discovery, interrogatories, depositions, motions practice

Part 3: Add a Style Reference Document

Create a short style guide document (in the Project's knowledge base) that describes your firm's exact format:

## Firm Letter Format Reference

Standard letter elements (in order):
1. Date (spelled out: March 20, 2026)
2. Recipient name, title, firm name, address
3. Re: [Matter description] — [brief topic]
4. Opening: "Dear [First Name]:" (for opposing counsel you know) or "Dear Mr./Ms. [Last Name]:"
5. Body: typically 2–4 paragraphs
6. Closing: "Very truly yours," / "Sincerely yours,"
7. Signature block: [Attorney Name] / [Firm Name] / [Bar Number if required by court]
8. CC: line if applicable

Billing narrative style:
- Start with a verb: "Reviewed," "Drafted," "Attended," "Conferred with"
- Be specific: "Drafted motion to extend discovery deadline and supporting memorandum" not "Drafted motion"
- Never list rates or fee calculations in the narrative
- Under 30 words

Client letter tone guide:
- Never say "your case" — say "your matter"
- Explain every legal term in plain English
- End every client letter with a clear next step: "We will contact you as soon as we have a response from opposing counsel."

Upload this as a text file to the Project's Knowledge section.

Part 4: Test and Calibrate

Run 4 test prompts and compare output to what your firm would actually send:

Test 1 — Legal letter: "Draft a letter to opposing counsel requesting a 14-day extension on our discovery responses. We have a scheduling conflict. Formal tone."

Expected: Complete block-format letter with re: line, proper salutation, professional request, and closing.

Test 2 — Billing narrative: "Write a billing entry: attorney spent 2.5 hours drafting an opposition to defendant's motion for summary judgment and reviewing supporting case law."

Expected: Under 30 words, starts with a verb, specific.

Test 3 — Client status letter: "Draft a status update for a personal injury client. Status: we've completed written discovery, depositions are scheduled for next month, we're evaluating settlement options."

Expected: Plain English, no unexplained jargon, reassuring, clear next step.

Test 4 — Confidentiality check: Try mentioning a client name in a prompt. Expected: Claude produces the document without using the name and doesn't prompt you to provide more confidential details.

Refine the Project Instructions based on what's missing or off-tone. Typically takes 1–2 calibration rounds.

Real Example: Friday Afternoon Document Sprint

Setup: Firm's legal secretary; 6 documents needed before end-of-day Friday; attorney in depositions until 4pm.

Without the Claude Project: Each document drafted from scratch, re-explaining firm style, 30–45 minutes each.

With the Claude Project — 90-minute sprint:

Letter 1 — Extension request (8 min): Describe the situation → Claude drafts in firm format → review and finalize.

Billing narratives × 8 (12 min): Paste all 8 time entry notes as a numbered list → Claude returns 8 formatted narratives → review amounts and specifics → done.

Client status update (10 min): Describe matter status in bullets → Claude drafts in plain English → attorney approves → send.

Engagement letter framework (15 min): Describe matter type and fee structure → Claude drafts the framework → attorney customizes specific terms and signs.

Court filing checklist (8 min): Describe the filing and court → Claude generates checklist → verify against court's local rules.

Scheduling email (5 min): Describe the scheduling situation → Claude drafts → send.

Output: 6 documents in 90 minutes vs. 4–5 hours without the Project.

What to Do When It Breaks

• Output doesn't match firm letter format → Your Project Instructions need a more specific format description. Add a verbatim example of your opening, closing, and signature block structure.
• Billing narratives are too long → Add explicitly: "Billing narratives must be under 30 words. If you go over, trim automatically."
• Client letters contain legal jargon → Add to Instructions: "Client letters must pass this test: would a non-lawyer understand every sentence? Replace any term a non-lawyer would not know with plain English."
• Claude asks for confidential details → Your confidentiality rules section needs to be stronger. Add: "Never ask for client names, case numbers, or identifying information. Proceed with whatever general description I provide."

Variations

• Simpler version: Use Claude Pro without Projects — set custom instructions in your profile (Settings → Profile → Customize Claude). Less powerful but no Project setup required.
• Extended version: Create a separate Project per practice area — a personal injury Project with tort vocabulary, a family law Project with custody/divorce language, an estate planning Project with probate terminology. Each produces more accurate, practice-area-appropriate language.

What to Do Next

• This week: Build the Project with your firm's instructions and test it on one real document type
• This month: Refine the instructions based on which outputs need the most editing after attorney review
• Advanced: Combine with the prompt chain guide to build a full intake-to-engagement-letter pipeline

Advanced guide for legal secretary professionals. Attorney supervision of all AI-assisted documents is required.