Matter Workspace

/matter-workspace

Practitioners work across multiple clients and matters. A matter workspace keeps one client or engagement's context separate from every other. This skill manages those workspaces.

Subcommands

• /ai-governance-legal:matter-workspace new <slug> — create a new matter workspace, run a short intake, write matter.md
• /ai-governance-legal:matter-workspace list — list matters with status and active flag
• /ai-governance-legal:matter-workspace switch <slug> — set the active matter
• /ai-governance-legal:matter-workspace close <slug> — archive a matter (move to ~/.claude/plugins/config/claude-for-legal/ai-governance-legal/matters/_archived/, never delete)
• /ai-governance-legal:matter-workspace none — detach from any active matter, work at practice-level only

Instructions

1. Read ~/.claude/plugins/config/claude-for-legal/ai-governance-legal/CLAUDE.md — confirm the ## Matter workspaces section is populated. If Enabled is ✗, tell the user: "Matter workspaces are off — you're configured as an in-house practice with one client, so the plugin works from practice-level context automatically. If you actually work across multiple clients, re-run /ai-governance-legal:cold-start-interview --redo and select a private-practice setting. Otherwise, you don't need /matter-workspace at all." Don't error — the disabled state is the expected one for in-house users.
2. Use the workflow below.
3. Dispatch on the first token of $ARGUMENTS:
   • new → run the intake interview, write ~/.claude/plugins/config/claude-for-legal/ai-governance-legal/matters/<slug>/matter.md, seed history.md and notes.md.
   • list → enumerate ~/.claude/plugins/config/claude-for-legal/ai-governance-legal/matters/*/matter.md, print a table, mark the active matter.
   • switch → update the Active matter: line in the practice-level CLAUDE.md.
   • close → move ~/.claude/plugins/config/claude-for-legal/ai-governance-legal/matters/<slug>/ to ~/.claude/plugins/config/claude-for-legal/ai-governance-legal/matters/_archived/<slug>/, log the close date in history.md.
   • none → set Active matter: to none — practice-level context only.
4. Show the user what changed and confirm before writing.

Notes

• The skill never reads across matters unless Cross-matter context is on in the practice-level CLAUDE.md.
• Archiving is not deletion — closed matters remain readable for retention/conflicts purposes.
• Slugs are lowercase with hyphens. If a slug is reused across archived and active, the archived one is preserved under _archived/<slug>/.

Multi-client practitioners (private practice — solo, small firm, large firm) work across many matters. Context from one must not leak into another. This skill is the thin file-management layer that makes that true.

Default state is off. In-house users never see this — they run at practice-level only. Matter workspaces turn on at cold-start for private-practice users, or by editing ## Matter workspaces in the practice-level CLAUDE.md. If Enabled is ✗, this skill does not run; the workflow above explains the disabled state and suggests /ai-governance-legal:cold-start-interview --redo for users who actually need matter isolation.

Storage layout

All matter data lives under:

~/.claude/plugins/config/claude-for-legal/ai-governance-legal/
├── CLAUDE.md                       # practice-level practice profile
└── matters/
    ├── <slug>/
    │   ├── matter.md               # client, counterparty, matter type, key facts, overrides
    │   ├── history.md              # dated log of events, decisions, drafts, reviews
    │   ├── notes.md                # free-form working notes
    │   └── outputs/                # skill outputs for this matter (optional subfolder)
    └── _archived/
        └── <slug>/                 # closed matters — readable but not active

Slugs are lowercase with hyphens. Examples: acme-msa-2026, zenith-renewal, vendor-xyz-nda.

Active matter is in the practice CLAUDE.md

The Active matter: line under ## Matter workspaces in the practice-level CLAUDE.md is the single source of truth. Switching a matter edits that line. No separate state file.

Subcommand logic

new <slug>

1. Confirm slug is not already present in matters/<slug>/ or matters/_archived/<slug>/. If reused, ask the user to pick a different slug.
2. Run the intake interview:
   • Client (the party we represent, or the internal business unit if in-house)
   • Counterparty (the other side — may be multiple)
   • Matter type (read the plugin's practice profile for typical categories; for ai-governance-legal: use case (internal) | vendor AI review | AIA | regulatory change | policy project | other)
   • Confidentiality level (standard | heightened | clean-team — heightened prompts extra care in cross-matter settings)
   • Key facts (2–5 sentences: what this matter is about, who the stakeholders are, what's at stake)
   • Matter-specific overrides to the practice playbook (e.g., "client requires 24-month LoL cap not 12", "counterparty is a strategic partner — relationship-preserving tone")
   • Related matters (slugs of any connected matters)
3. Write matters/<slug>/matter.md using the template below.
4. Seed matters/<slug>/history.md with a single "Opened" entry.
5. Create an empty matters/<slug>/notes.md.
6. Do not auto-switch to the new matter. Ask: "Want to switch to <slug> now? (/ai-governance-legal:matter-workspace switch <slug>)"