Claude Cowork
The Complete Guide for Lawyers

Classic chat: useful, but limited

You know Claude through chat. You ask a question, you get an answer. It's useful — and Claude does have a memory you can switch on so it remembers your preferences from one session to the next. But for each specific task, you have to re-supply context: copy-paste the relevant documents, re-explain the case, restate your expectations. And above all, Claude has no direct access to your files or to your legal sources.

What Cowork changes

Cowork is an autonomous agent built into the Claude Desktop app. In practice:

• ▸ You describe a goal: "Prepare a briefing note for me on recent case law concerning dismissal for gross misconduct in the banking sector."
• ▸ Claude breaks the task down into sub-steps.
• ▸ It executes each step: research, drafting, formatting.
• ▸ It creates the files directly in your folder.
• ▸ You come back 15 minutes later: it's done.

In concrete terms, you delegate a task as you would to a colleague. The difference: this colleague has access to your files, never loses context (within a Project), and can work while you're elsewhere.

The difference in a table

What you need

• ▸A Claude Pro subscription ($20/month) or Max ($100/month). Cowork is available from the Pro plan. Nothing more to pay.
• ▸The Claude Desktop app on Mac or Windows (not the browser version).
• ▸30 minutes set aside for the initial configuration.

Step-by-step installation

1

Download Claude Desktop

Go to claude.com/download and install the app.

• Mac: macOS 11 (Big Sur) or later. Intel and Apple Silicon.
• Windows: Windows 10 version 2004+ (build 19041+). x64 only.

2

Sign in

Open the app and sign in with your Claude Pro or Max account.

3

Open Cowork

At the top of the interface, you'll see three tabs: Chat, Cowork and Code. Click Cowork.

Claude Desktop

4

Select the right model

Select Opus 4.6 and turn on Extended Thinking. It's the most capable model available, the one you want for legal work.

Model selection

5

Grant access to a folder

Cowork will ask you to select a working folder. This is the scope within which Claude can read, edit and create files.

Recommendation: create a dedicated folder such as ~/Documents/Claude-Firm/ to start. You can expand it later.

Cowork runs in an isolated virtual machine (VM) on your computer. Claude only has access to the folders you explicitly authorize. The VM is separate from your main operating system.

Before we get into folders, files and structure: here is the prompt you should run at the start of every Cowork session.

I want [TASK] for [SUCCESS CRITERION].

First explore my folder.

Then ask me questions using AskUserQuestion.

I want to refine the approach with you before you execute.

How it actually works

When you add AskUserQuestion, Cowork generates an interactive form: clickable buttons, options to select, choices to rank.

You no longer write a 500-word brief. You answer a brief that Claude wrote for you.

The process:

1. Claude reads your files in the folder.
2. It generates a form that asks for your preferences, your audience, your goals.
3. You click your answers in under a minute.
4. Claude shows an action plan. You approve it.
5. It executes by creating real files in your folder.

It feels like directing someone competent rather than wrestling with a text box.

Claude Cowork - AskUserQuestion

A concrete example for a lawyer

I want to prepare a briefing note on the latest case-law developments
on workplace harassment, for an ongoing case before the employment
tribunal of Bordeaux.

First explore my folder.

Then ask me questions using AskUserQuestion.

I want to refine the approach with you before you execute.

Claude will ask you: the desired period, the relevant level of jurisdiction, the specific points of the case, the desired output format. You click, it works.

Without this structure, Cowork is an intern with no brief. With it, it's a senior associate.

The recommended structure for a firm

This folder tree lets Cowork produce quality results on your most complex tasks. Claude knows where to find context, where to write, and which templates to follow.

Why this structure

• ▸CONTEXT/: what Claude needs to know about your firm. It reads this before every task.
• ▸Clients/: one subfolder per active case. The exhibits, the notes, the correspondence.
• ▸Templates/: your best past work. Claude draws on it to reproduce your level of quality and your structure.
• ▸Research/: monitoring, case law, doctrinal articles. The raw material.
• ▸Deliverables/: the default place where Claude creates its files. Your source files stay intact.

The firm-context.md file

This is Claude's memory. Without it, you re-explain yourself every session.

ZEVRA-KNOWLEDGE-BASE.md

# Firm Context

## The firm
- [NAME] firm, specialized in [PRACTICE AREAS]
- Bar of [CITY]
- [X] lawyers, [X] associates

## Working rules
- Always cite sources with article or docket number
- Default output format: Markdown
- Name files: YYYY-MM-DD_type_description.md
- Tone: professional, concise, formal
- Every research note contains: the question asked, applicable texts,
  relevant case law, analysis, recommendation

## What I do NOT want
- No empty filler ("it should be noted that...")
- No lists of more than 7 points
- No conclusions without a precise textual basis
- Never invent a docket number or article reference

The anti-ai.md file

This is your blacklist. Everything Claude must never do.

Examples: "Never start with 'Of course!'", "No systematic passive constructions", "Never cite an article without giving the source code or statute", "No phrasing like 'it is interesting to note that'".

The more precise this list, the less you have to rework the deliverables.

Global instructions (just once)

Go to Settings → Cowork → Global instructions. It's a permanent prompt that Claude reads before every session — a job description for your assistant.

# GLOBAL INSTRUCTIONS

## BEFORE EVERY TASK
1. Read the "CONTEXT/" folder. No task starts without it.
2. If the task concerns a client, read the matching subfolder in "Clients/".
3. If a relevant template exists in "Templates/", study its structure.

## WHERE YOU MAY WRITE
You create files ONLY in "Deliverables/" unless explicitly instructed otherwise.
The CONTEXT/ and Templates/ folders are read-only.

## RULES
- If the request is unclear, ask questions using AskUserQuestion.
- Go straight to the deliverable. No commentary unless I ask for it.
- Do not delete or modify any existing file without authorization.
- Always cite statutory articles and docket numbers. If you are not
  certain of a reference, say so explicitly.

You set this up once. It runs every session. You never type it again.

The concept

Projects turn Cowork from a one-off tool into a genuinely permanent workspace.

A Project = a folder + memory + permanent instructions + scheduled tasks.

When you create a Project, Claude remembers what you did together. It knows the matter's context. You no longer have to re-explain everything every session.

Creating a Project

In the left navigation panel, click the "+" next to "Projects". Three options:

1. Start from scratch: a new project with instructions and files.
2. Import from Claude Chat: transfer an existing project.
3. Use a local folder: link a folder that already exists on your machine.

For a client matter, option 3 is the most natural: point it at the client's subfolder in your folder structure.

Permanent instructions: the real lever

This is text that Claude will read at every session within this Project. Example for an employment-tribunal matter:

# Instructions — Dupont matter

## Context
- Client: Jean Dupont, employee, permanent contract since 12/03/2018
- Employer: SAS TechCorp, SYNTEC collective agreement (IDCC 1486)
- Subject: challenging a dismissal for professional incompetence
- Jurisdiction: employment tribunal of Bordeaux
- Opposing counsel: Me Martin, XYZ firm

## Specific rules
- Applicable law: French Labour Code + SYNTEC agreement
- Always check the collective-agreement provisions in addition to statute
- Note format: Question → Texts → Case law (min. 3 decisions) → Analysis → Recommendation

With these instructions, every time you open this Project, Claude knows the framework it's working in. You save 5 minutes of context every session.

Project ideas for a firm

• ▸One Project per complex matter: employment litigation, M&A, insolvency proceedings
• ▸Legal monitoring: recurring research on your areas of specialty
• ▸Models & templates: generating and updating your standard documents
• ▸Communication: drafting articles, LinkedIn posts, the firm's newsletter
• ▸Firm admin: billing follow-up, reminders, organization

Why it matters

Without a connector, Cowork works only with the files you give it and the knowledge in its model. With MCP (Model Context Protocol) connectors, it queries official legal databases in real time.

For a lawyer, that means: querying Légifrance, collective agreements, the Official Journal or Pappers Justice directly from Cowork. Claude no longer "guesses" the law — it goes and fetches it at the source.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "code": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "mcp-remote",
        "https://code-mcp.super-novia.io/mcp?api_key=mcpf_bS0t0ltMfXMXJU9nE4VmYxkJ2TMtLPUS"
      ]
    }
  }
}

The legal connectors available

How to install them

Method 1 — Via custom connectors (recommended)

1. In Claude Desktop, go to Settings → Connectors.
2. Click "Add a custom connector".
3. Enter the MCP server URL.
4. Confirm and restart Claude Desktop.

Method 2 — Via the configuration file

For the more comfortable, edit the configuration file directly:

• Mac: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
• Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

Check that it works

Once your connectors are installed, test them:

Find the last 5 decisions of the Court of Cassation, social chamber,
on the topic of workplace harassment.

For each decision: date, docket number, the solution reached.

Create a file Research/case-law-workplace-harassment.md

If Claude returns sourced results with verifiable docket numbers: your connectors are working.

MCP Légifrance - Claude Cowork

The principle

You can schedule Claude to run tasks automatically, at set times and frequencies. In Cowork, type /schedule or click "Scheduled" in the left sidebar.

4 essential scheduled tasks for a lawyer

1. Weekly case-law monitoring

Every Monday at 8am:

Find the decisions published last week in employment law
(social chamber of the Court of Cassation).

Filter on: dismissal, harassment, overtime.

Create a file Research/Monitoring/YYYY-MM-DD_weekly-watch.md with,
for each decision: date, number, topic, solution, practical
impact in 2 lines.

2. Official Journal tracking

Every day at 7:30am:

Check the day's JORF. Identify the texts relevant to a firm
specialized in employment law and business law.

Create a summary in Research/Monitoring/OJ/YYYY-MM-DD_oj.md

3. Procedural deadline audit

Every day at 8am:

Go through the matters in Clients/ and identify in each
summary sheet the deadlines within 15 days.

Create an alert in Deliverables/urgent-deadlines.md

4. Weekly planning preparation

Every Sunday at 8pm:

Read the files in the Clients/ folder and create a weekly plan
prioritized by urgency and deadline.

Save it in Deliverables/week-plan-YYYY-WXX.md

These tasks become even more powerful when connected to the legal MCPs. Monitoring goes from "a summary based on what Claude knows" to "a summary based on the decisions actually published this week on Légifrance".

Plugins, Skills, what's the difference?

A plugin is a complete package that bundles several elements: skills (specialized capabilities), connectors (links to your tools), slash commands, and sometimes dedicated subagents.

Skills are the heart of the system. They encode the domain expertise, best practices and step-by-step workflows that Claude calls on automatically when the context calls for it. When you install a plugin, its skills become available. You activate them with / or the + button in Cowork.

How to install a plugin

1. In Cowork, click "Customize" in the sidebar.
2. Click "Browse plugins".
3. Choose a plugin and click "Install".
4. Type / in the chat to see the available commands.

The Legal plugin: the most relevant for lawyers

Anthropic has open-sourced a Legal plugin designed for in-house counsel. It's built for common-law systems, but its structure adapts directly to French law. It's a solid base for understanding what Skills make possible.

The 6 Skills in the Legal plugin

The Legal plugin's slash commands

How to adapt it to French law

Anthropic's Legal plugin is built for common-law systems (Delaware, New York, California positions). For a French firm, you need to adapt the playbook: your standard positions, your escalation thresholds, your legal references. The legal.local.md file is where you configure all of this.

It's configuration work, not code. You define your usual contractual positions (liability cap, intellectual property, governing law, confidentiality duration), and Claude uses them as a reference to analyze the contracts submitted to it.

Other plugins useful for a firm

• ▸ Financial Analysis: for matters involving damages calculations, balance-sheet analysis or company valuations.
• ▸ Brand Voice: Claude analyzes your existing documents and extracts your writing style to make your output consistent.

Building a custom plugin

A custom plugin can encode your working methods: how you structure a writ of summons, your usual damages scales, your submission templates, your pre-hearing checklists. It doesn't require knowing how to code; it's structured configuration.

Anthropic has open-sourced the 11 reference plugins on GitHub. Each one is a template you can duplicate and adapt to your practice. The structure is in Markdown, not code.

The concept

Dispatch lets you send instructions to Cowork from the Claude mobile app. Claude runs them on your desktop computer while you're elsewhere.

You're at the courthouse and need a quick search. You type on your phone:

Find the last 3 decisions of the Court of Appeal of Bordeaux on
the reclassification of fixed-term contracts as permanent contracts
in the restaurant sector.
Put the result in Clients/Moreau-FTC/research-reclassification.md

When you get back to the office: the file is there, in your folder.

Setting up Dispatch

1. Make sure Claude Desktop is open on your computer (it must stay on and awake).
2. Install the Claude app on your phone (iOS or Android).
3. Sign in with the same account.
4. Your Cowork thread appears — it's the same workspace.

Mobile use cases

Each prompt is ready to copy-paste. Adapt the folder names to your own structure.

Workflow 1 — Analyzing an employment contract

Analyze the employment contract in Clients/Durand/employment-contract.pdf.

Identify:
- Clauses that may be unfair or unbalanced
- Compliance with the applicable collective agreement
- Points of attention for the employee
- Litigation risks for the employer

Create a structured report in Deliverables/contract-analysis-durand.md

Workflow 2 — Preparing employment-tribunal submissions

From the summary sheet and the exhibits in the matter
Clients/Lambert/, draft a draft structure of submissions
for the claimant (employee) before the employment tribunal.

Expected outline:
I. Statement of facts
II. Discussion (per head of claim)
III. Quantified claims

For each argument, cite the applicable texts and at least
2 relevant case-law decisions.

Use AskUserQuestion to clarify the heads of claim.

Workflow 3 — Calculating severance pay

The employee has the following characteristics:
- Length of service: 12 years and 4 months
- Reference salary: €3,850 gross/month
- Collective agreement: Metallurgy (IDCC 3248)
- Reason: economic dismissal (redundancy)

Calculate:
1. The statutory severance pay
2. The collective-agreement severance pay
3. The more favorable of the two
4. The compensatory payment in lieu of notice
5. The paid-leave allowance on the notice period

Show the detail of the calculations. Cite the applicable articles.
Create the file in Clients/Berger/severance-calculation.md

Workflow 4 — Monitoring a collective agreement

Query the available sources on the SYNTEC collective agreement
(IDCC 1486).

Identify the latest amendments and accords signed over
the last 6 months.

For each: date of signature, subject, entry into force,
practical impact.

File: Research/CA/syntec-latest-amendments.md

Workflow 5 — Onboarding a new client (family law)

A new client comes to the firm for divorce proceedings.
Create in Clients/NewClient-Divorce/:

1. client-sheet.md — with all the fields to fill in
2. document-checklist.md — list of documents to request from the client
3. timeline.md — timeline template to complete
4. maintenance-estimate.md — calculation grid to fill in
5. matter-opening.md — administrative checklist
   (conflict of interest, escrow account, etc.)

Use AskUserQuestion to find out what type of divorce
(mutual consent, contested, etc.).

Workflow 6 — Employment due diligence (business law)

From the HR documents in Clients/Acquisition-TargetCo/,
carry out a preliminary employment audit:

- Headcount and contract types
- Applicable collective agreements
- Company-level agreements in force
- Ongoing or recent employment-tribunal litigation
- Identified risks (reclassification, overtime, etc.)

Format: structured report with a risk level per topic
(low/medium/high).

File: Clients/Acquisition-TargetCo/preliminary-employment-audit.md

Workflow 7 — Hearing preparation (criminal)

The immediate-appearance hearing is tomorrow.
Matter: Clients/Petit-IA/.

Prepare:
1. A concise pleading sheet (1 page)
2. The character elements to highlight
3. Arguments on the charge as classified
4. The penalties incurred and the alternatives to imprisonment
5. Useful case-law references (mitigating circumstances)

Put everything in Clients/Petit-IA/Hearing-Tomorrow/

Workflow 8 — Writing an article for the firm's website

Write a 1,200-word article on the topic:
"Dismissal for unfitness: the complete procedure in 2026"

Structure:
- A hook aimed at the layperson (no jargon)
- Definition and legal framework (with Labour Code articles)
- The stages of the procedure
- The employee's rights
- The employer's common mistakes
- FAQ (5 questions)

Tone: educational, accessible, professional.
Audience: an individual looking for information.

File: Deliverables/articles/dismissal-unfitness-2026.md

You need to know these points before making Cowork your everyday tool.

How it works technically

Cowork runs in an isolated virtual machine on your computer. The files you share stay on your machine. However, the text of your instructions and the content of the files Claude reads during a task are sent to Anthropic's servers so the model can generate its responses. This is how any online AI service normally works.

What is not sent: the files you haven't shared with Cowork, your other apps and system data.

Conversation history is stored locally on your computer. Cowork activity is not captured in Anthropic's audit logs, Compliance API or data exports.

The critical point for lawyers

Professional-ethics recommendations

The right reflexes

You now have what you need to configure Cowork, connect the official French legal sources, create Projects and automate your first tasks. That's the foundation.

Where it gets really interesting is when you combine all of it: custom templates for your specialty, custom plugins that encode your methodology, chained workflows that automate a whole documentary production chain.

Free resources

Zevra guides and training

Zevra develops and maintains the legal MCP connectors mentioned in this guide, and trains lawyers to use AI in their daily practice.