Architecture & setup guide — how to build a cross-matter AI knowledge system using Claude CoWork and OneDrive.
Your instinct is exactly right: Claude can synthesise knowledge across all past matters to reduce costs on future litigation. The setup is simpler than you might expect.
Each lawsuit lives in its own CoWork Project — and a central Brain has special access across all of them, like a hub that connects separate silos.
All lawsuit materials live in a single shared workspace on OneDrive. Each matter is a subfolder. Because Claude sees everything inside one workspace, it already synthesises across all of them — automatically.
CoWork is a desktop app — not a cloud service. It reads and writes files in a folder you point it to. Understanding this single fact unlocks the whole architecture.
Claude only sees files inside the folder you've pointed it to. This is a security feature — your data stays local, and Claude cannot reach outside the workspace.
Sync any OneDrive folder to your machine, and CoWork can read and write it. Changes save back to the cloud automatically — giving the whole team access.
Below is the Litigation Brain folder structure. No special software or integration is required — just a well-organised shared folder that the whole Legal team syncs locally.
This is your workspace. Every Legal team member syncs this folder to their machine. CoWork is pointed here. Everything Claude knows about BRG litigation lives inside.
CLAUDE.md — instructions for how Claude should behave as your litigation assistant
MEMORY.md — accumulated patterns: cost benchmarks, counsel performance, winning arguments, risk flags
_Index.md — a one-line registry of every matter: type, status, outcome, total cost
Each lawsuit gets its own folder. Drop in pleadings, discovery, emails, expert reports as-is. Add a plain-English matter-summary.md that Claude reads for fast context.
Reusable precedent documents, clause libraries, and standard briefs that Claude can reference and adapt for new matters.
When you open CoWork pointed at the Litigation Brain and ask a question, Claude reads the entire workspace — all matter folders, the index, and the memory file — before producing an answer.
"Draft an initial defence strategy for a new IP infringement claim. Reference any similar matters we've handled before — what arguments succeeded, what outside counsel costs look like, and what to watch out for."
References arguments that prevailed in Matter 002, adapted for the new claim's facts. Flags the key distinctions to establish.
Based on comparable matters: likely $150–200K range. Notes which external counsel delivered best value in similar disputes.
Flags that the EU IP matter had similar technology facts. Links directly to the relevant discovery documents for review.
Because the Litigation Brain folder lives on OneDrive, every team member syncs it locally and points their CoWork at it. Adding a new matter is as simple as creating a subfolder.
matter-summary.md. Claude picks it up automatically next session. No reconfiguration needed.
The Litigation Brain is technically ready to build. These three steps must happen first — and all three can clear within a week.
Litigation documents may carry Legal Professional Privilege (LPP) considerations that sit above BRG's standard AI data policy. A 15-minute call with Madison Sertic (Privacy) is needed before any files go into Claude.
A shared OneDrive folder for the Legal team, with the right editors provisioned. Savannah or IT can set this up in under 10 minutes. This becomes the Brain's home.
Once the folder is live, the AI CoE (Lilly + Vivid) will run a setup session: build the CLAUDE.md brain instructions, create the matter index, onboard the team, and run a live demo with a real matter.
Ten people with full edit access to a folder of sensitive litigation documents is a data integrity risk. The right model uses tiered permissions — and OneDrive's built-in version control as the safety net.
OneDrive (SharePoint) keeps up to 500 versions of every file automatically. Any document — including CLAUDE.md — can be restored in one click. Nothing is permanently deletable without deliberate action by an Owner.
Access is managed via Azure AD groups — not individual invitations. When someone leaves Legal, IT removes them from the group and access is revoked across the entire folder structure simultaneously.
CLAUDE.md, MEMORY.md, _Index.md, and all matter folders. Only role that can change how the brain behaves.SharePoint keeps every saved version automatically. Right-click any file → Version history → restore in one click. Works on CLAUDE.md, matter documents, everything.
Deleted files go to the OneDrive recycle bin for 93 days before permanent removal. Only an Owner can purge. Accidental deletion is fully recoverable.
SharePoint logs every file access, edit, download, and deletion with timestamp and user. Exportable by IT or Legal admin. Supports any compliance or LPP audit trail requirement.