# Boss Lawyers Intranet — Blueprint **Date:** 27 April 2026 **Status:** Planning **Objective:** Build a next-level internal platform that gives a boutique firm the knowledge infrastructure of a top-tier national practice. --- ## Design Philosophy The nationals spend $200k+ per year on knowledge management platforms, dedicated KM lawyers, and research librarians. A boutique can't match that spend — but with AI and smart structure, you can match the output. This intranet should be: - **Single source of truth** — everything in one place - **Searchable** — not a filing cabinet, a brain - **Living** — updated continuously, not a static manual - **Role-based** — staff see what they need, restricted where appropriate - **AI-enhanced** — BossLawyerAI integrated as research assistant and knowledge curator --- ## Section 1: FIRM OPERATIONS ### 1.1 About the Firm - Firm history and values - Organisational structure and chart - Practice area descriptions - Firm positioning statement (boutique top-tier commercial litigation & insolvency) - Key differentiators - Firm branding guidelines (logo, colours, fonts, letterhead) ### 1.2 People Directory - Staff profiles (photo, role, practice areas, contact, bio) - Expertise matrix — who knows what (searchable by practice area, legislation, court experience) - Availability/leave calendar - Emergency contact list ### 1.3 Office & Facilities - Office locations and floor plans - Meeting room booking - IT support contact and procedures - Printing, scanning, postage procedures - Stationery and supplies ordering - Building access and security --- ## Section 2: HR & PEOPLE ### 2.1 Employee Handbook - Employment terms and conditions - Code of conduct - Dress code - Working hours and flexible work arrangements - Leave policies (annual, personal, parental, study, compassionate) - Public holidays (QLD) - Overtime and time-in-lieu - Performance review process and cycle - Probationary period procedures - Termination and resignation procedures - Grievance and dispute resolution procedure ### 2.2 Onboarding - New starter checklist (day 1, week 1, month 1, month 3) - System access setup guide (email, practice management, document management, court portals) - Introduction to firm culture and expectations - Assigned mentor/buddy system - Initial training schedule - Key contacts and who to ask for what - IT setup (hardware, software, passwords, VPN, MFA) ### 2.3 Remuneration & Benefits - Salary review process - Superannuation details - Professional development budget - Professional memberships (QLS, ARITA, etc.) - Employee assistance program (EAP) details - Practising certificate reimbursement ### 2.4 Wellbeing & Mental Health - QLS Member Assistance Program details - EAP provider contact - Mental health resources and support - Burnout prevention guidance - Flexible work and boundaries policy - Critical incident support procedures - LawCare / Minds Count resources ### 2.5 Diversity, Equity & Inclusion - DEI statement - Anti-discrimination policy - Equal opportunity policy - Reconciliation Action Plan (if applicable) --- ## Section 3: PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT & ETHICS ### 3.1 Australian Solicitors Conduct Rules 2023 (QLD) - Full text with firm-specific annotations - Quick reference guide for common ethical issues - Conflict of interest policy and procedures - Confidentiality obligations - Undertakings register and management - Duty to the court — practical guidance - Communication with represented parties - Former client conflicts ### 3.2 Supervision - Supervision plan template (required by QLS for supervised practitioners) - Supervision obligations by seniority level - Supervision register and records - Guidelines for supervising law clerks and paralegals - File review checklists ### 3.3 CPD (Continuing Professional Development) - QLS CPD requirements (10 points/year, mandatory areas) - CPD tracker for each practitioner - Approved CPD providers and upcoming events - Internal CPD sessions calendar - CPD records and certificates storage ### 3.4 Complaints Handling - Internal complaints procedure - QLS complaint process overview - Legal Services Commission escalation - Response templates and timeframes --- ## Section 4: PRACTICE MANAGEMENT ### 4.1 Client Intake & Onboarding - New client intake form - Conflict check procedure and register - Know Your Client (KYC) requirements - Client identification verification procedure - Engagement letter templates (by matter type) - Costs disclosure requirements (Legal Profession Act 2007 Pt 3.4 Div 3) - Costs agreement templates - Initial advice letter templates - Client care standards ### 4.2 Matter Management - File opening procedure and checklist - Matter numbering convention - File naming conventions - Matter stages and status tracking - File review schedule - Key date and limitation period tracking - Court date management - File closure procedure and checklist - Document destruction policy and schedule ### 4.3 Billing & Costs - Time recording policy and procedures - Billing narrative standards (QLD costs assessment defensible) - Unit rate table by practitioner - Invoice templates - WIP review procedures - Debt collection procedures for unpaid invoices - Costs agreement compliance checklist - Costs assessment procedures (Legal Profession Act 2007 Pt 3.4 Div 5) - Trust account procedures (see Section 6) ### 4.4 Court & Tribunal Procedures - Supreme Court of Queensland — filing guide, eFiling, registry contacts - District Court of Queensland — filing guide, registry contacts - Magistrates Court — filing procedures - Federal Court — eFiling (Commonwealth Courts Portal), practice notes - QCAT — application procedures - Court appearance preparation checklist - Brief to counsel procedures and templates - Listing and directions hearing procedures ### 4.5 Correspondence Standards - Letter templates (client, other side, court, general) - Email etiquette and standards - Without prejudice / Calderbank offer protocols - Service of documents procedures - File note standards --- ## Section 5: KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT & LEGAL RESOURCES ### 5.1 Precedent Library **This is the crown jewel. Organised by practice area and document type.** #### Commercial Litigation - Statement of Claim templates (breach of contract, misleading conduct, fraud) - Defence templates (general, counterclaim, set-off) - Reply templates - Affidavit templates (general, service, debt) - Interlocutory application templates (summary judgment, injunction, discovery, security for costs, strike out) - Submissions templates (interlocutory, final, costs) - Witness statement templates - Subpoena templates and schedules - Notice to Admit templates - Calderbank offer templates - Consent order templates - Offer to Settle templates (UCPR Pt 5) #### Insolvency & Restructuring - Statutory demand (Form 509H) + supporting affidavit - Application to set aside statutory demand + supporting affidavit - Winding up application + supporting affidavit - Proof of debt forms - Application for public examination (s 596A/596B) - DOCA templates - Creditor's report templates - Voidable transaction claim templates - Insolvent trading claim templates - Report as to affairs (RATA) guide - Consent of liquidator template #### General - Costs agreement templates (by matter type) - Engagement letters - Cease and desist letters - Demand letters (pre-litigation) - Settlement deed templates - Deed of release templates - Confidentiality/NDA templates - Authority to act forms ### 5.2 Legal Research Library - Daily case digest (auto-populated from cron job) - Weekly legislation update (auto-populated from cron job) - Key cases by practice area (annotated) - Legislation reference guide (with links to current versions) - Practice notes and guides (by court) - UCPR quick reference - Federal Court practice notes (Corporations) - Useful websites and databases - External research subscriptions (LexisNexis, Westlaw, SCLQLD) ### 5.3 Drafting Guides - Pleading drafting guide (UCPR requirements, common pitfalls) - Affidavit drafting guide (form, content, exhibits) - Submissions drafting guide (structure, authorities, persuasion) - Costs assessment preparation guide - Statutory demand checklist (strict compliance requirements) - Limitation periods quick reference - Key time limits reference ### 5.4 Case Notes & Lessons Learned - Post-matter reviews (what worked, what didn't) - Significant internal case notes - Judge and registrar notes (style preferences, known positions) - Opposing solicitor notes (approach, reliability, negotiation style) - Expert witness database and reviews ### 5.5 Research Requests - Internal research request form - Research assignment tracking - BossLawyerAI — integrated AI research assistant --- ## Section 6: TRUST ACCOUNTING & COMPLIANCE ### 6.1 Trust Account Manual - Trust account opening and management procedures - Trust money receipt and disbursement procedures - Controlled money account procedures - Trust account reconciliation procedures (monthly) - Trust account signatory register - Trust ledger maintenance - Trust account audit preparation - External examiner engagement and reporting (annual) - Legal Profession Act 2007 Pt 3.3 compliance guide - Legal Profession Regulation 2017 trust requirements ### 6.2 AML/CTF Compliance ⚠️ URGENT — 1 July 2026 **Tranche 2 of the AML/CTF Amendment Act 2024 brings law firms into scope from 1 July 2026.** - AUSTRAC enrolment status and registration - AML/CTF Programme (written, risk-based) - Customer Due Diligence (CDD) procedures - Enhanced Due Diligence (EDD) for high-risk clients - Ongoing customer monitoring requirements - Suspicious Matter Report (SMR) procedures - Threshold Transaction Report (TTR) procedures - Record-keeping requirements (7 years) - Staff training requirements and records - AML/CTF Compliance Officer designation - Designated services register (which firm services are in scope) - Risk assessment methodology ### 6.3 Regulatory Compliance Calendar - QLS practising certificate renewals - QLS trust account external examination (annual) - CPD compliance deadline - Professional indemnity insurance renewal - AUSTRAC reporting obligations (from 1 July 2026) - ASIC annual review (if applicable) - Privacy Act compliance review - Lexon insurance renewals - Annual practitioner declarations --- ## Section 7: INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY & SECURITY ### 7.1 IT Systems Guide - Practice management system user guide - Document management system user guide - Email system (setup, archiving, retention) - Court eFiling systems (QLD eFiling, Commonwealth Courts Portal) - ASIC portal access - PPSR portal access - Legal research platforms (LexisNexis, Westlaw, SCLQLD) - Remote access / VPN setup - Mobile device setup - Printer and scanner setup ### 7.2 Information Security Policy - Acceptable use policy - Password and authentication policy (MFA mandatory) - Email security (phishing awareness, encryption) - Device security (encryption, remote wipe) - Clean desk policy - Removable media policy - Visitor and third-party access - Social media policy - BYOD (bring your own device) policy ### 7.3 AI Use Policy - Artificial Intelligence Use Policy (already drafted — policies/ai-use-policy.md) - Approved AI tools and access levels - Data anonymisation requirements - AI output verification procedures ### 7.4 Data Breach Response Plan - Incident classification and severity levels - Response team roles and responsibilities - Containment procedures - Assessment criteria (serious harm test) - Notification obligations (Privacy Act 1988 Pt IIIC — Notifiable Data Breaches) - OAIC notification procedures and templates - Client notification templates - QLS notification (if trust/privilege data) - Post-incident review and remediation ### 7.5 Business Continuity & Disaster Recovery - Business impact analysis - Critical systems and recovery priorities - Backup procedures and verification - Remote work contingency plan - Communication plan (clients, courts, staff) - Alternative office arrangements - Insurance claims procedures - Recovery testing schedule --- ## Section 8: BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT & MARKETING ### 8.1 Client Relationship Management - Key client register and relationship owners - Client feedback process - Client satisfaction surveys - Referral source tracking - Cross-selling opportunities matrix - Client entertainment and events guidelines ### 8.2 Marketing - Brand guidelines and approved materials - Website content management - LinkedIn and social media guidelines - Thought leadership — article and publication standards - Conference and speaking engagement tracker - Award submissions tracker (Doyle's Guide, Best Lawyers, Chambers) - Media enquiry handling procedures ### 8.3 Business Development - BD activity tracker by practitioner - Networking event calendar - Industry association memberships (ARITA, TMA, QLS committees) - Tender and pitch templates - Referral partner management - Seminar and CLE presentation templates --- ## Section 9: FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT ### 9.1 Firm Financial Procedures - Expense reimbursement policy and forms - Credit card policy - Purchasing authorisation levels - Disbursement recovery procedures - Petty cash procedures ### 9.2 Financial Reporting - Monthly financial dashboard (revenue, WIP, debtors, cash) - KPI tracking (utilisation, realisation, lock-up, collection) - Budget vs actual reporting - Practice area profitability analysis --- ## Section 10: RISK MANAGEMENT ### 10.1 Professional Indemnity - Current PI insurance details (Lexon) - Notification of claims/circumstances procedures - Risk management checklist (file opening, ongoing, closure) - Common claims scenarios and prevention - Limitation period tracking system ### 10.2 Quality Assurance - File review program (random + scheduled) - Peer review procedures - Precedent review and update cycle - Client complaint analysis and trending - Near-miss reporting ### 10.3 Conflicts Register - Conflict check procedure (new matters and ongoing) - Information barriers (ethical walls) policy - Conflict waiver procedures and templates - Former client conflict management --- ## Section 11: TEMPLATES & FORMS HUB A centralised, searchable repository of every template and form: - Court forms by jurisdiction - Internal forms (leave, expense, IT request, matter opening, conflict check) - Client-facing forms (intake, authority, costs agreement, engagement letter) - Compliance forms (CPD, trust, AML/CTF, supervision) - Checklists (matter opening, matter closure, court appearance, trial preparation, appeal) --- ## Section 12: NEWS & UPDATES ### 12.1 Firm News - Announcements and updates - New matter wins / significant outcomes (anonymised) - Staff milestones and celebrations - Upcoming events ### 12.2 Legal Updates - Daily case digest (auto-feed from BossLawyerAI) - Weekly legislation update (auto-feed) - Practice area alerts - Court practice direction changes - QLS circulars and updates ### 12.3 Industry News - ASIC enforcement updates - ARITA insolvency news - Market and economic updates relevant to practice --- ## Implementation Priority ### Phase 1 — Foundation (Month 1-2) Build before first hire. These are the non-negotiables: 1. ☐ Employee Handbook (Section 2) 2. ☐ Professional Conduct & Ethics (Section 3) 3. ☐ Client Intake & Matter Management procedures (Section 4.1-4.2) 4. ☐ Trust Account Manual (Section 6.1) 5. ☐ **AML/CTF Programme (Section 6.2) — DEADLINE 1 JULY 2026** 6. ☐ Information Security Policy (Section 7.2) 7. ☐ AI Use Policy (Section 7.3) ✅ Done 8. ☐ Data Breach Response Plan (Section 7.4) 9. ☐ Onboarding pack (Section 2.2) ### Phase 2 — Knowledge (Month 2-4) What separates a good firm from a great one: 10. ☐ Precedent Library — core templates (Section 5.1) 11. ☐ Drafting Guides (Section 5.3) 12. ☐ Legal Research Library (Section 5.2) — partially done 13. ☐ Court & Tribunal filing guides (Section 4.4) 14. ☐ Billing & Costs standards (Section 4.3) 15. ☐ Key time limits and checklists — ✅ Done ### Phase 3 — Growth (Month 4-6) Scale-ready infrastructure: 16. ☐ Business Development framework (Section 8) 17. ☐ Financial reporting dashboards (Section 9) 18. ☐ Risk Management program (Section 10) 19. ☐ Quality Assurance procedures (Section 10.2) 20. ☐ Case Notes & Lessons Learned system (Section 5.4) ### Phase 4 — Excellence (Ongoing) Continuous improvement: 21. ☐ Judge/registrar notes database 22. ☐ Opposing solicitor database 23. ☐ Expert witness database 24. ☐ Post-matter reviews 25. ☐ Advanced analytics and KPI dashboards --- ## Technology Stack (Recommended) | Function | Tool | Notes | |----------|------|-------| | Intranet platform | Self-hosted wiki or Notion/Confluence | Searchable, role-based access | | Practice management | LEAP / Actionstep / Smokeball | QLD trust accounting compliant | | Document management | NetDocuments / iManage / built-in PMS | Version control, search | | AI assistant | BossLawyerAI (OpenClaw) | Research, drafting, knowledge curation | | Time recording | PMS built-in or separate | Must integrate with billing | | Accounting / Trust | PMS built-in or MYOB/Xero | Must be QLD trust compliant | | AML/CTF | First AML / Verify365 / manual | CDD, monitoring, reporting | | Communication | Microsoft 365 / Google Workspace | Email, calendar, Teams/Meet | | Password management | 1Password / Bitwarden | Firm-wide, MFA enforced | | Backup | Local + cloud (encrypted) | Tested quarterly | --- ## 🔴 CRITICAL ACTION ITEM **AML/CTF Tranche 2 — 1 July 2026 (64 days away)** Boss Lawyers must: 1. ☐ Enrol with AUSTRAC (portal open since 31 March 2026) 2. ☐ Identify designated services provided by the firm 3. ☐ Appoint AML/CTF Compliance Officer 4. ☐ Develop written AML/CTF Programme 5. ☐ Implement Customer Due Diligence procedures 6. ☐ Implement transaction monitoring 7. ☐ Establish suspicious matter reporting procedures 8. ☐ Train all staff 9. ☐ Establish record-keeping systems (7-year retention) **Failure to comply = significant penalties from AUSTRAC.** This should be your top priority before hiring anyone. --- *Blueprint compiled by BossLawyerAI, 27 April 2026*