Is it ethical to use AI on client files? ABA Opinion 512, explained
What the ABA's first AI ethics opinion actually requires — and why on-device tools change the calculus.
Read →
For solo & small-firm attorneys
Turn a pile of case files into an organized matter — in minutes, on your own computer.
ClerkSafe reads a folder of documents and hands back renamed files, a plain-English summary of each, a date-ordered chronology, and every deadline pulled into your calendar. It runs 100% on your machine — nothing is ever uploaded.
Built for the solo who's also the paralegal, the file clerk, and the rainmaker — and the only one who can open those confidential files.
Now in early access · no subscription · then a one-time $249.
🔒 On-device only — no cloud, no uploads
⚖️ Sidesteps ABA Op. 512 cloud-consent issues
ClerkSafe running on-device — organized files, summaries, and docketed deadlines.
What early users say
★★★★★
“Turned a banker's box of discovery into a clean, summarized timeline before lunch.”
— Jackson V. · Solo PI attorney, OH
★★★★★
“Finally an AI tool I can run on client files with no confidentiality headache. Nothing leaves my laptop.”
— Lacy M. · Family law solo, TX
★★★★★
“Paid once, no subscription, saves me a paralegal day per case. Easy yes.”
— Charlotte L. · Estate attorney, FL
Illustrative testimonials shown during early access — to be replaced with real, verified reviews before launch.
What is ClerkSafe?
An offline case-file clerk for solo attorneys.
ClerkSafe is desktop software for solo and small-firm attorneys that turns a raw folder of case documents into an organized, summarized, and docketed matter — entirely on your own computer. It renames and sorts every file, writes a plain-English summary of each, builds a date-ordered chronology, and extracts every deadline into a calendar you can import.
In one line: ClerkSafe does a paralegal's first pass on a new matter — organize, summarize, build the timeline, and docket the deadlines — without ever sending a client's documents to the cloud.
The drudgery tax
You went to law school to practice law — not to rename PDFs.
Every new matter shows up as a chaotic pile: scanned discovery, client emails, medical records, contracts, exhibits. Before you can think about the case, someone has to read all of it, name it, sort it, build a timeline, and find every deadline. For a solo, that someone is usually you — at 9pm.
1
Hours of sorting
Manually opening, renaming and foldering hundreds of documents per matter — the numbing drudgery every litigator knows.
2
Deadlines hiding in the pile
A missed date is the #1 malpractice trigger. The dates that matter are buried across dozens of documents.
3
Cloud AI you can't fully trust
The new legal-AI tools send client data to someone else's servers — raising confidentiality and consent questions you'd rather not own.
How it works
Drop a folder. Get a ready-to-work case file back.
No setup project, no integrations, no account. Point ClerkSafe at a matter folder and it does the first pass for you — entirely on your machine.
1 · Point it at the folder
Drag in a matter's documents — PDFs, scans, Word files, emails. ClerkSafe OCRs anything that needs it, locally.
2 · It reads & renames
Each file gets a clear, consistent name (date · party · doc type) and is sorted into a clean matter structure you control.
3 · It summarizes each document
A plain-English summary per document, with key dates, parties, amounts and obligations pulled out — and fully editable.
4 · It builds the chronology
A single date-ordered timeline of events across the whole matter — every entry linked back to its source document.
5 · It dockets your deadlines ⭐
ClerkSafe pulls every date that matters — hearings, filing deadlines, limitations triggers — into a list and a calendar (.ics) you import into Outlook or Google Calendar. You review and approve each one; it flags, you confirm. A missed date is the #1 malpractice trigger, so this is your safety net.
You review and approve everything — summaries and deadlines. ClerkSafe drafts the first pass; you stay the lawyer of record.
Why on-device matters now
Confidentiality isn't a feature. It's the whole point.
ClerkSafe has no servers. Your client's documents never leave your computer, are never uploaded, and are never used to train anyone's model. There's nothing to leak, subpoena from a vendor, or explain to a nervous client. You can use it on a plane with the Wi-Fi off. Even the AI summaries run on a model on your own machine.
In 2024 the ABA issued Formal Opinion 512, putting the duties of confidentiality and informed client consent on lawyers who feed client information into cloud generative-AI tools. A tool that runs entirely on your own device keeps that data inside your control by design.
ClerkSafe is software that assists your work product; it does not provide legal advice and does not replace your professional judgment. You review all output.
Where ClerkSafe fits
The legal-AI tools are great. They're also cloud subscriptions.
Paxton, Spellbook, Gavel and the rest live in the cloud and bill you every month, mostly for research and drafting. The only "private" options today are general-purpose AI apps or do-it-yourself open-source projects. ClerkSafe is the turnkey, legal-specific, buy-once tool aimed at the one job they all skip: turning a raw pile of documents into an organized, summarized, docketed case file — offline.
Pricing
Two tiers. Buy once — never subscribe.
Standard · first 3 matters free
$249 $399
One-time · perpetual license · 1 year of updates. Start free — your first 3 matters.
- Local OCR, renaming & foldering
- Editable per-document summaries
- Automatic case chronology with source links
- Deadline docketing — dates pulled into a calendar (.ics)
- Runs fully offline — Mac & Windows
- Then unlimited matters, forever
Coming soon
Pro · for document-heavy litigators
$399 $549 founding price
In active development. Join the waitlist to lock the founding price and help decide which tools ship first.
- Everything in Standard
- Production prep — Bates numbering & privilege log
- Ask-the-matter — local Q&A with source citations
- Case-wide summary memo & missing-document checklist
- Priority support
Both tiers are a one-time purchase — no subscription. For comparison, a single cloud legal-AI seat runs $360–$1,440 per year.
From the blog
Ethics
Workflow
Security
Guides for the modern solo practice
Plain-English answers on AI ethics, deadline systems, confidentiality, and getting matters under control — written for solo and small-firm attorneys.
How to never miss a legal deadline: a docketing system for solos
A simple, repeatable way to capture every date in a matter without a full calendaring department.
Read →Offline vs. cloud legal AI: which is safe for client confidentiality?
The real privacy difference between on-device and cloud AI — and how to evaluate any tool.
Read →
Get early access
Be a founding user. Your first 3 matters, free.
ClerkSafe is live in early access. Join the list to get in first, organize your first 3 matters free, and lock the $249 founding price when you unlock unlimited. No payment today, no card — just your email.
We'll only email you about ClerkSafe. Unsubscribe anytime. Your documents always stay on your device — that's the whole idea.
Frequently asked questions
Straight answers
Is ClerkSafe cloud-based or does it run offline?
ClerkSafe runs 100% offline on your own computer. It performs OCR, summarization, chronology-building, and deadline docketing locally. There are no servers and nothing is uploaded — it works even with the Wi-Fi off.
How can ClerkSafe summarize documents without the internet?
ClerkSafe runs a local AI model on your hardware via Ollama, so the documents never leave your machine. If no local model is installed, a built-in offline summarizer is used instead.
Does ClerkSafe help with the ABA's AI ethics rules (Opinion 512)?
ABA Formal Opinion 512 (2024) places duties of confidentiality and informed client consent on lawyers who feed client information into cloud generative-AI tools. Because ClerkSafe runs entirely on your own device and never uploads client data, it keeps that data inside your control by design. ClerkSafe is software, not legal advice — follow your jurisdiction's rules.
Does ClerkSafe calculate my court deadlines for me?
ClerkSafe extracts the dates and deadlines stated in your documents and assembles them into a list and a calendar (.ics) file for you to confirm. It does not compute deadlines from court rules and does not give legal advice; you review and verify every date.
How much does ClerkSafe cost?
ClerkSafe is a one-time purchase, not a subscription. Standard is $249 (your first 3 matters are free) and Pro is $399. A single cloud legal-AI seat typically runs $360–$1,440 per year.
Who is ClerkSafe for?
Solo and small-firm attorneys in document-heavy practice areas — personal injury, family law, estate & probate, immigration, and general civil litigation — who personally handle the first-pass organization of a new matter.
Does ClerkSafe work on Windows and Mac?
Yes — both Windows and macOS.
What practice areas is it best for?
Any document-heavy practice. It shines where matters arrive as big piles of files: PI, family law, estate/probate, immigration, and general civil litigation.