Counsel_OS

   ____                          _       ___  ____
  / ___|___  _   _ _ __  ___  ___| |     / _ \/ ___|
 | |   / _ \| | | | '_ \/ __|/ _ \ |    | | | \___ \
 | |__| (_) | |_| | | | \__ \  __/ |    | |_| |___) |
  \____\___/ \__,_|_| |_|___/\___|_|_   \___/|____/

⚠️ Proof-of-concept experiment built with GitHub Copilot CLI, not for production use ⚠️

Mission Control for In-House Legal Teams

Counsel_OS is a self-hosted platform for in-house legal teams. Nineteen integrated modules covering a spectrum of legal work -- contracts, litigation, transactions, compliance, matter management, spend analytics, research, and knowledge management -- running on your own infrastructure. AI capabilities are powered by a model running locally on your hardware by default, with optional cloud AI providers labeled and gated.

The Power at a Glance

Counsel_OS replaces the patchwork of spreadsheets, shared drives, and disconnected SaaS tools that most legal departments rely on. Every module is integrated, searchable, and designed by and for practicing lawyers.

Document Intelligence

Module	What It Does
Contract Analyzer	AI-powered clause extraction, risk scoring, and playbook comparison. Upload any contract and get a structured breakdown of key terms, obligation tracking, and deviation analysis against your negotiation playbook.
Redlining Assistant	Side-by-side document diff with AI-suggested redlines and negotiation talking points. Compare drafts, generate markup, and export clean or redlined versions.
Privilege Log Generator	Automatically extract document metadata, apply AI-assisted privilege classification, and export production-ready privilege logs in Excel format.

Litigation

Module	What It Does
Case Timeline Builder	Build interactive chronologies with document-linked events. Drag-and-drop timeline editing, date range filtering, and export to presentation-ready formats.
Discovery Dashboard	Full document review workflow with coding panels, reviewer workload management, production set tracking, and review progress analytics.
Deposition Prep Workbench	Organize exhibits, generate AI-suggested examination questions by theme, build witness outlines, and manage deposition logistics in one workspace.

Transactional

Module	What It Does
Deal Room	Manage due diligence checklists, track closing conditions, coordinate signature pages, and maintain a complete audit trail of deal activity.
Board Resolution Drafter	16+ resolution templates with variable substitution, AI-assisted drafting, unanimous written consent support, and board book generation.
Entity Management	Maintain corporate org charts, officer and director registries, filing deadline calendars, and jurisdiction-specific compliance requirements.

Compliance

Module	What It Does
Regulatory Tracker	Monitor regulatory developments, generate AI summaries of new rules, assess impact on your organization, and track implementation status.
Policy Library	Version-controlled policy repository with approval workflows, employee acknowledgment tracking, scheduled review reminders, and change history.
Training Tracker	Manage compliance training programs, track completion rates, issue certifications, and generate audit-ready completion reports.

Productivity

Module	What It Does
Matter Management	Full matter lifecycle management with Kanban and list views, budget tracking, deadline management, team assignment, and status reporting.
Legal Hold Manager	Issue, track, and audit litigation holds with custodian management, acknowledgment tracking, periodic reminders, and release workflows.
Spend Analytics	Parse and manage outside counsel invoices, visualize spend by matter/firm/practice area, analyze rate trends, and track budget health.
Research Notebook	AI-assisted legal research workspace with citation management, IRAC-structured memo generation, and a searchable research archive.

Knowledge Management

Module	What It Does
Precedent Library	Searchable repository of templates, approved clauses, and prior work product with version control and usage analytics.
FAQ Bot	AI-powered knowledge base that answers recurring internal legal questions using your organization's own policies, templates, and prior guidance.
Intake Portal	Structured legal request forms with auto-routing to the right team member, SLA tracking, status visibility for requestors, and intake analytics.

See It in Action

Dashboard

The dashboard provides an at-a-glance overview of your legal department: active matters, pending requests, upcoming deadlines, and recent team activity.

Contract Analyzer

Upload any contract and get instant AI-powered clause extraction, risk scoring, and playbook comparison. Every finding is linked to the source text.

Matter Management -- Kanban View

Track every legal matter across its lifecycle. Switch between list and board views, drag matters between status columns, and see your team's workload at a glance.

Spend Analytics

Visualize outside counsel spend across matters, firms, and practice areas. Track budgets, spot trends, and identify cost-saving opportunities.

AI Configuration

Security and Privacy

Counsel_OS was designed from the ground up for the security and confidentiality requirements of legal work.

Your Data, Your Servers, Your Control

Principle	Implementation
Local-only storage	All data is stored in a SQLite database file on your server. There is no external database dependency and no cloud storage.
No telemetry	Counsel_OS sends zero telemetry, analytics, or usage data anywhere. There are no tracking pixels, no anonymous usage reports, no crash reporting services. Nothing.
No phone-home	The application makes zero outbound network requests unless you explicitly configure a cloud AI provider and explicitly trigger an AI action.
Offline capable	With a local model for AI, Counsel_OS is fully functional with no internet connection whatsoever.
AI is opt-in per action	Every AI analysis requires an explicit user click, and cloud providers display a data flow warning before each request.
Cloud AI clearly labeled	When a cloud AI provider is configured, every AI action displays a clear warning that data will leave your network. The UI distinguishes local and cloud AI at every touchpoint.
Encryption at rest	File storage supports encryption at rest. Database encryption is available via SQLCipher configuration.
Role-based access control	Granular RBAC with support for admin, attorney, paralegal, and read-only roles. Permissions are enforced at the API layer.
Complete audit trail	Every action -- document access, matter updates, AI queries, user logins -- is logged in an immutable audit trail with timestamps and user attribution.
No third-party services	Counsel_OS loads no external scripts, fonts, stylesheets, or resources. No CDN. No external analytics. The application is entirely self-contained.

What Counsel_OS Does Not Do

Does not include any analytics, tracking, or fingerprinting code
Does not require an internet connection (except for optional cloud AI)
Does not load external fonts, scripts, or stylesheets
Does not use cookies for tracking (session cookies only for authentication)
Does not store data anywhere other than your server's filesystem

For a detailed security architecture review, see docs/security.md.

Architecture

+-----------------------------------------------------------+
|                     Your Browser                          |
|             (Nothing installed, just a URL)               |
+----------------------------+------------------------------+
                             | HTTPS
+----------------------------+------------------------------+
|                    Counsel_OS Server                       |
|  +----------+ +----------+ +----------+ +-----------+    |
|  | Next.js  | |  tRPC    | |WebSocket | |   Auth    |    |
|  |  UI/SSR  | |   API    | |  Collab  | |  (Local)  |    |
|  +----------+ +----------+ +----------+ +-----------+    |
|  +----------+ +----------+ +----------+                   |
|  |    AI    | | Document | |  Search  |                   |
|  |  Engine  | | Pipeline | |  (FTS5)  |                   |
|  +----+-----+ +----------+ +----------+                   |
|       |       +----------------------+                    |
|       |       |   SQLite Database    |  All data stays    |
|       |       |   + File Storage     |  on YOUR server    |
|       |       +----------------------+                    |
+-------+--------------------------------------------------+
        | (optional, user-configured)
+-------+------------------------+
|  Ollama (localhost)            |  <-- Default: 100% local
|  --- OR ---                    |
|  OpenAI / Anthropic /          |  <-- Optional: cloud AI
|  Azure OpenAI                  |
+--------------------------------+

Technology Stack

Layer	Technology	Purpose
Frontend	Next.js 14+, React, TypeScript	Server-rendered UI with client-side interactivity
Styling	Tailwind CSS, shadcn/ui patterns	Clean, accessible component library
API	tRPC	End-to-end type-safe API layer
Database	Prisma + SQLite	Zero-configuration relational database
Search	SQLite FTS5	Full-text search across all modules
AI	Ollama (local)	Local LLM inference with no data leaving your network
AI (optional)	OpenAI, Anthropic, Azure OpenAI	Cloud AI providers with explicit opt-in
Real-time	WebSocket	Collaborative editing and live notifications
Auth	Local credentials + optional SSO	No dependency on external auth services

Quick Start (5 Minutes)

Prerequisites

Node.js 18+ (LTS recommended)
npm 9+ or pnpm
4 GB RAM minimum (8 GB+ recommended if running Ollama locally)

Installation

# 1. Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/your-org/counselos.git
cd counselos

# 2. Install dependencies
npm install

# 3. Set up the database
cp .env.example .env
npx prisma db push

# 4. (Optional) Install Ollama for local AI
# Visit https://ollama.com, install, then:
ollama pull llama3.1

# 5. Start Counsel_OS
npm run dev

Open http://localhost:3000 in your browser. Create your admin account on first launch and you are ready to go.

Detailed Setup for IT Teams

This section covers production deployment, infrastructure requirements, and operational considerations for IT teams deploying Counsel_OS within an organization.

System Requirements

Component	Minimum	Recommended
CPU	2 cores	4+ cores
RAM	4 GB	8 GB (16 GB with Ollama)
Storage	10 GB	50 GB+ (depends on document volume)
Node.js	18.x LTS	20.x LTS
OS	Any (Linux, macOS, Windows)	Linux (Ubuntu 22.04+, Debian 12+)

Production Build

# Build the optimized production bundle
npm run build

# Start the production server
npm start

The production server listens on port 3000 by default. Set the PORT environment variable to change this.

Docker Deployment

A production-ready Docker configuration is included. See the docker/ directory.

cd docker

# Start Counsel_OS and Ollama
docker compose up -d

# View logs
docker compose logs -f counselos

For details, see docker/docker-compose.yml.

Reverse Proxy (nginx)

For production deployments, run Counsel_OS behind a reverse proxy with TLS termination.

server {
    listen 443 ssl http2;
    server_name legal.yourcompany.com;

    ssl_certificate     /etc/ssl/certs/legal.yourcompany.com.pem;
    ssl_certificate_key /etc/ssl/private/legal.yourcompany.com.key;

    location / {
        proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:3000;
        proxy_http_version 1.1;
        proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;
        proxy_set_header Connection "upgrade";
        proxy_set_header Host $host;
        proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
    }
}

HTTPS Configuration

Set the following environment variables when running behind TLS:

NEXTAUTH_URL=https://legal.yourcompany.com
SECURE_COOKIES=true

Backup Strategy

Counsel_OS stores all data in a SQLite database file and a local file storage directory. Back up both regularly.

#!/bin/bash
# Example: daily backup via cron
BACKUP_DIR="/backups/counselos"
TIMESTAMP=$(date +%Y%m%d_%H%M%S)
DB_PATH="./data/counselos.db"
FILES_PATH="./data/files"

mkdir -p "$BACKUP_DIR"

# SQLite online backup (safe even while the server is running)
sqlite3 "$DB_PATH" ".backup '$BACKUP_DIR/counselos_$TIMESTAMP.db'"

# Archive uploaded files
tar -czf "$BACKUP_DIR/files_$TIMESTAMP.tar.gz" "$FILES_PATH"

# Retain last 30 days
find "$BACKUP_DIR" -type f -mtime +30 -delete

Add this script to your crontab:

0 2 * * * /opt/counselos/backup.sh

Updating

# Pull the latest release
git pull origin main

# Install any new dependencies
npm install

# Apply database migrations
npx prisma db push

# Rebuild and restart
npm run build
npm start

Environment Variables

Variable	Default	Description
`DATABASE_URL`	`file:./data/counselos.db`	Path to the SQLite database
`PORT`	`3000`	Server port
`NEXTAUTH_URL`	`http://localhost:3000`	Public URL of the application
`NEXTAUTH_SECRET`	(generated)	Secret for session encryption
`OLLAMA_BASE_URL`	`http://localhost:11434`	Ollama API endpoint
`OPENAI_API_KEY`	(none)	Optional OpenAI API key
`ANTHROPIC_API_KEY`	(none)	Optional Anthropic API key
`AZURE_OPENAI_ENDPOINT`	(none)	Optional Azure OpenAI endpoint
`AZURE_OPENAI_KEY`	(none)	Optional Azure OpenAI key
`FILE_STORAGE_PATH`	`./data/files`	Path for uploaded document storage
`SECURE_COOKIES`	`false`	Set to `true` when running behind HTTPS

AI Configuration

Counsel_OS supports multiple AI providers. You can switch providers at any time from Settings > AI Configuration in the web interface.

Local AI

Ollama is an example of a large language model that runs entirely on your hardware.

Install Ollama from https://ollama.com

Pull a model:

ollama pull llama3.1          # General purpose, good balance
ollama pull llama3.1:70b      # Higher quality, requires 40GB+ RAM
ollama pull mistral            # Lighter alternative

Counsel_OS auto-detects Ollama at localhost:11434. No additional configuration needed.

OpenAI

Get an API key from https://platform.openai.com
Set the environment variable: OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-...
Select "OpenAI" in Settings > AI Configuration

Anthropic

Get an API key from https://console.anthropic.com
Set the environment variable: ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-...
Select "Anthropic" in Settings > AI Configuration

Azure OpenAI

For organizations using Microsoft Azure:

Deploy a model in your Azure OpenAI resource

Set environment variables:

AZURE_OPENAI_ENDPOINT=https://your-resource.openai.azure.com
AZURE_OPENAI_KEY=your-key
AZURE_OPENAI_DEPLOYMENT=your-deployment-name

Select "Azure OpenAI" in Settings > AI Configuration

Azure OpenAI keeps data within your Azure tenant, which may satisfy organizational data residency requirements.

For detailed configuration options, see docs/ai-configuration.md.

Customization

Module System

Counsel_OS is built with a modular architecture. Each module is a self-contained feature area with its own routes, API endpoints, database models, and UI components.

Enable or disable modules in your configuration:

// counselos.config.ts
export const config = {
  modules: {
    contractAnalyzer: true,
    redliningAssistant: true,
    caseTimelineBuilder: true,
    discoveryDashboard: false,    // Disable modules you don't need
    depositionPrep: false,
    // ...
  }
}

AI Prompt Templates

Every AI-powered feature uses customizable prompt templates. Override defaults to match your organization's standards:

data/prompts/
  contract-analysis.md      -- Clause extraction and risk scoring
  redline-suggestions.md    -- Redline generation style
  deposition-questions.md   -- Question generation approach
  memo-generation.md        -- IRAC memo structure and tone
  risk-scoring.md           -- Risk assessment criteria

UI Theming

Counsel_OS uses Tailwind CSS with CSS custom properties for theming. Customize your instance in tailwind.config.ts:

// tailwind.config.ts
export default {
  theme: {
    extend: {
      colors: {
        primary: { /* your brand colors */ },
        accent: { /* your accent colors */ },
      }
    }
  }
}

Custom Fields

Add custom fields to matters, contracts, and other entities through the Prisma schema:

// prisma/schema.prisma
model Matter {
  // ... existing fields
  customRegion     String?
  customBusinessUnit String?
  customPriority   Int?
}

Run npx prisma db push to apply schema changes.

For a full guide on building new modules, see docs/module-development.md.

Contributing

We welcome contributions from legal technologists, developers, and practicing lawyers. Whether you are fixing a typo, adding a feature, or building an entirely new module, your work helps the entire in-house legal community.

See CONTRIBUTING.md for guidelines on setting up a development environment, code style, and the pull request process.

License

Counsel_OS is released under the MIT License.

Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:

The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all
copies or substantial portions of the Software.

Built for the lawyers who protect their organizations every day. Your work matters. Your tools should too.

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
Latest commit History 4 Commits
data		data
docker		docker
docs		docs
prisma		prisma
public/images/mockups		public/images/mockups
scripts		scripts
src		src
.env.example		.env.example
.gitignore		.gitignore
CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md		CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md
CONTRIBUTING.md		CONTRIBUTING.md
LICENSE		LICENSE
README.md		README.md
SECURITY.md		SECURITY.md
next-env.d.ts		next-env.d.ts
next.config.ts		next.config.ts
package-lock.json		package-lock.json
package.json		package.json
postcss.config.mjs		postcss.config.mjs
prisma.config.ts		prisma.config.ts
tailwind.config.ts		tailwind.config.ts
tsconfig.json		tsconfig.json

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Counsel_OS

Mission Control for In-House Legal Teams

Table of Contents

The Power at a Glance

Document Intelligence

Litigation

Transactional

Compliance

Productivity

Knowledge Management

See It in Action

Dashboard

Contract Analyzer

Matter Management -- Kanban View

Spend Analytics

AI Configuration

Security and Privacy

Your Data, Your Servers, Your Control

What Counsel_OS Does Not Do

Architecture

Technology Stack

Quick Start (5 Minutes)

Prerequisites

Installation

Detailed Setup for IT Teams

System Requirements

Production Build

Docker Deployment

Reverse Proxy (nginx)

HTTPS Configuration

Backup Strategy

Updating

Environment Variables

AI Configuration

Local AI

OpenAI

Anthropic

Azure OpenAI

Customization

Module System

AI Prompt Templates

UI Theming

Custom Fields

Contributing

License

About

Resources

License

Code of conduct

Contributing

Security policy

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