Guide · Agent skill
How to use the Matter Workspace Manager agent skill
Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data
The matter-workspace skill is an agent skill for Claude Code or a compatible SKILL.md agent. It keeps each client's or engagement's notes and facts in its own folder, so details from one matter do not carry into another. This guide explains what the skill does, how to install it, how to trigger it with plain requests, and what it needs and does not do.
Matter Workspace Manageranthropics/claude-for-legal · Apache-2.0 Download the skill Quick start
- 1Download and unzip. Download the skill ZIP from this page and unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ or a project's .claude/skills/ folder.
- 2Confirm the plugin setup. Check that the ai-governance-legal plugin's practice-level CLAUDE.md has a populated ## Matter workspaces section with Enabled set to a tick.
- 3Create your first matter. Run the new subcommand with a lowercase hyphenated slug and answer the intake questions.
- 4List matters. Run list to see your matters, their status and which one is active.
- 5Switch to the matter. Run switch with the slug, then confirm the matter summary the skill shows you.
- 6Close or detach when finished. Run close to archive a finished matter, or none to work at practice level only.
What the matter-workspace skill makes the agent do
The skill is a file-management layer for lawyers who work across many clients or AI governance engagements at once. Each matter gets its own folder with a matter.md file, a dated history.md log, a notes.md file and an optional outputs subfolder.
It supports five actions: new creates a matter after a short intake, list shows existing matters with status and the active flag, switch sets which matter is active, close archives a matter, and none detaches from any matter so the agent works only at practice level.
Closed matters are moved to an _archived folder and are never deleted. The source says they stay readable for retention and conflict-check purposes.
Install the matter-workspace skill
You can install the skill in one of two ways. Download the ZIP from this page and unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ to make it available to you across projects, or unzip it into a project's .claude/skills/ folder to limit it to that project.
If you use the Claude apps instead, upload the skill under Settings, then Capabilities, then Skills.
- Personal install: ~/.claude/skills/
- Project install: .claude/skills/ inside your project folder
- Claude apps: Settings → Capabilities → Skills
Check the requirements before you start
The skill needs Claude Code or a compatible SKILL.md agent with file read and write access to ~/.claude/plugins/config/claude-for-legal/ai-governance-legal/. It is designed to be used alongside the ai-governance-legal plugin and expects that plugin's practice-level CLAUDE.md to contain a ## Matter workspaces section.
The skill runs no scripts and uses no network access, according to its source. It works with files only.
- Claude Code or a compatible SKILL.md agent
- Read and write access to ~/.claude/plugins/config/claude-for-legal/ai-governance-legal/
- The ai-governance-legal plugin's practice-level CLAUDE.md with a ## Matter workspaces section
Trigger the skill with natural requests or subcommands
You can use explicit subcommands or plain requests. The skill's description names phrases such as 'new matter', 'switch matter', 'list matters' and 'close matter' as triggers. It also activates when another substantive skill needs to know which matter it is working in.
The explicit form uses the plugin prefix, for example /ai-governance-legal:matter-workspace list. Use new, list, switch, close or none, followed by a slug where the command needs one.
- New matter: start an intake and create the folder
- List matters: show a table with the active matter marked
- Switch matter: change which matter the agent works in
- Close matter: archive a finished matter
- None: work at practice level only
/ai-governance-legal:matter-workspace new <slug>
/ai-governance-legal:matter-workspace list
/ai-governance-legal:matter-workspace switch <slug>
/ai-governance-legal:matter-workspace close <slug>
/ai-governance-legal:matter-workspace noneHow a new matter is created
When you run new with a slug, the skill first checks that the slug is not already used in an active or archived matter. Slugs are lowercase with hyphens, such as acme-msa-2026 or vendor-xyz-nda.
The skill then asks a short intake: client, counterparty, matter type, confidentiality level (standard, heightened or clean-team), key facts, matter-specific overrides to the practice playbook, and related matters. It writes matter.md, seeds history.md with an Opened entry and creates an empty notes.md.
It does not switch to the new matter automatically. It asks whether you want to switch now.
Switch, close and detach safely
Switching edits the Active matter: line in the practice-level CLAUDE.md, which is the only record of the active matter. Before writing, the skill shows you the summary of the matter so you can confirm it is the right one.
Closing appends a Closed entry to history.md, moves the matter into _archived and, if that matter was active, sets the active matter to none. Detaching with none keeps the agent at practice-level context only.
Tips for using the skill well
Keep confidentiality levels accurate at intake, because the source says heightened prompts extra care in cross-matter settings. Put matter-specific deviations from the playbook in the overrides section so they apply only to that matter.
The skill never reads across matters unless Cross-matter context is on in the practice-level CLAUDE.md. Leave that setting off unless you have a reason to change it.
- Use one slug per engagement and reuse nothing after closing
- Run list before you start work to confirm the active matter
- Use none when you need general practice advice without client details
What people use it for
- Keeping separate AI governance reviews for several vendors so that one client's facts do not appear in another's work.
- Opening a matter for each AI use case review and recording decisions in its dated history.md file.
- Archiving a closed engagement so it stays readable for retention and later conflict checks.
- Working at practice level for general policy questions that do not involve any client.
Frequently asked questions
Is the matter-workspace skill free to use?
The source does not state pricing or licence terms for the skill beyond its Apache-2.0 licence, which is listed on the item. Check the licence file in the repository for the terms that apply.
What do I need to run the matter-workspace skill?
You need Claude Code or a compatible SKILL.md agent with read and write access to the plugin config folder under ~/.claude/plugins/config/claude-for-legal/ai-governance-legal/. The plugin's practice-level CLAUDE.md should also have a ## Matter workspaces section.
Where do I install the matter-workspace skill?
Unzip the downloaded ZIP into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use, or into a project's .claude/skills/ folder. In the Claude apps, upload it under Settings, then Capabilities, then Skills.
Why does the skill say matter workspaces are off?
The skill is disabled by default for in-house users, who work at practice level only. If you work across multiple clients, the source says to re-run /ai-governance-legal:cold-start-interview --redo and select a private-practice setting.
Does the skill delete closed matters?
No. Close moves the matter folder into _archived and logs a Closed entry in history.md. The source says closed matters remain readable for retention and conflict purposes.
Does this skill fully protect client confidentiality?
No. The source says it manages folders and a config line, and the agent's behaviour still depends on other skills and on the user following the rules. Treat it as a organising tool, not a guarantee.
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Our verdict
This skill suits private-practice lawyers and small firms who handle several clients or AI governance engagements and want a dated record per matter. In-house teams with a single business client should skip it, because it is disabled by default for them and adds nothing. If you need enforced confidentiality controls, look for a tool that does more than organise folders.
Download the skill