Anatomy of /legaldesign
The design method behind an editable explanation of legal work.
/legaldesign starts with the work a lawyer has already done and asks how another person will understand it. put the main explanation on the page, the supporting detail in popups, and the complete record one link away. let readers inspect the source’s actual wording. give the explanation a consistent visual structure. And because the result is , the lawyer can refine it into a template for the next matter.
Hover over a phrase to highlight its card. Select a phrase or card title to explore the detail.
A good explanation does not ask every reader to absorb the entire file at once. The page should make sense on its own; the next level should answer the questions it raises.
- On the page
- The issue, the conclusion and why it matters. Keep any qualification here if omitting it would mislead.
- In a popup
- The reasoning, a worked example, a source passage or a point that needs closer inspection.
- At the source
- The complete document, so the reader can check the passage in its original context.
This page uses the same hierarchy: an explanation first, demonstrations one click deeper, and a link to the original opinion.
A transcription can reproduce every word and still lose the source’s typography and surrounding context. A paraphrase changes the wording too. /legaldesign clips the actual PDF or source image, so the reader can inspect both the words and where they appear.
Actual PDF · slip p. 22 · select to enlarge
For their part, the dissent and the opinion concurring in the judgment focus primarily on the realization issue—namely, whether realization is required for an income tax. We do not decide that question today.
LLM transcription · same words, reflowed. Checked against this source; text alone is not proof of accuracy.
The Court left open whether an income tax constitutionally requires realization.
Illustrative AI-written paraphrase. Not a quotation.
The clip makes the qualification visible. It does not establish that the authority is current, complete or applicable to a particular matter.
Typography, cards, diagrams, source panels and popup controls are already coded. The model can concentrate on what the reader needs to understand instead of inventing a new interface for each explanation.
The component follows the relationship. Use a timeline when order matters, a comparison when differences matter, and a process diagram when the reader needs to understand what happens next.
A diagram must earn its space. If a sentence or table explains the point better, use that instead.
The first generation is a working document, not a frozen picture. Revise the language, move or resize objects, and adjust the emphasis for the person who will read it. The editor is part of the HTML file.
Templates can also match your firm or organization. Try a color scheme below: the background and accent change together, while the content, typography and layout stay the same.
- Save
- Keep an editable working copy.
- Export HTML
- Make a separate reader-facing file.
- Export template
- Keep the structure; clear the matter content.
The reader copy keeps the popups and interactions, without the editor or file-saving code.
Use the skill to create the first explanation. Then keep the structure that works: the kinds of diagrams your practice needs, the details your clients ask for, and the way you present findings and recommendations. Give that template to the model with the next set of source documents. Replace and review the matter-specific content; keep improving the presentation as you use it.
An open-source skill released as part of the LegalQuants plugins built for OpenAI's Codex. This explains a design method, not legal advice. Source clips support inspection; they do not replace legal judgment or citation checks.
