A good research note
| Field | What to put |
|---|---|
| Question | The issue in one sentence |
| Short answer | Your conclusion and confidence level |
| Authorities | Citations you personally checked |
| Date checked | So staleness is visible |
| Matters | Relation to the matters where it applied |
| Practice area | Tag for later browsing |
Capture workflow
- 1
Finish the research for the matter
Do the work as normal, in your research tools.
- 2
Write the note
Spend five minutes summarising what you found while it is fresh.
- 3
Link and tag
Relate to the matter and choose the practice area.
- 4
Add a review date
Set a date to re-check anything that may change.
Over time, opening a new matter starts with a search of the library rather than a blank page.
Reusing research safely
Reuse is where mistakes creep in. Law changes and facts differ, so treat an older note as a starting point, check the date, and re-verify citations. Do not paste unverified AI output into the library as if it were checked.
What it does not do
No case-law search, citators, alerts or automatic updates. Use proper legal research services for those and record your conclusions here. Not legal advice. Check the rules that apply in your jurisdiction.
Frequently asked questions
- Does MatterOS include legal research content?
- No. It holds your own notes and analysis.
- Can it check whether a case is still good law?
- No. Use a legal research service and record the result.
- Can the whole team use the library?
- Yes, subject to your Notion access settings.
- Should client details go in research notes?
- Keep them out where possible so the note is reusable and less sensitive.
About the author
Raghav Handa trained as a lawyer, then spent years building legal technology, from enterprise legal products to custom systems for law firms.
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