Actually Good Legal: a brief for your IT person
Short version: Actually Good Legal is a plugin for the Claude desktop app. It contains instructions and small Python scripts that read and write Word, PDF and text files in one folder the lawyer chooses. It has no code that connects to the internet, no connectors to other services, and nothing that sends files to us. You can remove it in two clicks.
What gets installed
| Part | What it is | Where it runs |
|---|---|---|
| 21 skills | Plain-text instructions (Markdown) that tell Claude how to do a task, such as drafting from a template or building a redline | Inside the Claude desktop app |
| 1 agent | A read-only helper that lists upcoming deadlines from the matter folders | Inside the Claude desktop app |
| Python tools | Scripts that fill Word templates, build tracked changes, check quotes and scan files for hidden text | In the sandbox Claude uses to run code, on the lawyer's own computer |
| 2 hooks | Two short scripts that run before and after Claude changes a file (see below) | Same sandbox |
| A harness folder | Folders for clients and matters, firm templates and a firm instruction file | The folder the lawyer picks: local disk, Google Drive or OneDrive |
Nothing is installed outside the Claude app and that one folder. There is no background service, browser extension, driver or startup item.
The label "Can run code without asking"
The label means the plugin can run scripts automatically. Ours has exactly two, called hooks:
- protect_originals.py runs before each change and blocks Claude from editing or deleting anything in a matter's originals, final and shared folders.
- log_activity.py runs after each change and adds one line to the matter's log each time Claude creates or edits a file there, for supervision and billing.
Neither one reaches the network. Both are short, commented Python files you can read in the plugin's hooks/ folder.
Network and data
- The plugin itself makes no network calls. Its own safety scanner rates it PASS, with 0 MCP servers and no code that reaches the internet. You can rerun that scan with
/skill-safety-check. - Claude itself reads the documents the lawyer works on, under the firm's Claude plan and Anthropic's data terms. That is true of any use of Claude. The course has the lawyer check the plan's data and training settings before any client file goes in.
- On first use, Claude may install standard Python packages (lxml, openpyxl, python-docx, pypdf) from PyPI inside its own sandbox. No other downloads happen.
- Connected apps are opt-in. If the lawyer connects Gmail, Drive or a practice-management system, that connection belongs to Claude, not to this plugin. The firm instruction file tells Claude to read and draft there, and never to send, delete or share without the lawyer.
Requirements
- A paid Claude plan (Pro, Max, Team or Enterprise) and the Claude desktop app for Mac or Windows
- One folder for the harness, on local disk or a synced Google Drive or OneDrive folder
- Microsoft Word (desktop or Word on the web) to open drafts and redlines
On Team and Enterprise plans, an owner can publish the plugin to the whole firm and control who can upload plugins.
Removing it
In the Claude desktop app: Customize → Plugins → Yours → Actually Good Legal → ••• → Remove. The harness folder and its documents stay where they are, because they're the firm's files. Delete the folder separately if you want it gone.
Questions
Actually Good Ideas, LLC · legal.actuallygoodideas.com