# Messaging Surface Rule In App Lawyer Fork > Use when writing or reviewing in-app copy, onboarding messages, feature tooltips, upsell prompts, or system notifications displayed to users who have been identified or self-declared as licensed legal professionals. The lawyer fork of in-app messaging uses professional framing, productivity claims, and feature positioning appropriate for a practitioner audience — distinct from the consumer fork. Applied by messaging-compliance-checker for any in-app asset tagged to the professional persona. - Skill: `sboghossian-mini-claude-for-legal/messaging-surface-rule-in-app-lawyer-fork` (Agent Skill) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add sboghossian-mini-claude-for-legal/messaging-surface-rule-in-app-lawyer-fork` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/sboghossian-mini-claude-for-legal/messaging-surface-rule-in-app-lawyer-fork/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Marketing & Growth - License: MIT - Author: sboghossian (https://skillmd.com/u/sboghossian-mini-claude-for-legal) - Updated: 2026-09-10 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/sboghossian-mini-claude-for-legal/messaging-surface-rule-in-app-lawyer-fork --- # Messaging — Surface Rule: In-App Lawyer Fork ## When this applies Once a user has been classified as a **legal professional** (via persona quiz, email domain, LinkedIn import, or manual declaration during onboarding — see [[onboarding-b2c-vs-b2b-fork]]), all in-app copy shown to that user follows the lawyer-fork rules defined here. This covers: - Welcome and onboarding screens (post-persona detection) - Feature discovery tooltips and walkthroughs - Empty-state prompts in the drafting board, document workspace, and skills library - Upsell and plan-upgrade prompts - System notifications and status messages - Error messages and escalation prompts - Settings page descriptions The lawyer fork is **not** a relaxation of compliance requirements — it is a different voice, a different vocabulary, and a different value frame. Banned claims for lawyers still apply in full per [[messaging-banned-claims-lawyer]]. --- ## Behavior — The Professional Voice In-app copy in the lawyer fork assumes the user: - Holds a law degree and is practicing or has recently practiced - Understands legal concepts and does not need them explained from scratch - Has high expectations of accuracy, jurisdictional coverage, and citation quality - Is evaluating the product against their existing workflow and billing model - Cares about professional responsibility and will not use a tool that creates malpractice risk Copy must reflect these assumptions. Do not over-explain basic legal concepts. Do not use consumer-style "we make law easy!" messaging. Do not imply the user is not competent. --- ## Copy Rules by In-App Location ### Onboarding / Welcome Screen | Element | Lawyer fork rule | |---------|-----------------| | Welcome headline | Professional register: "Welcome to your legal workbench." / "Your AI-powered research and drafting partner." | | Sub-copy | State coverage and capability: "Multi-jurisdiction coverage across LB, KSA, UAE, DIFC, ADGM, UK, and more." | | First action prompt | Task-oriented: "Start with a document review" / "Draft your first contract" / "Research a legal question" | | Disclaimer | Brief but present: "Louis assists with legal research and drafting; lawyer review and judgment remain essential." | ### Feature Tooltips and Discovery - Lead with the task the feature enables, not the technology behind it - "Review this contract against standard market terms — Louis flags deviations." (not "AI-powered contract analysis") - Reference jurisdiction-specific capabilities where relevant: "KSA employment contracts — including Saudization compliance" - Use professional vocabulary: "liability cap", "indemnification", "governing law", "non-compete enforceability" — assume the user understands these ### Drafting Board Empty State - "Start a new matter — Louis will draft the first pass." (not "Get started with your legal work!") - "Assign documents to this matter, set the jurisdiction and party positions, and Louis generates a workflow." ### Upsell / Plan Upgrade Prompts - Frame around professional capability expansion, not cost savings - "Upgrade to Pro for eFirm features: firm playbooks, matter templates, and team assignment." - "Your current plan includes single-jurisdiction research. Pro unlocks multi-jurisdiction comparison across LB, KSA, UAE, DIFC, ADGM, and UK." - Never use "save money" framing in lawyer-fork upgrade prompts — the professional audience responds to capability, not cost ### Error and Escalation Messages - Professional register: "This analysis is based on publicly available legal sources. For binding legal opinions or court filings, verify against primary sources." - Do not use apologetic consumer-style error messages ("Oh no! Something went wrong.") - Use precise, actionable language: "Document type not recognized — please select the applicable jurisdiction and contract category." --- ## Banned Patterns in Lawyer Fork These patterns are blocked specifically for the lawyer fork (in addition to the general banned claims): - Consumer-style excitement: "You're going to love this!" (wrong register) - Over-simplification: "Legal made easy!" (condescending to a professional) - Displacement framing: "Handle this without an associate" (see [[messaging-banned-claims-lawyer]]) - Fee-threat language: "Save on legal costs" (attacks the lawyer's billing model) - Competence challenges: "Louis does this better than manual review" (threatening to professional identity) --- ## Examples **Strong lawyer-fork in-app copy:** > "Your NDA is ready for review. Louis flagged 3 deviations from DIFC market standard and suggested revisions. You retain full editorial control." **Weak in-app copy (avoid on lawyer fork):** > "Wow, Louis just wrote your NDA! Check it out!" **Strong empty-state prompt:** > "No documents in this matter yet. Upload a contract or generate a first draft — specify jurisdiction, parties, and key commercial terms." **Weak empty-state (avoid):** > "Get started! Louis makes contracts easy." --- ## Related skills - [[messaging-compliance-checker]] - [[messaging-allowed-claims-lawyer]] - [[messaging-banned-claims-lawyer]] - [[messaging-surface-rule-in-app-non-lawyer-fork]] - [[onboarding-b2c-vs-b2b-fork]] - [[onboarding-persona-detection-questions]]