Choosing the Right AI Automation Consultant for Your Law Firm's Scheduling
Choose a consultant who builds custom systems with production-grade code, not just no-code tools. Ensure they write every line of code themselves and deliver the full source to your GitHub.
The right consultant builds systems that handle the specific complexities of legal work, such as multi-party coordination, conflict checking against case management software, and adhering to jurisdictional rules. This is fundamentally different from a generic meeting booking tool. It requires real engineering, not just connecting apps.
We built a scheduling agent for a 7-attorney litigation firm that was spending 15 hours a week coordinating depositions. The system went live in 3 weeks, connects directly to their Clio and Outlook accounts, and now handles 90% of scheduling requests automatically.
What Problem Does This Solve?
Most firms start with tools like Calendly or Acuity. They work for simple client intake calls but fail for multi-party scheduling. A Calendly link cannot coordinate availability for your attorney, two opposing counsels, and a court reporter simultaneously. It forces your paralegal back into email chains, defeating the purpose of the tool.
A paralegal at a small firm receives an email from opposing counsel proposing three dates for a deposition. They first check their attorney's Outlook calendar. Next, they must run a conflict check in PracticePanther. Finally, they email a list of approved court reporters to find one who is available. This manual process involves at least four separate checks and takes over 20 minutes for a single event. If a date is rejected, the entire sequence restarts.
Trying to solve this with a visual automation tool hits a wall. The workflow can parse an email, but it has no memory. It cannot handle a conversational reply like, "The 15th works, but can we do 2 PM instead of 10 AM?" This requires state management to track the conversation's context, which is impossible without a database and custom code. The tool's per-task pricing also becomes expensive, as a single scheduling request can consume dozens of tasks.
How Does It Work?
We start by connecting to your firm's Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace account via their native APIs. A new AWS Lambda function is triggered whenever an email arrives at a dedicated scheduling address (e.g., scheduling@yourfirm.com). The Claude API parses the email's text, extracting entities like case numbers, participant names, proposed dates, and the core intent in under 700ms.
The extracted data is written to a Supabase database, creating a stateful record for each scheduling request. A central FastAPI application contains the core logic. It queries your attorney's calendar for free slots, performs an automated conflict check against your practice management system's API, and builds a list of valid times. The logic is explicit; we codify rules like "never book depositions on a Friday afternoon."
Based on the available slots, the system uses the Claude API again to compose a context-aware email reply to all parties. When a confirmation email is received, the system parses it and automatically creates the calendar event, adds the video conference link, and sends official invites. This entire process, from receiving a request to sending out proposed times, takes less than 5 seconds. The system handles over 60 scheduling requests per week for a typical 10-person firm.
The entire service is deployed on your firm's AWS account using infrastructure-as-code. We use `structlog` for detailed, structured logging, providing a full audit trail of every decision the AI makes. All data remains in your control, and hosting costs for this volume are typically under $40 per month. The standard build cycle is 3 weeks.
What Are the Key Benefits?
Live in 3 Weeks, Not 6 Months
A focused 15-day build gets your scheduling automated this month. Stop wasting billable hours on administrative back-and-forth immediately.
Pay Once, Own It Forever
A single fixed-price build with no recurring license fees. Your only ongoing cost is cloud hosting, which is typically under $40 per month.
You Get the Full Source Code
We deliver the complete Python source code to your firm's GitHub account. You have full control and are never locked into a proprietary platform.
Flags Ambiguous Emails for Review
The system forwards emails with unclear instructions to your paralegal via Slack. It handles 90% of requests and knows when to ask for human help.
Connects to Clio and Outlook Natively
Direct API integration with your existing practice management software and calendars. No new dashboards for your staff to learn.
What Does the Process Look Like?
Week 1: Scoping and Access
You provide read-only API access to your calendar and practice management systems. We map your firm's exact scheduling rules and communication style.
Week 2: Core Logic Build
We write the Python code for email parsing, conflict checking, and calendar management. You receive a link to the private GitHub repository to track progress.
Week 3: Integration and Testing
We connect the agent to your live systems in a sandboxed mode. You review draft emails and confirm calendar events are created correctly before going live.
Weeks 4+: Handoff and Support
The system is live. We monitor performance for 30 days, then deliver a runbook explaining system operation. Optional flat-rate monthly maintenance is available.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How much does a custom legal scheduling system cost?
- Pricing is a fixed, one-time fee based on project scope. Key factors include the number of attorneys whose calendars are managed, the complexity of your scheduling rules, and the number of systems we need to integrate with (e.g., Clio, PracticePanther, custom databases). We provide a firm quote after a 30-minute discovery call where we map out these requirements.
- What happens if the AI misunderstands an email or double-books someone?
- The system is designed to be safe. It never deletes or modifies existing calendar events; it only proposes new ones. If the Claude API returns a low confidence score on an email's intent, it automatically forwards the message to a human for review instead of taking action. This prevents errors and ensures complex requests get the right attention.
- How is this different from hiring a virtual assistant?
- An AI agent works 24/7, responds in seconds, and costs a fraction of a human assistant over time. It maintains a perfect, searchable memory of every scheduling request in its database. While a VA provides flexibility for non-scheduling tasks, this system offers unmatched speed and accuracy for the specific, repetitive workflow of coordinating legal meetings and depositions.
- How do you handle confidential client information in emails?
- All code and data is deployed within your firm's own AWS cloud account. We do not have ongoing access after the handoff. Email content is processed in memory and is not used to train any external AI models. Your client data never leaves your secure cloud environment, ensuring you maintain full confidentiality and control.
- Can this handle scheduling requests from phone call voicemails?
- Yes. We can connect the system to a service like Twilio that provides a dedicated phone number. When a voicemail is left, an audio file is generated. We use the AWS Transcribe service to convert the voicemail to text, then feed that text into the same Claude-based parsing engine we use for emails. The rest of the process is identical.
- What happens if a lawyer's scheduling preferences change?
- We store scheduling rules (e.g., 'no meetings before 10 AM', 'minimum 48-hour notice for depositions') in a simple configuration table within the Supabase database. These can be updated without changing any code. The runbook we provide includes clear, non-technical instructions for your office manager or paralegal to modify these rules as needed.
Related Solutions
Ready to Automate Your Small Business Operations?
Book a call to discuss how we can implement ai automation for your small business business.
Book a Call