Run a Matter Folder in Claude Cowork: Inventory, Chronology and a Weekly Digest

Give Claude Cowork access to a single matter folder and have it write an index of every file, a pin-cited chronology and a deadline table into that folder, then set up a weekly task that reports what changed.

The Workflow

1. 1

   Prepare the matter folder and grant access

   Make a working folder containing only this matter's documents, ideally a copy while you are testing. Confirm that firm policy, the engagement terms and any protective order allow AI processing of these files. Open the Cowork tab in the Claude desktop app and grant access to that folder only. (Anthropic is combining chat and Cowork into one experience on some plans; if you no longer see a separate Cowork option, follow the Help Center's current steps.) Use a consistent file-naming convention if you can (date, document type, short description); it makes the index and cites easier to read.

   What you get: A single folder, scoped to one matter, with Cowork access granted to it and nothing else. Cowork is available on paid Claude plans; check Anthropic's Help Center for current plan availability and its guidance on using Cowork safely.

2. 2

   Build the file index

   Ask Cowork to read every file and write an index into the folder. The index is the foundation: it shows what Cowork could read, what it could not, and what the file is missing.

   PromptCopy

   You have access to the folder for [MATTER NAME], a [TYPE OF MATTER] in which we represent [CLIENT], the [ROLE]. Read every file in this folder and its subfolders. Do not modify, rename, move or delete any existing file.
   
   Create a new file in the folder named "00_Index_[DATE]" containing a table with one row per file:
   
   File name | Subfolder | Document type (pleading, order, correspondence, contract, discovery, transcript, exhibit, note, other) | Date of the document (from its contents, not the file date; "undated" if none) | Author or sender | Recipient | One-line description
   
   After the table, add three sections:
   1. Files you could not read or that appear incomplete (scanned images without text, password-protected files, truncated documents).
   2. Likely duplicates or near-duplicates, with the file names.
   3. Gaps: documents referred to in the files that are not in the folder, with the file and page where each is referenced.
   
   Tell me when the index is saved and summarize sections 1 to 3 in this conversation.

   What you get: An index file saved in the folder plus a short summary. Resolve unreadable files (for example, by adding text-searchable versions) and fill gaps before building the chronology, or the chronology will silently skip them.

3. 3

   Build the pin-cited chronology

   Ask Cowork to write a chronology into the folder with a source cite on every entry. Conflicting dates are listed, not resolved. The site's case chronology workflow covers the same structure for chat; the difference here is that Cowork reads the folder directly.

   PromptCopy

   Using every readable file in the folder, create a chronology for [MATTER NAME] and save it as a new file named "01_Chronology_[DATE]".
   
   Format: Date | Event (one or two sentences, neutral) | Source (file name and page or paragraph) | Quote (short exact language supporting the entry) | Significance to [CLIENT]'s position as [ROLE] (one line, or "unclear").
   
   Rules:
   - Every entry must cite a source file and page. No entry without a source.
   - If documents give different dates for the same event, include one row per source and mark them "CONFLICT" rather than choosing.
   - Use "approx." or "undated" where the documents do; do not estimate dates.
   - Keep my working theory out of the Event column; it belongs only in Significance. Our theory is: [THEORY OR "none yet"].
   
   At the end of the file, list the conflicts and any period of more than [N] days with no entries, which may indicate missing documents. Do not modify any other file.

   What you get: A chronology file with a cite on every row and conflicts marked. Spot-check a sample of entries against the source files before anyone relies on it.

4. 4

   Extract the deadline table

   Have Cowork pull dates from the scheduling order, other orders and any rules you keep in the folder into a deadline table with source cites. Counting rules are not Cowork's call: every computed date is marked for verification against the docket and the governing rules.

   PromptCopy

   From the orders, notices and correspondence in the folder, create a new file named "02_Deadlines_[DATE]" with a table:
   
   Deadline or event | Date as stated in the source (quoted) | Source (file name and page) | Date computed, if the source states a period rather than a date | Status (upcoming / past / unclear)
   
   Rules:
   - Where a source states a date, quote it exactly.
   - Where a source states a period (for example, "within 14 days of service"), show the trigger event and its source, and mark the computed date [VERIFY against the court docket and APPLICABLE RULE]. Do not apply weekend, holiday or service-method adjustments; mark them for verification instead.
   - Flag any later order that appears to change an earlier deadline, citing both.
   
   Do not add anything to a calendar. I will enter verified deadlines myself.

   What you get: A cited deadline table with every computed date flagged for verification. The responsible attorney or docketing staff confirms each date against the docket and the rules before it goes on any calendar.

5. 5

   Set up the weekly digest task

   Set up a scheduled task in Cowork. Per Anthropic's Help Center, you click Scheduled in the left sidebar, choose New task, and either create it with Claude or set it up manually with a task name, the prompt, an approval mode, a frequency and, optionally, the folder Claude should work in. Two cautions from the same Help Center. First, a task that needs local files runs only locally, and scheduled tasks otherwise work from connectors and files saved to your Claude account, so confirm with a test run that the task can actually reach the matter folder. Second, Anthropic's safety guidance advises against scheduling tasks that access sensitive files, and a client file is sensitive. Unless firm policy approves unattended runs, set the frequency to manual and run the digest on demand each week while someone is available to watch it.

   PromptCopy

   Weekly matter digest for [MATTER NAME]. Work only in the folder for this matter. Do not modify, rename, move or delete any existing file except as described below.
   
   1. Compare the folder's contents against the most recent "00_Index" file. Identify files added or changed since that index was written.
   2. Save an updated index as a new file "00_Index_[TODAY'S DATE]", using the same format. Do not overwrite the prior index.
   3. Read the new or changed files and save an updated chronology as a new file "01_Chronology_[TODAY'S DATE]", using the same rules as the prior chronology (a source and quote on every entry; conflicting dates marked CONFLICT). Mark new rows "NEW".
   4. Check new files for any date, deadline or order that changes the deadline table, and list them with quotes and sources. Do not update any calendar.
   5. Save a short digest file "03_Digest_[TODAY'S DATE]" covering: new files (name and one line each), new chronology entries, possible new or changed deadlines marked [VERIFY], and files you could not read.
   
   If no files changed, save a digest that says so.

   What you get: A dated digest each week plus new versions of the index and chronology, with prior versions kept. Choose the approval mode deliberately; Anthropic's guidance points to "Manually approve" for tasks that touch sensitive files, which is the safer choice while you are building trust.

6. 6

   Review and control access

   Each week, the responsible lawyer or paralegal reads the digest, checks new chronology rows and any [VERIFY] dates against the source files, and decides what needs action. Nothing leaves the folder (to the client, the court or a calendar) without that review. When the matter closes, pause or delete the scheduled task and remove Cowork's access to the folder.

   What you get: A reviewed digest each week, verified deadlines entered by a person, and a closed-matter checklist item to end the scheduled task and folder access.

Example Output

Illustrative example — names, facts, and figures are fictional.

WEEKLY DIGEST (ILLUSTRATIVE / FICTIONAL)
Matter: Halvorsen Marine Supply v. Tern Coastal Builders. We represent the plaintiff.
Digest date: [DATE]. Compared against 00_Index of the prior week.

NEW FILES (3)
- 2026-09-24_Order_Amended-Scheduling.pdf: amended scheduling order.
- 2026-09-25_Letter_Opposing-Counsel_Discovery.pdf: letter from defense counsel about deficiencies in our document production.
- 2026-09-26_Email_Client_Invoices.pdf: client email forwarding three supplier invoices.

NEW CHRONOLOGY ENTRIES (marked NEW in 01_Chronology)
- Sept. 24: Court enters amended scheduling order extending fact discovery. (Order, p. 1: "Fact discovery shall close on [DATE].")
- Sept. 25: Defense counsel asserts our production omits invoices for the second shipment. (Letter, p. 2)
- CONFLICT: Client email dates the second shipment June 3 (Email, p. 1); Invoice 4471 is dated June 7 (Email attachment, p. 3).

POSSIBLE DEADLINE CHANGES [VERIFY]
- Fact discovery close moved. Old: per original scheduling order, p. 2. New: amended order, p. 1. [VERIFY against the court docket.]
- Letter requests a response "within ten days" (Letter, p. 2). Trigger: letter dated Sept. 25. Computed date not adjusted. [VERIFY]

FILES NOT READ
None this week.

Prepared by Cowork scheduled task. DRAFT for attorney review: verify new entries and dates against the source files before acting.

Tips

• •Start with a copy of one closed or low-stakes matter. Compare Cowork's index and chronology against what you know is in the file before pointing it at a live matter.
• •Tell Cowork never to modify, rename or delete existing files, and to save new versions with dates instead of overwriting. Version history is your audit trail.
• •Scanned PDFs without a text layer are the most common reason entries go missing. The index step's 'could not read' list tells you which files to fix.
• •Keep deadlines out of any calendar until a person verifies them. Cowork can extract and flag dates; counting rules and docket confirmation remain the docketing team's job.
• •Once the prompts work, save them where your team can reuse them, such as a shared template, a Project, or a Claude Skill, so every matter folder is indexed and digested the same way.

Frequently Asked Questions

Prompts used in this workflow

Related Reading

• Claude Cowork for Law Firms: What It Does and Who It Fits
• Build a Case Chronology From a Document Set
• Extract Every Deadline From a Contract or Court Order
• Solo Practice