Legal APIs: CourtListener and Clio
Skill packs and prompts are provided in English so they work best with the AI tools. Use them as-is.
This lesson applies what you learned in the general lesson "APIs & MCP — getting the most out of Claude" to the legal field. You'll connect two concrete tools: CourtListener to search real case law live, and Clio so Claude can work directly on your case management — with real law-firm prompts.
What you'll get: CourtListener connected in two minutes (free, one click of consent) to search real case law from Claude, and Clio connected via whichever path suits your firm — Zapier or direct MCP — with a full matter intake handled in a single prompt.
The two connections you'll use
| Tool | Connection type | Cost | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| CourtListener (Free Law Project) | Official connector | Free | Very easy |
| Clio | Zapier (recommended) or direct MCP | Requires a paid Clio account | Zapier: easy · MCP: medium |
Part 1 — CourtListener: live case law, free
CourtListener is the largest free legal database in the US — millions of federal and state judicial opinions, dockets, oral arguments, judge profiles, citation networks. All queryable live from Claude, with one click of consent — it's not "frozen" data from the model's training, it's a real API call at the moment you ask.
How to connect it
- Go to Settings → Connectors in Claude.
- Find CourtListener (or Free Law Project) in the list of available connectors.
- Authorize it — just like you would authorize Slack or Google Drive.
- Done. You don't need to generate or paste any API key manually for the official connector.
Example prompt to get the most out of it
Client wants to launch the brand 'Northwind' for B2B software. Search CourtListener for prior trademark disputes over phonetically or visually similar names, tell me which courts decided those cases, and draft a knockout-issues memo.
This is exactly the real trademark-clearance workflow — Claude searches real case law, it doesn't invent cases.
And a fill-in template you can reuse for any doctrine research:
Search CourtListener for [circuit or state] appellate decisions from the last [5] years interpreting [doctrine or statute — e.g. non-compete enforceability]. Summarize the majority rule, flag any split between courts, and cite each case with its court and date.
Part 2 — Clio: your case management software
Clio does not have an official native connector yet. You have two paths — pick one, you don't need both.
Zapier — recommended for most firms
- Go to zapier.com → MCP servers → New MCP server.
- Select Clio (not "Clio Code" — they're different products, watch the name confusion).
- Zapier gives you a connection prompt — copy it.
- Open a new session in Claude and paste it. Zapier walks you through the rest: sign in to your Clio account and authorize access.
- In Zapier you can decide, per action, whether Claude needs your approval before running it, or can proceed on its own.
Direct MCP — if your IT can set it up
- Generate your API key inside Clio (Settings → API/Developer).
- Copy the config file right below these cards and replace the placeholder with your real key.
- Before installing it, run the 6-point checklist from the general lesson on this specific repo (
@cyberaktive/clio-mcp-server): when it was last updated, what actions it allows (can it create matters? read-only?), and whether maintenance is serious. - Each lawyer on your team needs this same file configured on their own machine — a direct MCP isn't distributed centrally like Zapier.
Important (Path A): each lawyer needs their own connected account — there's no "one key for the whole firm" mode with Zapier, though enterprise plans exist that centralize administration.
The config file for Path B
Here's the real file — replace YOUR_CLIO_API_KEY_HERE with your key:
{
"mcpServers": {
"clio": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "@cyberaktive/clio-mcp-server"],
"env": {
"CLIO_API_KEY": "YOUR_CLIO_API_KEY_HERE",
"CLIO_REGION": "us"
}
}
}
}
Example prompt to get the most out of it (automatic matter intake)
Here's the client's complaint as a PDF and their account of the facts. Extract the parties, the claims, the jurisdiction, and all key facts. Then create it as a new matter in Clio with full intake notes and the critical tasks.
This replaces ~2 hours of junior-associate work per matter — extracting the complaint, creating the case, notes, and tasks, all in one prompt.
Next level: automatic chronology
Once the matter is in Clio, you can ask Claude:
Build the full chronology of this case — every dated fact, ordered, flagging information gaps and limitation periods.
Safety rule for this lesson. Never paste your real CLIO_API_KEY into a chat prompt or a scheduled task — it goes only in the local config file. If you ever shared it via chat during setup, rotate it in the Clio panel before using it on real client work.
10-minute practice. Connect CourtListener now (Settings → Connectors — it takes two minutes) and run the trademark-clearance prompt above with a real or made-up brand name. When Claude returns the memo, pick one of the citations and verify it yourself on courtlistener.com — proving first-hand that the cases are real, not invented.