Key facts
| Access control | Scoped API keys with rotation; enterprise SSO and RBAC options |
| Deployment | Cloud, VPC, on-prem or air-gapped to match jurisdictional rules |
| Auditability | Request, model and response logging for legal review trails |
| Data grounding | Embeddings and RAG are live for playbooks, contracts and policy |
| Structured output | JSON mode returns clause and obligation records in fixed schemas |
| Models | 30+ models behind one OpenAI-compatible API |
| Pricing model | Flat monthly self-serve plans; no per-token billing on self-serve |
| Endpoint roadmap | Files, batch and fine-tuning are coming soon |
TL;DR
- Map data flows per jurisdiction before centralising any legal workflow.
- Separate outside-counsel and privileged material from general playbooks.
- Scope keys by matter, team and matter stage with scheduled rotation.
- Retain contract and review records under the legal team's own policy.
- Require counsel approval before AI output informs an obligation or filing.
How it works, step by step
- Inventory AI use cases across contracts, policy, disputes and regulatory monitoring.
- Classify content by privilege, jurisdiction, matter and counterparty confidentiality.
- Choose deployment per class: region-selected cloud, VPC, on-prem or air-gapped.
- Issue per-team and per-matter keys with rotation and a central inventory.
- Define log fields and retention: request ID, model, sources, output, approving counsel.
- Approve a model allow-list and require citations from current playbooks.
- Document cross-border transfer rules for each workflow and jurisdiction.
Try it yourself
Open the AI API key security checklist →
Contracts, matters and data classification
In-house legal content divides into public regulation and commentary, firm or department playbooks, standard templates, live contracts, dispute material, and privileged advice. Each class needs a handling rule, and live matters usually need separation from one another even inside the same team.
Start with playbooks and public regulation where leakage risk is low; extend to executed contracts and dispute material only on private deployments where prompts, documents and embeddings stay inside the company environment.
Keys, teams and least privilege
Issue a distinct API key per application, team and environment, and where possible per matter. Outside counsel and co-counsel integrations should have their own scoped keys with explicit expiry. Store keys in a secrets manager, rotate on a schedule, and revoke them when a matter closes or personnel change roles.
Never place counterparty names or privileged excerpts in prompts where retrieval can supply only the clause a task needs.
Cross-border residency and retention
Legal work crosses jurisdictions more than most functions, so decide where processing happens per workflow and record it. Region selection covers many residency needs; VPC, on-prem and air-gapped deployment covers matters that must stay in a country or inside the estate. Retention applies to prompts, outputs, logs and retrieval indexes, and contract records follow their own schedule.
Log enough to reconstruct a review: request ID, model and version, retrieved source identifiers, output and approving counsel. See AI audit logs for a schema, and the UAE residency guide for a worked example.
Model governance and counsel approval
Keep an approved model list with evaluation evidence and re-test when versions change. Ground clause analysis in current playbooks with citations so reviewers can verify quickly. AI output stays a draft: counsel approval should be required before it informs an obligation, a disclosure or a filing, and the checklist should name who approves each workflow.
Honest comparison
| Control area | Plugsky capability | Common gap | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Identity | Scoped keys per team and matter, SSO and RBAC options | One key for the legal department | IT security |
| Data boundary | Region choice plus VPC, on-prem or air-gapped deployment | Transfers not documented | Legal operations |
| Retention | Configurable logging under legal retention policy | No defined schedule | Records management |
| Audit trail | Request, model and source logging | Reviews not traceable | Legal operations |
| Grounding | Embeddings and RAG over playbooks and templates | Outdated clause guidance | Knowledge management |
| Approval | Citations and structured output for counsel | AI drafts used unreviewed | General counsel |
Frequently asked questions
Does using Plugsky make us compliant?
No. Compliance is your program. Plugsky provides deployable controls - scoped keys, residency options, logging - that you document and audit against your own legal and privacy obligations.
Can contract data stay in one jurisdiction?
Region selection covers many needs, and VPC, on-prem and air-gapped deployments keep data inside a chosen environment where a jurisdiction requires it.
What should we log?
Request IDs, model names and versions, retrieved source identifiers, outputs and approving counsel, retained under legal retention policy so a review can be reconstructed.
Can outside counsel use the same system?
Yes, with separate scoped keys per firm or matter and explicit expiry. Keep their retrieval indexes separated from internal playbooks.
Is fine-tuning available for our templates?
Fine-tuning, files and batch endpoints are coming soon. Today, use retrieval over approved templates with JSON mode for consistent clause output.
How do we handle regulatory monitoring?
Ground summaries in cited primary sources, refresh the index on a schedule, and require counsel review before any summary informs an obligation.
Where should a pilot start?
Pilot on public regulation and internal playbooks with the free plan, prove citations and logging, then extend to live contracts on private deployment.