Facet 8 — Taxonomy

Information types

Types of information, plus concepts for describing how it is used, its status and its audience. A simple but powerful way to classify what you have along multiple practical dimensions — for retrieval, governance and AI.

9 information types 5 use levels 3 extension packs

Examples of type × use × status × audience

Information types covers four aspects of how documents and other information-containing records may be classified. The four aspects are the type itself, the use to which it is being put, its status (e.g. draft) and the intended audience. These four examples illustrate how to apply them in practice.

Worked example 1
An executed share purchase agreement
A typical late-stage matter document: high-value record, often also a future template source.
TypeLegal document
UseWork record > key (and possibly Knowledge > contextual after closing)
StatusFinal
AudienceExternal · Counterparty (with internal copy retained)
Worked example 2
An approved warranty schedule template
A piece of organisational know-how — the firm's house view of how a particular schedule should look.
TypeLegal document (template)
UseKnowledge > canonical
StatusFinal
AudienceInternal · Legal professionals
Worked example 3
A draft note of advice on an emerging point of law
An in-progress piece of legal analysis sitting on a particular client matter.
TypeLegal analysis
UseWork record > general
StatusDraft
AudienceExternal · Client
Worked example 4
A wiki page on a topic the team works on regularly
Continuously updated team know-how with no fixed "version".
TypeProcess material (or Legal analysis, depending on content)
UseKnowledge > good practice
StatusFluid
AudienceInternal · Legal professionals

The nine information types

These types are designed for legal work specifically. They're intended to be exhaustive but small enough to be manageable. Within this framework you can add sub-types for the specific documents and other records of importance to your organisation.

inf-1
Legal document
Material that has — or is intended to have — legal effect (a contract, a court order) or that provides formal evidence of a legal step.
ExamplesContracts, deeds, notices, resolutions, pleadings, statements of case
inf-2
Legal analysis
Material describing or applying the law, produced for an internal audience or for a client. Includes requests for advice, advice given, opinions and memos.
ExamplesNotes of advice, expert opinions, legal memoranda, legal opinions
inf-3
Legal source
Primary or secondary source material recording the state of the law — legislation, case law, regulatory and official guidance.
ExamplesStatutes, regulations, judgments, regulatory guidance, official commentary
inf-4
Process material
Material created to plan, deliver, manage, track or record legal work. Covers both prospective material (how work should proceed) and contemporaneous records.
ExamplesFlowcharts, checklists, process maps, scopes of work, agendas, steps plans
inf-5
Administrative material
A record of an administrative or compliance step required to initiate, govern or close a legal engagement or matter.
ExamplesEngagement letters, conflict checks, AML/KYC records, file-opening forms, billing arrangements
inf-6
Evidence
Material that does not fall into one of the more specific types and that represents evidence in the context of a legal matter or remit.
ExamplesWitness statements, photos, emails, transaction records, expert reports gathered as evidence
inf-7
Organisational record
A record of the governance, decisions, status or policies of an organisation — whether the client, the legal services provider, or any other relevant entity.
ExamplesBoard minutes, organisational charts, policies, corporate registers, "about us" content
inf-8
Publication
Content published for an external audience, other than in connection with a specific client matter. Covers both thought-leadership and marketing-grade material.
ExamplesArticles, briefings, blog posts, white papers, newsletters, website content, podcasts
inf-9
Communication
A record of a communication in legal work not otherwise classified by another information type. Residual — most substantive communications belong elsewhere.
ExamplesRoutine correspondence, scheduling emails, status updates, transactional notifications

Information uses: from work record to canonical knowledge

The same document can carry very different value depending on what you intend to do with it. This part of the facet describes that purpose along a five-band spectrum: from the ordinary working records of a matter through to canonical, organisationally-blessed knowledge.

Work record Knowledge
1 · General
Default for matter documents. Retained for compliance, evidential and continuity reasons.
2 · Key
Important milestone or deliverable. Typical triggers: executed agreements, final opinions.
3 · Contextual
Useful future context for related work. Sits at the overlap between work record and knowledge classification.
4 · Good practice
Reviewed and endorsed example. Requires a future-value judgement and designated review.
5 · Canonical
Definitive org-wide answer. Approved as the authoritative position.
inf-use-1 · Work record
Work record > general
The material forms part of the working record of a matter or remit. Retained for compliance, evidential and continuity reasons. The default classification for matter documents not otherwise flagged.
inf-use-2 · Work record
Work record > key
The material represents an important milestone, deliverable or attribute of a matter or remit. Typical triggers: executed agreements, final legal opinions, completed compliance steps.
inf-use-3 · Knowledge
Knowledge > contextual
Useful context for future work with the same client, counterparty or on the same topic. No formal validation required — but the person classifying should have sufficient knowledge to vouch for it.
inf-use-4 · Knowledge
Knowledge > good practice
Reviewed and endorsed as a useful example of good practice. Requires designated review and endorsement by a responsible individual or body — a practice head or knowledge editor.
inf-use-5 · Knowledge
Knowledge > canonical
The organisation's definitive approach to a topic or type of work. Requires formal approval by a designated authority — practice head, knowledge committee or equivalent. Where AI assistants and templates source from, when you want to be precise.

Information status: draft, final and fluid

Status flags the work-state of an information asset. Not its quality or importance, just whether it is finished. A knowledge search that returns drafts alongside finals risks misleading people.

Final
Final
In the final form intended for the relevant audience — executed, signed, published or formally approved. The working assumption is that a Final document will not change again in response to this matter or task. The highest-confidence input for AI retrieval.
Executed contract · Issued legal opinion · Filed court document · Approved policy · Published legal update
Draft
Draft
Not yet finalised, but with the intention — or real possibility — that it will be. Still under active revision or review. Includes mark-ups, works in progress, documents circulated for comment, and anything that carries a DRAFT header or version number.
Mark-up · Work in progress · Version for review · Draft advice note · Unexecuted agreement
Fluid
Fluid
Not finalised and not intended to be. Updated incrementally without formal versioning or sign-off cycles. The right label for living documents that are always current and never "done" — and that should be sourced from directly rather than snapshotted.
Wiki page · Continuously updated template · Running contact list · Project tracker · Standing agenda

Audience: who is this information intended for?

Audience describes who an information asset is intended for. Understanding this helps with access controls, retention policies, AI use and more.

Internal Visible within the organisation only
Legal professionals
Lawyers, paralegals, knowledge managers and others with legal training. The default audience for most legal analysis, know-how and templates — and typically the right scope for AI training data where quality and privilege matter.
Business people
Non-legal staff within the organisation. Process guides, policy summaries, plain-language compliance materials and internal communications addressed to operational teams rather than the legal function.
External Shared outside the organisation
Client
A specific named client, or clients generally. Advice, matter reporting, and deliverables addressed to the instructing party. Subject to retainer terms, privilege and client confidentiality obligations.
Counterparty
The other side of a transaction, dispute or negotiation. Agreed forms, executed contracts and correspondence shared across the table. Requires careful version and access control at matter level.
Authority
A regulator, court, government body or other official recipient. Filings, submissions, responses to information requests and regulatory notifications — subject to specific procedural and disclosure obligations.
Prospect
A potential client or business partner. Credentials, capability statements, proposals and pitch materials. Retention and access rules differ from client-addressed material; AI training scope should exclude commercially sensitive pitch content.
Public
Anyone. Published articles, website content, press releases and thought-leadership pieces. No access restriction applies; no client confidentiality consideration arises. Can safely be indexed, shared and used as AI training data.

View the Information types spreadsheet

Information types taxonomy with four aspects and illustrative grid of types and uses. Apache 2.0 licence.

View spreadsheet