Komoku.ai: AI-Assisted Outside Counsel Guideline Review
Updated: Oct 9
Komoku.ai is designed to help law firms and legal departments review billing activity against outside counsel guidelines (OCGs). Its focus is on identifying the applicable rule, explaining a possible issue and giving a human reviewer enough context to check the result.
Why outside counsel guidelines need context
OCGs can set staffing restrictions, narrative requirements, rates, expense limits and prior-approval conditions. A rule may have an exception or depend on a separate matter instruction. Checking only an amount or keyword can miss that context.
Komoku’s published description explains a document-specific approach: extract obligations, prohibitions, thresholds, approvals and exceptions, then use them to evaluate submissions. This is intended to support consistent review, not guarantee that every interpretation is correct.
An illustrative billing-rule example
Suppose a client guideline requires written approval before travel above a stated limit. The reviewer needs the exact clause, the expense record and any approval or exception—not simply a flag saying the charge is too high.
Evidence | Question for the reviewer |
Source rule | Which guideline version and clause apply? |
Expense or entry | Does the submission fall within the rule? |
Approval | Is the required approval present and relevant? |
Exception | Does a matter-specific instruction change the requirement? |
Decision | Should the entry be accepted, corrected or escalated? |
This example is illustrative. The threshold and outcome depend on the client’s actual guideline; they are not a built-in rule or a claimed customer result.
What a useful finding should show
The source provision and the reason it may apply.
The entry or expense that needs attention.
Any relevant exception, missing evidence or uncertainty.
A reviewer should verify the rule and evidence before making a final decision. AI-assisted review does not remove the need to maintain current guidelines or obtain approvals.
How this differs from time capture
MIRA’s timekeeping workflow concerns the work being recorded. Komoku’s OCG workflow concerns the rules against which that work or its billing is reviewed. Keeping those purposes distinct helps a firm evaluate the right tool for its problem.
What to test with your own guidelines
Use an approved guideline and a small set of sample submissions. Include a clear violation, an allowed exception and an ambiguous case. Compare the findings with an experienced reviewer’s assessment, checking both missed issues and incorrect flags.
Confirm supported inputs, confidentiality arrangements and the review process with the product team before using live client material.
Common questions
What are outside counsel guidelines?
They are a client’s instructions for how outside lawyers should perform or bill work. They may cover staffing, rates, expenses, approvals and invoice narratives.
Can Komoku.ai replace the final billing reviewer?
It is intended to assist review. Ambiguous requirements, evidence and exceptions still need a responsible person’s decision.
Is a general AI answer enough to approve an invoice?
No. A useful review needs the applicable source rule, the submission’s context and supporting evidence. An answer without those checks is not a reliable approval record.
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