name: firm-profile description: Defines the practice profile — a plain-English markdown file at .dochaus/profile.md in the matter directory recording the firm's escalation rules, house style, risk calibration, and jurisdiction defaults — and how to create, load, and apply it. Use when setting up a new firm or matter, onboarding, when asked to "use our house style" or record firm preferences, or before any review, draft, or redline that should follow the firm's standing positions.
The practice profile is the firm's standing instructions for a matter, written
in plain English with the supervising lawyer. It lives at one fixed location:
.dochaus/profile.md inside the matter directory (the session's working
directory). One file, four fixed sections, nothing else.
- Present — apply it throughout. Profile positions override the generic balanced defaults in the clause-library and drafting skills; they do not override a bound playbook's approved language — a playbook is the firm's reviewed position for that document type.
- Conflict — when an instruction, playbook position, or document term conflicts with the profile, flag the conflict explicitly, quoting the profile line it crosses. Never silently follow either side; the lawyer resolves it.
- Anything matching an Escalation Rule stops with a clear statement of which rule was triggered — do not proceed and escalate in the same breath.
- Absent — proceed on balanced market-practice defaults, and when the
moment is natural (new matter, onboarding, "use our preferences") offer to
create one via the interview in
references/interview.md.
- Escalation Rules — what always goes to a human before it happens: work product that may never leave the firm without named sign-off, exposure or deal-value thresholds that loop in a partner, topics never handled without escalation (privilege calls, regulator contact, conflicts), and who the escalation contact is.
- House Style — the drafting voice (plain English or traditional, "shall" vs "must/will"), defined-term conventions (where terms are defined, how they are marked on first use), numbering and heading conventions, date and number formats, and boilerplate the firm always includes or never includes.
- Risk Calibration — the negotiation posture per contract type, given the side the firm usually sits on: aggressive (open firm-favorable, concede slowly), balanced (market-standard two-sided positions), or conservative (accept reasonable counterparty terms, redline only material risk). Plus non-negotiables and standard concessions.
- Jurisdiction Defaults — default governing law and venue for new documents, dispute-resolution preference (courts or arbitration, and where), the jurisdictions the firm advises in, and what happens when a document falls outside them (flag as outside scope, never improvise foreign law).
# Practice Profile
## Escalation Rules
- Nothing leaves the firm to a counterparty, court, or regulator without
sign-off from [name/role].
- Loop in [name/role] when exposure or deal value exceeds [amount].
- Always escalate: [topics].
## House Style
- Voice: [plain English / traditional]; obligations use ["must" / "shall"].
- Defined terms: [convention, e.g. bold-quoted on first use, Definitions
section up front].
- Formats: dates as [format]; numbering [convention].
- Always include: [boilerplate]. Never include: [boilerplate].
## Risk Calibration
- [Contract type] (we are usually the [side]): [aggressive / balanced /
conservative]. Non-negotiable: [terms]. Standard concessions: [terms].
## Jurisdiction Defaults
- Governing law and venue for new documents: [jurisdiction], unless [exception].
- Disputes: [courts / arbitration under [rules], seated in [place]].
- We advise on [jurisdictions] law only; anything else is flagged as outside
scope.