A small law firm office in late afternoon, a glass-walled conference room with two attorneys and a client reviewing papers, bookshelves of matching volumes

Every intake answered within the hour. Every client updated before they call.

A small crew of AI agents takes the office work off your firm: the reply to every intake inquiry before the prospect calls the next firm on the list, the status update to every client on a schedule so they stop calling to ask, and the court dates, retainer balances, and unpaid invoices nobody should have to carry in their head. All of it in your firm's voice, none of it sent until you say so, and you get your billable hours back.

Built for firms of one to ten attorneys: family, estate, immigration, personal injury, business, and real estate practices. Runs alongside Clio, MyCase, PracticePanther, and the tools you already use.

Book a free 45-minute assessment

Why this exists

Most small firms run on one or two attorneys, a paralegal, and whoever answers the phone. The attorney practices law, runs the business, and answers the inbox. The paralegal does the work of three people and the intake on the side. Between hearings and closings, the general inbox fills with prospects asking if you handle their kind of case, clients asking what's happening with theirs, opposing counsel, the court, the title company, and a vendor chasing an invoice, and all of it waits for whoever gets to the desk after the last client leaves. Very few firms have the help the practice needs: someone on intake, someone keeping clients informed, someone watching the deadlines and the retainers. The reason is the math, almost never effort. That kind of help is a salary, and the hours it would save are the hours you bill.

A prospect fills in the website form on Saturday and hears back on Tuesday, after signing with the firm that called Sunday. A client calls three times in a week to ask about a status that hasn't changed, because nobody told them it hadn't. A retainer runs out mid-matter and the replenishment ask goes out six weeks late. An invoice sits at 90 days because nobody wanted to make the awkward call. A deadline is in a calendar nobody checked that morning. None of it is hard. There's just too much of it, and all of it waits for the attorney.

At some point we stopped thinking the answer was “find the overhead for a full-time intake coordinator” and started thinking there had to be a better way for a small firm to support itself. That's what Second Unit is.

It isn't for every firm. If you have an office manager, an intake coordinator, and a billing clerk, you don't need this. If you don't, and the same two people are practicing law and running the office, we built this for you.

The prospect who filled in the form on Saturday signed with the firm that called Sunday. They were ready. Nobody had the hour.

The same crew we run our own business on

Second Unit is built and run by Noettic Labs, a Los Angeles studio that builds with AI to solve real business problems. We build products that do real work, and we install crews that do it inside your business: the quotes, the follow-ups, the renewals, the records, the reports, the paperwork that keeps a company moving and keeps its best people from doing any of it.

The crew on this page is the system we use to run our own business. We sat down with the people doing the best work with agents, kept what held up under a real week, and wrote it into the job cards and rules every crew ships with. An install is that system, set up on your business, by hand, on a call.

Second Unit is one of several products from Noettic Labs. See what else we've built.

What we built for you

Job CardIntake Desk
One Job
Job
Draft a reply to every prospect and client inquiry within the hour, in the firm’s voice, run the conflict check, and route the ones an attorney must see.
Reads
The general inbox, the website form, your practice areas, your intake questions, your conflict list, your consultation calendar.
Writes
A draft reply, an intake record, a conflict-check result, a task for the right person.
Never
Sends. Gives legal advice or an opinion on a case. Quotes a fee that isn’t on your schedule. Confirms representation.
Reports to
Your Second Unit Lead, in the daily status.
Checked by
You, before anything goes out.

Second Unit is a service. There's no software for you to learn. We install a small crew of AI agents in your own accounts, one job each, and train each one on how your firm works: your voice, your practice areas, your intake questions, your rules. An intake desk that drafts a reply to every prospect within the hour, asks your intake questions, runs the conflict check against your list, and books the consultation on your calendar for you to confirm. A client update agent that drafts a status note to every active client on your schedule, from the matter record, so they stop calling to ask. A deadline and billing tracker that holds every court date, filing deadline, statute date, retainer balance, and unpaid invoice in one record and drafts the note before it's late. The crew works alongside Clio, MyCase, PracticePanther, Smokeball, or whatever you already run; that stays your system of record. Between them they take hours of office work off every week, and you approve every one before it goes out.

A word about AI, because in a law firm the line matters more than anywhere. These agents stay on the business side of the practice. They answer the inquiry, draft the status note, and remind you of the date. They never give legal advice, never state an opinion on a matter, never confirm representation, never touch a filing, and never see privileged material you haven't put in front of them on purpose. Every draft is read by a person at the firm before it leaves. The practice of law stays with the lawyers.

The name comes from film. On a set, the second unit shoots everything that doesn't need the director: the establishing shots, the inserts, the driving scenes. The director keeps the scenes that need them. Same deal here. The agents take the replies, the updates, and the dates. You keep the clients, the courtroom, and the work.

A small law office after hours, an attorney at a desk under a lamp with a laptop and a stack of files
Friday afternoon, every active matter. Every client has a status note drafted from the matter record, in your voice: what happened this week, what happens next, and when they'll hear from you again. You read, edit, and send. They stop calling to ask.

Three jobs, one firm

Draft · not sent
ToDaniel ReyesSubjectRe: Question about a business partnership dispute

Dear Mr. Reyes, thank you for reaching out, and I'm sorry you're dealing with this. Partnership disputes are something we handle regularly, and the facts you've described are worth a conversation.

Before we talk, three quick questions so the consultation is useful: Is there a written partnership or operating agreement? Roughly how many partners are involved? And has either side retained counsel or filed anything yet?

I have consultation times open Thursday at 2 or Friday at 10. Reply with the one that works and I'll hold it. The initial consultation is $250, applied to your retainer if you engage the firm.

Please don't include anything confidential in email until we've confirmed there's no conflict on our side, which I'll do before we meet.

Kind regards,
Elena Marsh, Marsh & Cole LLP

Intake Desk

Every inquiry from the website form, the general inbox, or a referral gets a drafted reply within the hour, in your voice, from your rules: which matters you take, which you refer out, what the consultation costs, what to ask before the call. It runs the conflict check against your list before anything is booked and flags any hit to an attorney. It never gives advice, never confirms representation, and never lets a prospect send privileged detail before the conflict check clears. Prospects who hear back the same hour sign.

Reads: the inbox, the form, your practice areas, your conflict list, your calendar. Writes: a draft, an intake record, a conflict result, a task. Never: sends, advises, quotes a fee off the schedule, confirms representation.

Friday afternoon, in your drafts

Mr. Reyes, this week on your matter · demand sent, response due in 14 days
Okafor family, the inventory · appraisal expected by the 30th
Ms. Lindqvist, before the 22nd · what to bring, what to expect
Harbor Bakery, the landlord’s redline · three points to discuss Monday
Mr. Pham, the RFE · on track for the deadline
1 matter with no change, short note anyway
Five matters read, five status notes drafted, nothing to look up on Monday.
Client Update

Every active matter gets a drafted status note to the client on your schedule, weekly or biweekly, in your voice, from the matter record: what happened, what's next, when they'll hear from you again. If nothing changed, it says so in two lines, which is what the client wanted to know. After a hearing, a filing, or a closing, it drafts the same-day note. Clients who hear from you before they ask don't call to ask, and they leave reviews.

Reads: the matter record, the calendar, the docket. Writes: a status draft per matter, a log entry. Never: states an outcome that isn’t in the record, gives advice, sends.
Draft · balance below threshold
ToSofia LindqvistSubjectYour retainer balance and the hearing on the 22nd

Dear Ms. Lindqvist,

A quick note on the business side. Your retainer balance is now $640 after this month's work, and with the hearing on the 22nd and the preparation it needs, we'll go past that. The engagement letter sets a replenishment to $2,500 at this point.

I've attached the current statement showing the work to date. You can replenish through the secure link below, or reply if you'd like to talk about it first. Nothing about the hearing changes either way; we're prepared and on schedule.

Kind regards,
Elena

Deadline and Billing Tracker

Every court date, filing deadline, statute date, retainer threshold, and invoice goes into one record. The agent checks the dates every morning and drafts the note before it's late: the reminder to you 14, 7, and 2 days before any deadline, the retainer replenishment ask the day the balance crosses your threshold, the invoice reminder at 15, 30, and 45 days, and the same-day thank-you when it's paid. You stop finding out from the clerk, the client, or the bookkeeper.

Reads: the calendar, the docket, the billing record. Writes: the record, a reminder, a draft. Never: changes a date, a rate, or a balance, files anything, sends.

Want a different agent first, or the whole crew at once? Document Request Desk, Referral Follow-up, Review Desk, and Marketing are all on the menu. Ask on the call.

Meet the crew

Each agent is set up for one job, the way you'd train a new legal assistant in week one: the instructions for that job, the rules it works inside, the skills it needs, and nothing else. Your intake desk knows your practice areas and your conflict list. Your update agent knows every active matter. Your tracker knows every date.

Start with one. Add the next when you're ready. The Second Unit Lead comes with any setup and ties them together.

Needs youThe reply to Daniel Reyes about the partnership dispute
ApproveNot now
Done today17 tasks · 4 agents
Daily status sent, one thing waiting on youSecond Unit Lead
Drafted 6 intake replies, 1 conflict flagged for reviewIntake Desk
14 client status notes drafted for FridayClient Update
Lindqvist retainer below threshold, replenishment draftedDeadline and Billing Tracker
  1. Second Unit LeadIncluded with any setup

    Your first agent. Runs the daily status, keeps your queue to one request at a time, and walks you through changes to the other agents so you never need us for a small tweak.

  2. Intake DeskLaunch agent

    Drafts a reply to every prospect within the hour, asks your intake questions, runs the conflict check, and books the consultation for you to confirm.

  3. Client UpdateLaunch agent

    Drafts a status note to every active client on your schedule, from the matter record, so they stop calling to ask.

  4. Deadline and Billing TrackerLaunch agent

    Keeps every court date, filing deadline, retainer threshold, and invoice in one record and drafts the note before it’s late.

  5. Document Request DeskOn the menu

    The checklist of what you need from a new client, the request with the secure upload link, and the reminder when it hasn’t arrived.

  6. Referral Follow-upOn the menu

    The thank-you to every referring attorney and client the day a referral comes in, and the quarterly note that keeps the referral relationship warm.

  7. Review DeskOn the menu

    The review request the week a matter closes well, a drafted reply to every review, and the hard ones routed to you.

  8. MarketingOn the menu

    The quarterly client newsletter, the practice-area page copy, and the plain-English explainer for the question you answer most, from your own words.

Once you say yes: what you get in the first week

Nothing is left for you to figure out. This is what we set up, and when.

  1. Day 1Installed and Running.

    Your Second Unit Lead and your Intake Desk are set up on your own accounts, interviewed on your voice, your practice areas, your intake questions, and your conflict rules, and one real inquiry is answered before we end the call.

  2. Day 2The Inbox Stops Waiting on the Attorney.

    Every new inquiry has a drafted reply within about an hour, with your intake questions and the consultation times. Your paralegal reads, edits if they like, and sends.

  3. Day 3First Check-in.

    We read the week's drafts together, note what you changed, and tighten the rules so the next ones need less of your hand.

  4. Day 7Your First Number.

    How many drafts went out untouched. It's the one figure we track from here, and it tells you whether this is giving you back billable hours.

In trial the week we install? Your Intake Desk drafts every reply the hour it comes in, and your Client Update keeps every other client informed while you're in court.

How it works

  1. Assessment.

    A free 45-minute call. We find the tasks that are eating your firm's week and match them to the agent that can take them over.

  2. Install.

    Everything works from day one, and you don't set up a thing alone. We help you sign up for Grok Bot, and for Notion if you don't have it yet, both on your own accounts. Then, in one screen share, we install the agents, connect your email and calendar from your side, and run the interview that teaches them your voice, your practice areas, your intake questions, and your conflict rules. We walk you through the whole thing and check every piece before we hand them off to you.

    Runs on
  3. Two Weeks of Tuning.

    We read the drafts with you every few days and tighten the agent until most go out with no edits. Then a monthly check-in, and the next agent setup when you want it.

  4. Most firms are running within a week of the assessment.

Everything that comes with a crew

One price, once. Beside each piece is what the same work costs when you buy it as a person's time. Rough US figures, so you can see what you're getting.

We start four new businesses a month.By hand, on a call, so each one gets the tune-up it needs.
What's in the BoxThe Three-Agent Crew
  1. The Assessment45 minutes with us to find the tasks eating your week and the agent for each.
    $250
  2. Install DayOne screen share. Agents installed in your own accounts, email and calendar connected from your side.
    about $1,200
  3. The InterviewYour voice, your prices, your rules, written into every agent before it drafts a word.
    about $600
  4. Three Launch AgentsIntake Desk, Client Update, Deadline and Billing Tracker. The same three jobs as hires.
    $5,000 to $12,500 a month
  5. Your Second Unit LeadDaily status, one request at a time, and the walkthrough for every small change.
    included
  6. Two Weeks of TuningWe read the drafts with you on days 3, 7, 10, and 14, and tighten the rules each time.
    about $1,000
  7. Job Cards and Rules, Yours to KeepEvery agent's instructions on paper, in your Notion, so the crew stays with you.
    about $500
Bought as people and consultants, the first month aloneabout $8,500 to $16,000
Your crew, once$2,500 to $6,000
Then about $50 a month in software, paid to Grok Bot and Notion.
The Tune-up Guarantee.

If most of your drafts aren't going out untouched by the end of the two-week tune-up, we keep tuning at no charge until they are.

What it costs

Priced to the size of your firm, and settled on the assessment call, not before. A solo practice sits at the low end of each range. A firm of ten attorneys sits at the high end.

Setup, per agentRange
One Agent, Set Up and Tuned
The assessment, the install, the interview, and two weeks of tuning.		$1,000 to $2,500
The Three Launch Agents Together
Intake Desk, Client Update, Deadline and Billing Tracker.		$2,500 to $6,000
The Whole Crew
All eight agents, installed a week apart so each gets its tuning.		$6,500 to $16,000

Then Pick One of Two Paths

Ongoing Care

$100 to $750 a month per agent, scaled the same way. A monthly check-in, tuning as your firm changes, support when something's off, and the next agent when you want it. Ninety days minimum, then month to month with 30 days' notice.

Setup Only

No monthly fee. Your Second Unit Lead agent walks you through changes to the other agents yourself, and when you'd rather we did it, we're on call by the hour.

The assessment call is free, and there's nothing to decide until it's done. You pay for your own software: about $30 a month for Grok Bot and about $10 a month per seat for Notion, paid to them, not to us.

What the Same Help Costs as People

Rough US figures for hiring the equivalent, so you can see what you're getting. These are estimates.

If You Hired People$60,000 to $150,000a year
  • Intake coordinator$45,000 to $60,000 / yr
  • Legal assistant$48,000 to $65,000 / yr
  • Office manager$55,000 to $75,000 / yr
  • Billing clerk, part-time$1,800 to $3,000 / mo
  • Answering and intake service$400 to $1,500 / mo

Before payroll taxes, before benefits, and before they've learned how you like things done.

Your Second Unit Crew$2,500 to $6,000once, the three launch agents$6,500 to $16,000once, the whole crew
  • Works every day, trial week and closing week included
  • Trained on your voice, your practice areas, your conflict rules
  • About $50 a month in software, paid to Grok Bot and Notion
  • Ongoing care from $100 a month per agent, or setup only with support on call
  • Yours to keep. If we part ways, the crew stays with you

Three agents for about one month of one salary.

What the agents won't do

What changes

The prospect who filled in the form on Saturday has a reply in your drafts by Saturday, with your intake questions and two consultation times. Every active client gets a status note on Friday, and the Monday phone calls stop. The retainer conversation happens the day the balance crosses the line, not six weeks later.

You still write the important emails. You just stop writing all of them.

Book a free 45-minute assessment Not ready? Read what the agents won't do and see exactly what they read, write, and never touch.
An attorney in a navy blazer greeting a client couple at the office door
Every active matter is a client who wants to know what’s happening.