Clio Integration Guide

🚀

Integration Steps

Follow these steps to integrate your application with Clio Manage through LawLink.ai.

Create Organization Admin & Login

First, a Superuser or Admin creates an Organization Admin (ORG_ADMIN) account for your law firm. The ORG_ADMIN will manage attorneys and API tokens for the organization.

💡 Tip: Login to LawLink at https://app.lawlink.ai using your ORG_ADMIN credentials.

Create API Access Token

Navigate to API Tokens page and create a new API access token for integration. Set an appropriate expiration period (e.g., 1 year). Copy the token immediately — it's only shown once!

⚠️ Important: Store your API token securely. It grants access to your organization's Clio data.

Add Attorney Users

As an ORG_ADMIN, navigate to the Organization page and add user accounts for each attorney. Each attorney will have their own Clio connection and data.

📋 Fields Required: Email, Full Name, Password. Users are automatically assigned the USER role.

🔐

Authentication

Attorney Authorizes Clio Access

Each attorney must authorize LawLink to access their Clio Manage account. Send a Clio Invitation from the Organization page, or have the attorney login and connect directly.

🔐 OAuth Flow: The attorney will be redirected to Clio to grant access, then returned to LawLink upon success.

📡

API Usage

Call APIs with Your Token

Use your API token in the Authorization header as a Bearer token. All calls act on the Clio account connected to the authenticated user.

API Request Structure

                            Authorization: Bearer YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN
Content-Type: application/json
                        

Example: Get Contacts

                            # Get contacts from the connected Clio account
curl.exe -X GET \
  "https://app.lawlink.ai/api/v1/clio/contacts?limit=10" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer ACCESS_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json"
                        

Example: Create Contact

                            # Create a new contact in attorney's Clio account
curl.exe -X POST \
  "https://app.lawlink.ai/api/v1/clio/contacts/create" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer ACCESS_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "first_name": "John",
    "last_name": "Doe",
    "email": "john.doe@example.com",
    "phone": "+15551234567"
  }'
                        

🔑 Key Points:

The API token authenticates your application to LawLink
All API calls affect the connected attorney's Clio data

🔍

Contact Conflict Check

Implement Contact Conflict Check

Before creating a new contact, use the /api/v1/clio/contacts/check endpoint to detect potential duplicates. This prevents dirty data in your Clio account.

🔍 Detection Logic:

High Confidence Fail: Exact email match OR (Name + Phone match) OR (Name + Email match) OR (Email + Phone match)
Low Confidence Fail: Phone-only match (same phone number, different name/email)
Pass: No match found, or name-only match (safe to create — same name is common)

                            POST /api/v1/clio/contacts/check
{
  "first_name": "John",
  "last_name": "Smith",
  "email": "john@example.com",  // Optional
  "phone": "+15551234567"      // Optional
}
                        

                            {
  "status": "pass",
  "message": "Conflict check passes"
}
                        

                            {
  "status": "high_confidence_fail",
  "message": "Conflict check failed with high confidence",
  "reason": "Email matches an existing contact",
  "contact": { "id": 12345, "name": "John Smith", ... }
}
                        

                            {
  "status": "low_confidence_fail",
  "message": "Conflict check failed with low confidence",
  "reason": "Phone number matches an existing contact",
  "matches": [ { "id": 67890, "name": "John Smith", ... } ]
}
                        

⚖️

Contacts & Matters

1. Create the Client Contact

Create the client's contact record with POST /api/v1/clio/contacts/create. The response includes the new contact's id — you'll use it in the next step.

                            curl.exe -X POST \
  "https://app.lawlink.ai/api/v1/clio/contacts/create" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer ACCESS_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "first_name": "Kayla",
    "last_name": "Benavides",
    "email": "kayla.benavides@example.com",
    "phone": "+19563601734"
  }'
                        

                            // Returns the new contact — note the id
{
  "data": {
    "id": 12345678,
    "name": "Kayla Benavides"
  }
}
                        

2. Create the Matter (Linked to the Contact)

Create the matter with POST /api/v1/clio/matters, passing the contact's id as the client. The client.id field is what links the matter to the contact — no separate linking step is needed.

                            curl.exe -X POST \
  "https://app.lawlink.ai/api/v1/clio/matters" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer ACCESS_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "description": "Personal Injury - MVA",
    "client": { "id": 12345678 },
    "status": "Pending"
  }'
                        

                            // Matter created and linked to the client
{
  "data": {
    "id": 1917746802,
    "display_number": "00040-Benavides",
    "description": "Personal Injury - MVA",
    "status": "Pending"
  }
}
                        

📅

Calendar & Automated Booking

1. Discover Available Calendars

Retrieve all calendars the attorney has access to (Personal, Firm-wide, or Shared). Each calendar returned includes its unique ID and brand color.

Example: Get Calendars

                            # Fetch list of calendars for an attorney
curl.exe -X GET \
  "https://app.lawlink.ai/api/v1/clio/calendars" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer ACCESS_TOKEN"
                        

                            // Returns list of available calendars
{
  "data": [
    { "id": 123, "name": "Default Calendar", "color": "#367b9c" },
    { "id": 456, "name": "Firm Holidays", "color": "#e2445c" }
  ]
}
                        

2. Check Availability

Retrieve a complete list of events for any given date. Instead of just free/busy blocks, LawLink provides the full context of the attorney's schedule.

🕒 Schedule Logic:

Returns Full Event List: Every calendar entry for the requested period.
Start/End Precision: All event times are normalized for easy integration with frontend calendars.

Example: Check Availability

                            # Find free gaps for a specific date
curl.exe -X GET \
  "https://app.lawlink.ai/api/v1/clio/get-availability?date=2026-03-20&calendar_id=123" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer ACCESS_TOKEN"
                        

                            // Returns raw list of events
{
  "status": "success",
  "events": [
    {
      "id": 1690562,
      "summary": "Client Consultation",
      "start_at": "2026-03-24T10:00:00Z",
      "end_at": "2026-03-24T11:00:00Z",
      "location": "Zoom",
      "description": "Initial case review"
    }
  ]
}
                        

3. Smart Slot Booking

Once a slot is chosen, LawLink validates availability one last time before creating the event to prevent double-booking.

🧠 Booking Intelligence:

Deterministic Timing: Send simple timestamps; LawLink handles the attorney's timezone.
Conflict Safeguards: If a collision occurs, the API returns the conflicting event and suggested free slots automatically.

Example: Book a Slot

                            # Create event with conflict protection
curl.exe -X POST \
  "https://app.lawlink.ai/api/v1/clio/book-slot" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer ACCESS_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "summary": "Legal Consultation",
    "start_at": "2026-03-20T10:00:00",
    "end_at": "2026-03-20T11:00:00",
    "calendar_id": 123
  }'
                        

                            // Success Response (No Conflict)
{
  "event": {
    "id": "4699678906",
    "summary": "Legal Consultation",
    "start_at": "2026-03-20T04:30:00Z",
    "end_at": "2026-03-20T05:30:00Z",
    "matter": null,
    "calendar_owner": {
      "id": 123456,
      "name": "Primary Calendar"
    }
  },
  "reminders_created": []
}
                        

                            // Conflict Response (Double-booking Prevention)
{
  "available": false,
  "message": "Slot not available on calendar 123456. See suggestions below.",
  "conflict": {
    "id": "123456789",
    "summary": "Meeting",
    "start_at": "2026-02-26T10:00:00+00:00",
    "end_at": "2026-02-26T11:00:00+00:00",
    "all_day": false
  },
  "suggested_slots": [
    { "start": "10:42", "end": "14:00", "duration_minutes": 198 },
    { "start": "15:00", "end": "15:30", "duration_minutes": 30 }
  ]
}
                        

4. Create Specialized Calendars

Organize your firm by creating dedicated calendars for specific workflows (e.g., "Intakes", "Depositions", "Court Dates").

🎨 Color Validation: Clio only accepts 20 specific brand colors. LawLink ensures your new calendars always use firm-approved styling.

Example: Create New Calendar

                            # Add a specialized workflow calendar
curl.exe -X POST \
  "https://app.lawlink.ai/api/v1/clio/calendars" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer ACCESS_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "name": "Intake Calendar",
    "color": "#367b9c"
  }'
                        

                            // New calendar details
{
  "id": 789,
  "name": "Intake Calendar",
  "color": "#367b9c",
  "visible": true
}
                        

🛠️ Developer Note: LawLink strictly requires ISO-8601 compliant timestamps. Non-ISO formats (e.g., MM/DD/YYYY) will be rejected. Dates may be naive (e.g., 2026-03-20T10:00:00) or ISO with an offset. If no offset is provided, the attorney's Clio-configured timezone is assumed.

📄

Document Management

LawLink exposes the full Clio document lifecycle: list, upload, rename/move, lock, delete, and retrieve download links.

1. List & Search Documents

Retrieve documents filtered by matter, folder, contact, category, text query, or lock state. All filters are optional — omit them to list all documents.

                            # Documents for a specific matter, newest first
curl.exe -X GET \
  "https://app.lawlink.ai/api/v1/clio/documents?matter_id=1773038573&order=created_at(desc)&limit=25" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer ACCESS_TOKEN"
                        

                            // Response
{
  "data": [
    {
      "id": 18893119313,
      "name": "Retainer_Agreement_v2.pdf",
      "locked": false,
      "matter": { "id": 1773038573 },
      "document_category": { "id": 4, "name": "Agreements" },
      "created_at": "2026-04-01T09:15:00Z"
    }
  ]
}
                        

2. Upload a Document File

Send a multipart/form-data POST. LawLink handles the full Clio signed-URL upload flow (create session → PUT to S3 → mark complete) transparently. Provide exactly one parent: matter_id, folder_id, contact_id, or document_id (to add a new version).

⚠️ Parent Rule: Supplying more than one parent returns HTTP 400. Use document_id only when uploading a new version of an existing document.

                            # Upload a new document to a matter
curl.exe -X POST \
  "https://app.lawlink.ai/api/v1/clio/documents/upload" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer ACCESS_TOKEN" \
  -F "file=@Retainer_Agreement.pdf" \
  -F "matter_id=1773038573" \
  -F "category_id=4"
                        

                            # Upload a new version of an existing document
curl.exe -X POST \
  "https://app.lawlink.ai/api/v1/clio/documents/upload" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer ACCESS_TOKEN" \
  -F "file=@Retainer_Agreement_v3.pdf" \
  -F "document_id=18893119313"
                        

                            {
  "data": { "id": 18903442808, "latest_document_version": { "fully_uploaded": true } },
  "upload": { "mode": "signed_put_url", "completed": true }
}
                        

3. Rename, Move, Lock, or Restore

A single PATCH covers all metadata mutations. Send only the fields you want to change.

🔑 Operations supported in one call:

name — rename the file
matter_id / folder_id / contact_id — move to a new parent (one at a time)
locked: true/false — lock or unlock
category_id — reassign category
restore: true — recover a trashed document

                            # Rename and lock in one request
curl.exe -X PATCH \
  "https://app.lawlink.ai/api/v1/clio/documents/18893119313" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer ACCESS_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "name": "Retainer_Agreement_FINAL.pdf",
    "locked": true
  }'
                        

4. Get a Download Link

Returns a short-lived signed S3 URL (typically valid for 10 minutes). Pass version_id to download a specific version; omit for the latest.

                            # Download link for a specific version
curl.exe -X GET \
  "https://app.lawlink.ai/api/v1/clio/documents/18893119313/download-link?version_id=18981709538" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer ACCESS_TOKEN"
                        

                            {
  "document_id": "18893119313",
  "version_id": "18981709538",
  "download_url": "https://iris-production.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/...",
  "status_code": 302
}
                        

5. Delete & Restore

Clio uses soft deletion — deleted documents move to trash and are permanently removed after 30 days. A GET by ID still returns the document (with a deleted_at timestamp) until then.

                            # Soft-delete (move to trash)
curl.exe -X DELETE \
  "https://app.lawlink.ai/api/v1/clio/documents/18893119313" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer ACCESS_TOKEN"
                        

                            # Restore from trash
curl.exe -X PATCH \
  "https://app.lawlink.ai/api/v1/clio/documents/18893119313" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer ACCESS_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{ "restore": true }'
                        