CogniVenue-Legal is a legal workspace for organizing matter documents, reviewing evidence, writing notes, using a Canvas or PenPad, and turning extracted document text into local AI suggestions.
An internet connection is required for account and Case operations, email verification, payments, backup, and restore. The rest of the working experience, including document review, OCR, local AI suggestions, Canvas/PenPad annotations, and PDF or image exports, runs locally. Documents do not leave the app to provide these local functions, so document content remains confidential within the app during local work. A user-initiated online operation, such as backup or restore, uses the connection needed for that operation.
Related topics: Sign in and account access, Create a Case, Upload and process documents, Backup and restore, Delete Items.
Screenshot placeholder: Main CogniVenue-Legal workspace with the hamburger menu, Case rail, document area, and Canvas area visible.
Start here
- Use the hamburger menu for app settings, toolbar auto-hide, Doc Structure Index visibility, Related Scope, backup, deletion, Help, About, account access, and feedback.
- Sign in or sign up if this is the first time using the app.
- Create a Case for a matter, dispute, client file, or research project.
- Use Global Lib. for shared references, library subheads, and copying library passages into the current Case’s canvas.
- Upload documents to add PDFs, images, DOCX, TXT/TEXT, Markdown, RTF, ODT, HTML/HTM, EML/MSG email, ICS/VCS calendar, or CSV files.
- Use the center pane to choose Case tiles, upload files, select/rename or open them, play recordings, and review section-entry lists.
- Use Legal Diary for source-backed hearings, deadlines, dated actions, manual diary items, and calendar copy/export.
- Use Document View for PDFs and images to read, search, select passages or areas, annotate pages, and export annotations.
- Navigate documents from the left pane and use the Structure or AI Legal index to jump to source passages.
- Compare Related passages by clicking or touching a suggested pair, choose the Related Scope, and follow the document’s Canvas rail links to revisit linked notes or source areas.
- Use Canvas and PenPad to create cards or PenPad page series, zoom the surface and individual card text, connect and group items, annotate, follow sources, and export artwork.
- Review local AI suggestions after OCR and indexing finish.
- Back up and restore before major work or when moving to another device.
- Delete local items only after checking dependencies and creating any required backup.
- Read general suggestions for navigation, full-screen use, PenPad writing, and Center Canvas habits.
- Adjust GUI mode when you want a preset or custom color theme.
How this help works
This help system is bundled with the app. It does not need internet access.
- Use the topic list to jump between help pages.
- Left-pane controls provides a quick guide to Record audio, Ask Docs, Compare passages, Cases, document indexes, and Global Lib.
- Use highlighted topic links inside the text to jump to related Help. Link color follows the selected GUI mode and may not always be blue.
- Use the back and forward arrows in the help panel to move through help pages you opened.
- Use the search box to find matching topics and headings.
- Use Float Help to move Help inside the app, or Minimize Help to collapse it while keeping your Help history alive.
- Close the Help panel when you no longer need it. Your Case, open document, Canvas, and selection state remain where they were.
Common workflows
New matter workflow
- Sign in or verify your account.
- Create a Case.
- Upload the first document set.
- Wait for OCR, text extraction, and indexing to complete.
- Open documents and check important pages.
- Refresh AI in Legal Diary, Issues, Facts, Evidence, Tasks, Drafts, Authorities, or Research.
- Accept or edit suggestions.
- Build a Canvas for chronology, issue mapping, or evidence mapping.
Review existing documents
- Open the Case.
- Select Documents.
- Open a document.
- Use search and navigation to find text.
- Use Ask Docs to retrieve matching excerpts across a selected scope.
- Use Compare Passages for side-by-side review of two to four documents, or Compare with Doc1 to compare one document with itself.
- Use bookmarks, highlights, tags, and comments and page ink to mark important parts.
- Send useful passages or page references into Canvas.
Work visually
- Create or open a Canvas/PenPad file from the Documents section.
- Use nodes, links, groups, and ink.
- Create source document links to connect Canvas nodes, cards, or PenPad pages to selected document text or areas.
- Export the canvas when you need a shareable image or working draft.
Offline design
The main Help pages are bundled for no-internet use. If a Help page contains an external web link, CogniVenue-Legal opens it in your default browser. If internet is unavailable, the browser will show its normal offline or no-internet message.
Public URLs for Terms and Privacy
The current published legal documents are available on the LexiCogni website:
These links open in your default browser and require an internet connection. You can also open them from About in the app menu.