Where client confidentiality meets GDPR transparency
Legal practices handle some of the most sensitive personal data in existence. Clarium helps you document your processing activities across every practice area — accurately, defensibly, and without weeks of consultant fees.
How it works
From practice policies to ICO-ready register in three steps
Upload practice area policies
Upload your privacy notices, client engagement terms, and HR policies — Clarium reads them and proposes structured Article 30 records.
Map by practice area
Organise processing activities across litigation, corporate, employment, and other practice areas with role-based access per team.
Export for ICO or SRA review
Generate a complete Article 30 register scoped to any practice area or the full firm, ready for regulatory review in seconds.
The challenge
Legal data is different
Client files, litigation documents, HR records, and billing data — law firms process some of the most sensitive personal data there is, across multiple practice areas with different obligations.
Legal privilege and data transparency sit in tension
GDPR requires transparency about how personal data is used. Legal privilege requires confidentiality. Navigating both — especially for client files, litigation documents, and third-party disclosures — requires careful documentation.
DSARs hit law firms hard
A data subject access request to a law firm can cover years of matter files, correspondence, and billing records across multiple departments. Without a clear register, responding within the 30-day window is a scramble.
Multi-practice data flows are complex
Corporate, litigation, private client, employment — each practice area has different data categories, retention requirements, and lawful bases. One spreadsheet cannot accurately capture all of them.
How Clarium helps
A register that reflects how a law firm actually works
Practice-area documentation
Model each practice area as a separate set of processing activities. Corporate M&A data flows look nothing like residential conveyancing — Clarium captures both accurately.
Lawful basis mapped automatically
Clarium's AI identifies the correct lawful basis for each processing activity — legitimate interests for business development, contract performance for matter files, legal obligation for AML/KYC.
DSAR readiness built in
An accurate, searchable register means you can identify which systems hold data on any individual in minutes — not days. Cut your DSAR response time significantly.
Regulator and SRA-ready exports
Export a complete Article 30 register for JOIC or ICO reviews. Clean PDF output suitable for SRA compliance reviews and client due diligence requests.
From our clients
“Our DPO used to spend two weeks preparing for an ICO review. With Clarium, the register is always current and the export takes thirty seconds.”
Data Protection Officer · Law firm · Jersey
FAQ
Common questions
Are law firms required to maintain a GDPR Record of Processing Activities?
Yes. Law firms are data controllers and must maintain an Article 30 register under the UK GDPR and EU GDPR. This applies to firms of all sizes — the 250-employee exemption threshold is rarely met by law firms given the nature of the personal data they process (which typically includes sensitive categories such as health data, financial data, and data relating to criminal convictions). The ICO has published specific guidance for the legal sector.
What is the lawful basis for a law firm processing client personal data?
The lawful basis depends on the type of processing. Acting under a retainer is typically 'performance of a contract' or 'legitimate interests'. AML and KYC checks are processed under 'legal obligation'. Marketing to existing clients may use 'legitimate interests', while marketing to new contacts typically requires consent. Each processing activity in your Article 30 register must specify the correct lawful basis — a common gap in law firm GDPR compliance.
How should a law firm respond to a data subject access request?
A law firm must respond to a DSAR within one calendar month (extendable by two further months for complex requests). You must provide all personal data held on the individual across all matter files, correspondence, billing records, and HR systems — subject to legal professional privilege and third-party exemptions. An accurate, searchable Article 30 register significantly reduces the time needed to identify which systems hold the relevant data.
Document your practice in an afternoon
30-day free trial. No credit card. Your practice areas documented and your first RoPA exported within the week.