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Write Mode

Write mode is where you draft — with pins on one side, and a PDF, Clerk, or Notes on the other. Switch to it using the Write / Research segmented control in the top bar.

Write mode doesn't replace Word. It's an inside-Recall drafting space for short notes and research memos, plus the launch pad for inserting pins and Clerk output into Word.

Layout

  • Left pane: Pins / Suggested toggle — normally your pin list for the current matter
  • Right pane: PDF / Clerk / Notes toggle — choose which surface you want on the right

You can collapse either pane from the top bar when you need more screen real estate for the other.

Left pane — Pins

The left pane is your pin list. Filter, sort, and interact with pins exactly as you would in Research mode. See Pins for the full feature set.

The Suggested sub-tab is reserved for a future feature (automated excerpt suggestions). It currently shows an empty-state placeholder.

Right pane — PDF

Same PDF viewer as Research mode, scoped to whichever document is selected in the document list. Use this when you want to keep a source visible while you work on notes or have Clerk rewrite a selection.

Selecting text in the PDF enables:

  • Create pin — adds the selection to the matter's pins
  • Send to Clerk Edit — pipes the selection into the Clerk Edit panel as context

Right pane — Clerk

Clerk is Recall's AI assistant. See Clerk AI for full details.

Quick summary: Clerk has two sub-panels.

  • Edit — rewrite a selected passage. Pick a style (Lengthen / Shorten / Formalize / Simplify / Fix Grammar / Summarize), generate alternatives, send the chosen one back into Word.
  • Assist — chat interface for Q&A, summarizing, explaining, research suggestions, and drafting. Grounded in the current matter's documents.

Right pane — Notes

Notes is a per-matter WYSIWYG editor built on SuperEditor.

What it is

  • One Notes document per matter. Switching matters loads that matter's notes.
  • Saves automatically.
  • Supports headings, bold/italic/underline, lists, and inline formatting via the toolbar at the top of the pane.

What it isn't

Notes is not a full drafting application. It has no:

  • Multiple documents per matter
  • Manual save versions or history
  • Export to Word, Track Changes, or comments
  • File / Edit / View menus
  • Page layout, footnotes, or cross-references

If you need those, draft in Word and use Recall's Word integration to insert pins and Clerk output. Use Notes for research memos, outlines, and ad-hoc scratch that stays inside Recall.

Collapsing panes

The top bar has two collapse buttons (Write mode only):

  • Collapse Left Pane — hides the pin list, maximizing the PDF / Clerk / Notes pane
  • Collapse Right Pane — hides the right pane, maximizing the pin list

You can't collapse both at once; the top bar disables whichever button would leave the workspace empty.

Tips

  • Pin as you read, write as you go. The fastest workflow is Research → pin → switch to Write → drag pins into Word. Keep the pin panel visible while you write; it's built to be a sidebar, not a temporary popup.
  • Use Notes for working memos. Anything that doesn't need to end up in a formatted Word doc is simpler to keep in Notes.
  • Use Clerk Edit with real selections. Clerk Edit is noticeably better when the context has at least a full sentence around the passage you want rewritten.