Custom workflow apps.
Investigative research built from the record.
Custom internal app development and investigative research for small law firms, investigators, newsrooms, nonprofits, advocacy organizations, and consultants. Turn scattered spreadsheets, email, and documents into a working system built around your team. Defined scope, clear pricing, and a documented handoff.
For professional teams and organizations. Custom case-management software is available for organizational workflows. Individual case-analysis, wrongful-conviction review, document-preparation, notary, and personal case-management services are not offered.
Custom workflow apps for law firms, investigators, and nonprofits
You tell me the workflow that’s driving you crazy. I turn it into a working internal app.
Your cases are in Excel. Updates are buried in email. Documents live in Drive or SharePoint. The process works because one person remembers how everything fits together. I map that process and build a searchable workspace around the way your team actually works.
You do not need a technical specification. Bring the operational problem: repeated data entry, scattered research, unclear ownership, or an intake process nobody can track. We define a useful first version before adding complexity.
Rapid Workflow Build
A functional internal app for one agreed workflow, built in Lovable. A focused first release with a defined set of screens, records, and user roles.
- Workflow mapping and an agreed build specification
- Underlying data structure and essential screens, forms, and search
- User permissions and basic security configuration, with access testing
- Functional testing against the agreed workflow and acceptance criteria
- Documentation, a training walkthrough, and an agreed account handoff
50% upfront ($1,250) after scope, account setup, data requirements, and recurring costs are agreed. The remaining $1,250 is due at acceptance under the written agreement. Availability is confirmed at intake.
Ask about a founding buildA clear boundary around the first build
The proposal specifies the workflow, screens, data types, user roles, revision rounds, testing, delivery schedule, and acceptance criteria. New features or changes outside that specification receive a separate estimate before work begins.
Bulk data cleanup or migration, third-party integrations, advanced automation, public customer portals, specialized compliance work, and ongoing support are scoped separately. Hosting, domains, subscriptions, and usage-based platform charges are paid separately by the client. Support hours and response times require a separate agreement.
What could your team build?
These are examples of possible engagements. Your proposal defines the features included in your build.
Small law firms
A custom case-management workspace that brings matter status, assigned tasks, document references, and staff updates into one searchable view.
- Matter intake and status tracking
- Team responsibilities and handoffs
- Document indexes and case search
Investigators
An investigation management app that connects people, organizations, cases, sources, and evidence without another disconnected spreadsheet.
- Case and entity records
- Claims linked to supporting evidence
- Research assignments and reporting
Newsrooms and journalists
A shared reporting workspace for tips, source records, public-record requests, and story research, with access shaped around team responsibilities.
- Tip intake and review status
- FOIA request and response tracking
- Research libraries and source indexes
Nonprofit organizations
An internal operations app for program intake, assignments, follow-ups, and reporting when general-purpose tools no longer fit the process.
- Structured intake forms
- Program and project tracking
- Shared reporting views
Advocacy organizations
A research and records workspace that helps staff coordinate institutional monitoring, document collections, and ongoing accountability projects.
- Public-record request logs
- Institutional and relationship mapping
- Review histories and research handoffs
Consultants and small teams
A custom internal tool for repeatable client delivery, project intake, review queues, and knowledge that otherwise lives in one person’s head.
- Project intake and assignments
- Review and approval workflows
- Searchable delivery records
Clutch Intel: a working investigation management system
I built Clutch Intel to handle the connected work behind an investigation: investigations and cases; people and organizations; sources, claims, and evidence; relationships; tips; records requests and productions; case libraries; and reporting.
The system also includes permissions, assessment histories, duplicate detection, and relationship mapping, with security testing as part of its development. It is the practical foundation for this service: experience turning a complex research workflow into working software.
Your build starts with your workflow. Clutch Intel demonstrates the kind of connected system I have built; its full feature set is not included in a $2,500 engagement.
Meet Rita Williams, the researcher and builder behind Clutch JusticeStart with one workflow. Expand when it earns its place.
All prices are in USD. Standard project ranges depend on complexity, data requirements, and the agreed deliverables. The founding offer above is a separate, limited fixed-scope engagement.
Prototype / MVP
Test an idea with a functional prototype or narrowly scoped minimum viable product. Explore the core workflow, data model, and key screens before committing to a larger system.
- Core user journey and essential interface
- Sample or approved test data
- Production readiness agreed separately
Operational Internal App
Build a practical day-to-day workspace around an established process, with connected records, forms, search, defined permissions, testing, and handoff.
- Workflow and underlying data structure
- Essential team screens and access roles
- Documentation and training walkthrough
Complex / Custom Build
For connected workflows, more complex relationships, advanced reporting, integrations, or migration requirements that need a broader build plan.
- Discovery and phased specification
- Feature and integration estimates
- Acceptance criteria for each phase
Ongoing App Improvements & Support
Reserved capacity for agreed improvements, troubleshooting, and maintenance after handoff. Monthly hours, priorities, response times, and exclusions are written into the agreement.
- Defined improvement backlog
- Agreed maintenance responsibilities
- Platform charges billed separately
From operational problem to working internal app
- Map the workflow. Describe the current process, the tools involved, who uses them, and where work gets stuck.
- Agree the scope and costs. Confirm deliverables, account ownership, data requirements, timing, revisions, and acceptance criteria before the deposit.
- Build and review. Develop the data structure and app in Lovable, then review the agreed workflow with sample or approved data.
- Test and hand over. Check functionality and role access, document the setup, train the team, and verify the agreed client account access.
Need the underlying research organized first? Explore research libraries and document indexes or investigative research services.
Investigative research services for professional teams
Defined-scope research for professionals and organizations that need primary documents, timelines, public-record findings, relationship mapping, or a defensible research brief without adding another full-time researcher.
Investigative Research Sprint
A tightly scoped research engagement built around one defined question, subject, institution, or documentary issue.
- Primary-source and public-record research
- Source-cited chronology or findings brief
- Key actors, entities, and documentary leads
- Contradictions and unresolved gaps flagged
- Defined deliverable agreed before work begins
Investigative Intelligence Brief
A deeper research build for matters where the answer is spread across court records, public filings, agency records, archived material, and other primary sources.
- Multi-source documentary research
- Timeline reconstruction
- Contradiction and gap mapping
- Relationship and entity mapping where relevant
- Professional source-cited findings memo
Deep Research Project
For substantial projects requiring sustained document review, institutional history, cross-jurisdiction research, or a large evidentiary record.
- Large-volume document and record review
- Institutional and procedural history
- Cross-source verification
- Structured research archive or source package
- Final analytical report with citations
Podcast, documentary, and pre-publication research
Primary-source research and record verification for journalists, podcast producers, documentary teams, authors, and publishers working on accountability, true crime, courts, criminal justice, and institutional stories.
Podcast Research & Episode Development
Research-first episode development anchored in the actual record, not recycled coverage.
- Court records, public filings, FOIA records, and archival sources
- Source-cited timeline reconstruction
- Full script or structured episode outline
- Publication-ready source notes
- Multi-part series scoped separately
Pre-Publication Record Review
A documentary review of the story you have built against the primary-source record before publication or release.
- Primary-source verification
- Timeline and factual consistency review
- Unsupported claims and documentary gaps flagged
- Written corrections and sourcing brief
- Single episode through full-series scope
Cold Case Research for Media
Research on a specific cold case for a professional media project, delivered as a source-cited package built for production use.
- Primary-source case research
- Chronology and key-actor mapping
- Documented inconsistencies and unanswered questions
- Source package with citations
- Professional media projects only
Independent internal affairs record analysis
Independent documentary analysis of internal affairs records, complaint histories, use-of-force documentation, disciplinary files, and the policies governing them. Available to attorneys, oversight bodies, journalists, nonprofits, and advocacy organizations.
Independent Internal Affairs Record Review
A forensic review of the internal record focused on consistency, process, documentation, and documented patterns.
- IA file and complaint-history review
- Contradiction mapping across records
- Procedural compliance gap analysis
- Use-of-force documentation review
- Pattern identification across disciplinary history
- Source-cited written findings memo
Single-Incident IA Analysis Brief
A focused documentary review of one internal affairs complaint or use-of-force incident against the investigation record and governing policy.
- Incident and complaint-record review
- Timeline reconstruction
- Policy and procedural comparison
- Contradiction identification with citations
- Professional written findings brief
Policy and institutional analysis services
Source-driven analysis for organizations that need to understand implementation risk, procedural gaps, or the distance between an institution’s written rules and documented practice.
Policy Integrity Brief
A deep review of one policy, proposed policy, or organizational initiative focused on implementation failure points and internal contradictions.
- Policy language analysis
- Implementation failure-point mapping
- Conflict with existing policy or documented practice
- Operational and accountability gaps
- Written findings and recommendations
Government Institutional Integrity Assessment
A structured documentary assessment of a government entity’s compliance posture and policy-vs-practice gaps.
- Public-record process review
- Policy and procedure comparison
- Misconduct-reporting and escalation mapping
- Documented compliance gaps
- Written remediation priorities
Institutional Drift Audit
A structured comparison of what an institution says it does against what its documentary record shows over a defined period.
- Published claims and policy inventory
- Operational record review
- Gap analysis across policy and practice
- Pattern identification over time
- Source-cited written findings
Judicial history and court-system research
Custom public-record research for attorneys, journalists, and organizations examining judicial history, court administration, procedural patterns, or institutional behavior.
Judicial History Research Brief
A source-cited research brief on a judge’s documented public record, tailored to a defined professional research question.
- Relevant case and ruling research
- Public disciplinary history
- Documented procedural patterns
- Source list and citations
- No outcome prediction or legal advice
Court-System Pattern Research
Research for projects examining a court, jurisdiction, administrative practice, or documented pattern across multiple matters.
- Multi-case public-record review
- Administrative and procedural history
- Pattern and chronology mapping
- Primary-source research archive
- Professional analytical report
Custom research libraries and document tracking tools
Custom research libraries, source indexes, case trackers, and document-navigation systems for professional teams working with complex public-record collections.
Custom Investigative Reference Library
A structured digital reference tool built from a case archive, public-record collection, or large documentary set.
- Document organization and categorization
- Search and navigation structure
- Timeline and cross-reference capability
- Source index and citation architecture
- Internal or public-facing delivery
Research Tracker & Document Index
A structured research system for active reporting, public-record projects, or organizational investigations that continue to accumulate documents.
- Document intake and categorization workflow
- Source-cited timeline tracking
- Public-record request and response log
- Key actor and entity index
- Documented maintenance workflow
Monthly investigative research retainers
Reserved monthly research capacity for professional teams with recurring public-record, institutional, media, or accountability research needs. Scope, monthly capacity, and deliverables are defined in writing.
Research Retainer
Recurring research support for teams that need reliable primary-source work without creating an open-ended consulting relationship.
- Defined monthly research capacity
- Public-record and documentary research
- Source-cited research briefs
- Timeline, entity, and relationship research
- Priority scheduling within the agreed scope
Institutional Research Retainer
For organizations with recurring institutional research needs across multiple matters, agencies, policies, or public-record projects.
- Ongoing institutional and public-record research
- Monthly findings brief
- Policy and implementation research
- Time-sensitive research support
- Capacity and response times set by agreement
Conflict review applies to every engagement. Clutch Justice does not accept work involving Rita Williams’s employer, employer clients, assignments, proprietary information, or other matters that create a professional conflict.
Support independent accountability journalism. Reach the people reading it.
Sponsorship and advertising are separate from research engagements and editorial coverage. Purchasing advertising never purchases coverage, favorable treatment, or influence over Clutch Justice reporting.
Newsletter Sponsorship
A clearly labeled sponsored placement in Clutch Justice Weekly.
Monthly Newsletter Sponsor
Four consecutive clearly labeled newsletter placements for organizations that want sustained visibility with the Clutch Justice audience.
Sponsored Content
Sponsored articles, resource features, and service spotlights for audience-aligned organizations. All sponsored material is clearly labeled and remains separate from independent editorial coverage.
Workflow app development: frequently asked questions
What is a custom workflow app?
A custom workflow app is an internal workspace built around how your team handles records, tasks, intake, reviews, and reporting. It can connect information currently spread across spreadsheets, email, and shared folders, with screens and permissions matched to your process.
Can you replace our spreadsheets with an internal app?
Yes, when a shared app is a good fit for the workflow. We first map the existing spreadsheets, relationships, and handoffs. The proposal identifies which records move into the app and which tools remain in use. Data cleanup, bulk imports, and integrations are separately scoped.
How much does a workflow app cost?
The Rapid Workflow Build founding offer is $2,500 for the first two accepted, fixed-scope builds. Standard prototypes or MVPs range from $1,500–$2,500, operational internal apps from $3,500–$6,500, and complex builds start at $7,500. Monthly support is quoted separately. Platform subscriptions, hosting, and usage costs are additional.
Do I need to know what software I want?
No. Describe the workflow, who uses it, the tools involved, and what keeps going wrong. We turn that into a proposed data structure, essential screens, and a defined first release.
How quickly can you build it?
The schedule is agreed after workflow discovery. Timing depends on the number of screens, data readiness, integrations, access requirements, and review availability. Rapid development means a focused first release; a delivery date is confirmed in the written proposal.
Who owns the app and the accounts?
The agreement defines rights to the custom deliverables, source-code access, account ownership, and handoff responsibilities. Client-controlled accounts are the preferred setup where supported. Third-party platforms and libraries retain their own licenses. Project access, hosting, database access, billing, and any connected services are verified separately at handoff.
Are Lovable, hosting, and database costs included?
No. Build fees cover the agreed development work. Depending on the architecture, separate costs may include Lovable, hosting, Supabase or another database service, domains, email, storage, and API usage. The proposal identifies expected providers, billing responsibility, and current cost assumptions before the deposit.
Can the app hold confidential case files or sensitive source data?
Data requirements are reviewed before choosing the platform or accepting the build. Prototypes use sample or approved data. Production access, storage, provider terms, and any special safeguards must fit the intended use. Basic security configuration is not a compliance certification. Describe data categories during intake; do not send confidential records in an initial inquiry.
What happens after handoff?
You receive the agreed documentation and training walkthrough. The agreement defines acceptance, any post-launch correction period, and maintenance responsibilities. New features, ongoing maintenance, support hours, and response times are covered by a separate scope or monthly retainer.
Is this personal case management or legal representation?
No. App development supports an organization’s own workflows. Investigative research delivers the agreed documentary analysis. Clutch Justice does not provide legal representation or personal case-management services, and research is not legal advice.
Tell me where the work gets stuck.
Send your organization, the workflow you want to improve, your current tools, team size, budget range, and target timing. For research, send the question and intended use. I’ll confirm fit, conflicts, scope, deliverables, and price before work begins.
Prefer a contact form? Contact Clutch Justice. Please describe the problem without attaching confidential records.