Microsoft Viva Topics can transform your firm’s collective know‑how into a searchable, secure, and always‑available knowledge hub inside Microsoft 365. For attorneys, that means faster onboarding, fewer repetitive emails, and better matter outcomes. This guide walks legal professionals through planning, configuring, and governing Viva Topics—plus a hands‑on automation that connects matter intake in SharePoint to your knowledge hub using Power Automate and Teams.
Table of Contents
- Why Viva Topics Matters for Law Firms
- Licensing, Prerequisites, and Governance Checklist
- Design a Legal Taxonomy for Topics
- Configure Viva Topics in Microsoft 365
- Build a SharePoint Knowledge Center
- Hands-On Tutorial: Automate Matter Intake to Knowledge Hub
- Curate Topics: Roles, Approval, and Lifecycle
- Using Topics in Outlook, Word, and Teams
- Compliance, Ethics, and Security Considerations
- Measure Success: KPIs and Reporting
- Conclusion
Why Viva Topics Matters for Law Firms
Law firms create knowledge at an extraordinary pace: closing binders, research memos, playbooks, templates, and tacit expertise that lives in attorneys’ heads. Microsoft Viva Topics uses AI to discover and organize this knowledge—surfacing “topic cards” in SharePoint, Teams, Outlook, and Office apps so your lawyers find the right context at the moment of need.
| Firm Challenge | How Viva Topics Helps |
|---|---|
| Reinventing the wheel on similar matters | Surfaced topics with summaries, experts, and key docs reduce rework |
| Slow onboarding of new associates | Curated topic pages provide authoritative background and precedents |
| Information silos across practice groups | Cross‑site discovery links matters, clients, jurisdictions, and templates |
| Risk of using outdated or sensitive content | Permissions‑aware highlights and curation keep knowledge current and safe |
Best practice: Treat Viva Topics as a “context layer” across Microsoft 365. Your content remains in SharePoint and Teams; Topics makes it trustworthy, findable, and connected—without duplicating documents.
Licensing, Prerequisites, and Governance Checklist
Before you roll out Viva Topics, confirm licensing and establish a governance baseline tailored to legal confidentiality requirements.
Licensing and Setup
- Microsoft 365: Business or Enterprise plans that include SharePoint, Teams, and Office apps.
- Viva Topics license: Via Viva Suite or Viva Topics add‑on per user.
- Admins: Global admin and SharePoint admin roles to configure Topics and sites.
Governance Checklist
- Define what content is in scope (e.g., final work product, sanitized templates) versus out of scope (e.g., raw client PII, privileged email threads).
- Map sensitivity labels and retention policies to practice areas and matter types.
- Identify knowledge managers (KM) and subject matter experts (SMEs) for curation and approval.
- Document an exclusions list of SharePoint sites (e.g., HR, Finance, Conflicts) that should not be mined by Topics.
- Plan change management: training for attorneys on reading and contributing to topic pages.
| Governance Area | Decision | Owner |
|---|---|---|
| Sensitivity labeling for client/matter libraries | Mandatory label by default, inheritance to folders | Information Governance |
| Topic creation | Auto discovery + curated approval for firm‑wide topics | Knowledge Manager |
| Scope control | Exclude confidential sites; include KM, templates, and final deliverables | SharePoint Admin |
| Lifecycle | Review every 6–12 months; archive stale topics | Practice Group Leads |
Design a Legal Taxonomy for Topics
A thoughtful taxonomy accelerates discovery and reduces ambiguity. Start with firm‑specific concepts and entities that recur across matters.
Core Topic Types for a Law Firm
- Clients and Counterparties (e.g., “Acme Corp.”)
- Practice Areas and Subspecialties (e.g., “Data Privacy – DPIA”)
- Jurisdictions and Regulators (e.g., “CFTC”, “EDPB”)
- Transaction or Matter Types (e.g., “Series A Financing”)
- Key Statutes, Rules, and Model Clauses
- Internal Playbooks, Templates, and Precedents
Synonyms and Acronyms
Add firm‑specific aliases and acronyms to improve matching. For example, map “SPA” to “Share Purchase Agreement” and “PRC” to “People’s Republic of China”.
Best practice: Use “People” and “Experts” fields on topic pages to connect attorneys to the right SMEs. Define opt‑in rules so associates are comfortable being listed as contacts.
Configure Viva Topics in Microsoft 365
Enable, scope, and secure Viva Topics to align with legal confidentiality.
Step‑by‑Step: Enable and Scope Viva Topics
- Sign in as a Global or SharePoint admin and open the Microsoft 365 admin center.
- Go to Setup > Viva > Viva Topics (or search “Viva Topics”).
- Turn on Viva Topics for your tenant and assign licenses to pilot users (e.g., KM team and a few partners/associates).
- Create or select a Topic Center. This is a SharePoint site where topic pages are stored and curated.
- Define discovery scope:
- Include: Knowledge libraries, template repositories, sanitized final deliverables.
- Exclude: HR, Finance, eDiscovery, Conflicts, and any high‑sensitivity matter sites.
- Set permissions:
- Who can see topic highlights: Typically all licensed users, with security trimming honored.
- Who can create/edit topics: Knowledge Managers and designated SMEs.
- Configure content governance:
- Respect sensitivity labels and retention—ensure labels are enabled for documents and libraries.
- Disable mining of email and chat if your firm policy requires strictly document‑based knowledge.
- Start a pilot: Let Topics run for a few days to discover topics, then begin curation in the Topic Center.
Build a SharePoint Knowledge Center
Your Topic Center alone isn’t a substitute for content quality. Pair it with structured SharePoint libraries to store authoritative knowledge.
Recommended SharePoint Structure
| Library | Purpose | Key Metadata | Sensitivity/Retention |
|---|---|---|---|
| Playbooks & Templates | Approved templates and checklists | Practice Area, Document Type, Version, Effective Date | Internal template label; 2‑year review |
| Precedents | Sanitized final work product | Matter Type, Jurisdiction, Counterparty, Year | Client‑safe label; retain per policy |
| Research & Memos | Internal research and summaries | Topic, Related Statutes, Reviewer | Internal label; review annually |
Hands-On Tutorial: Automate Matter Intake to Knowledge Hub
This tutorial uses SharePoint, Power Automate, and Teams to convert new matter intake into a curated knowledge signal. The flow creates a matter folder, applies metadata and a sensitivity label, and prompts KM to create or enrich a Viva Topic.
What You’ll Build
- A SharePoint “Matter Intake” list capturing client, matter type, practice area, and jurisdiction.
- A Power Automate flow that:
- Creates a folder in the correct document library
- Applies metadata and a sensitivity label
- Posts a Teams message to the KM channel with quick links to start/curate a Viva Topic
Prerequisites
- SharePoint site for Matters with a “Documents” library and required metadata columns.
- Teams channel for Knowledge Management (e.g., “KM – Curation”).
- Permissions to create Power Automate flows and apply label policies.
Step‑by‑Step Instructions
- Create the SharePoint “Matter Intake” list:
- Columns: Client (Single line), Matter Name (Single line), Matter Type (Choice), Practice Area (Choice), Jurisdiction (Choice), Lead Partner (Person), Sensitivity (Choice or auto).
- Optional: Add a Yes/No column “Use in Knowledge Hub” to control inclusion.
- Open Power Automate and create a new automated cloud flow:
- Trigger: “When an item is created” for the Matter Intake list.
- Add a Condition to check “Use in Knowledge Hub” equals Yes (or check Matter Type not confidential).
- Create a folder in the Matters document library:
- Action: “Create new folder”
- Folder name pattern: Client – Matter Name (Year)
- Set metadata on the folder:
- Action: “Update file properties” (target the folder item)
- Set Practice Area, Matter Type, Jurisdiction, Lead Partner
- Apply a sensitivity label:
- If label inheritance is configured on the library, ensure the library default applies.
- Alternatively, use a compliance action or a scriptable label policy; document the label in the Teams post for transparency.
- Compose a KM Teams message:
- Include: Client, Matter Name, metadata, and links:
- Link to the new folder
- Link to Topic Center “Create a topic” page
- Search link for suggested topics (e.g., “Matter Type” or client name)
- Include: Client, Matter Name, metadata, and links:
- Post the message to Teams:
- Action: “Post a message (V3)” to the KM channel in Microsoft Teams
- Message example:
- “New matter added to knowledge scope: Acme Corp – Series A Financing (Delaware). Review suggested topics; create or enrich the ‘Series A Financing’ topic and link key precedents.”
- Optional: Create a Draft Topic task in Planner:
- Action: “Create a task” for the KM plan with due date and the links above.
- Test with a pilot matter and verify:
- Folder created with correct metadata
- Teams post received with working links
- Topic Center accessible for KM to create or edit the topic page
- Train KMs to curate:
- On the topic page, add a description, alternate names, people (experts), files, and related topics.
- Expand the automation:
- Trigger follow‑up when key documents are marked “Final” to suggest additional topic references.
Curate Topics: Roles, Approval, and Lifecycle
AI discovery is the start; curation creates trust. Use defined roles and a lightweight approval path to keep topics authoritative.
| Role | Responsibilities | Key Tools |
|---|---|---|
| Knowledge Manager | Approve/decline discovered topics, create pages, set synonyms, link content | Topic Center, SharePoint libraries, Power Automate |
| Subject Matter Expert | Provide summaries, add authoritative documents, review for accuracy | Topic pages, Teams channel for KM |
| Practice Group Lead | Define taxonomy, review sensitive topics, decide firm‑wide visibility | Governance plan, Teams approvals |
| IG/Compliance | Validate labels, exclusions, retention, and ethical walls | Compliance Center, SharePoint Admin |
Topic Lifecycle
- Discovery: AI suggests topics from SharePoint content.
- Curation: KM/SME adds description, people, files, and related topics.
- Approval: Practice lead or KM marks as “Published” for firm‑wide visibility.
- Maintenance: Review reminders every 6–12 months; archive or merge duplicates.
Tip: Use a quarterly “topic pruning” session. Merge similar topics (“SPA” and “Share Purchase Agreement”), retire stale ones, and elevate high‑value topics to a featured list.
Using Topics in Outlook, Word, and Teams
Once published, topics appear as underlined highlights in Microsoft 365 apps. Hover to see the topic card; click through to the full topic page.
Practical Attorney Use Cases
- Word: While drafting a purchase agreement, hover “Reps and Warranties” to open the topic card and insert a link to the latest template.
- Outlook: In a client email, hover “CFTC” to confirm regulator details and quickly navigate to an enforcement tracker document.
- Teams: In a matter channel, a topic card for “Series A Financing” connects the team to precedents and internal SMEs.
Encourage Contributions
- Add a “Suggest edit” link on topic pages so associates can propose improvements.
- Recognize contributors in practice group meetings and newsletters.
Compliance, Ethics, and Security Considerations
Law firms must align knowledge discovery with client confidentiality and professional ethics. Configure guardrails before scaling adoption.
- Security trimming: Topics respect existing SharePoint permissions—users only see content they’re authorized to access.
- Exclusions: Explicitly exclude high‑risk sites (e.g., privileged investigations, HR, conflicts) from topic discovery.
- Sensitivity labels: Enforce label inheritance on matter libraries; restrict sharing and downloads for sensitive content.
- Data minimization: Focus on final, sanitized work product for precedents; avoid raw client PII in knowledge libraries.
- Ethical walls: If your firm uses matter security groups, keep topics scoped to visibility boundaries.
- Retention: Ensure topic‑linked content follows your retention schedule and holds policies.
Reminder: Topics highlight information; they don’t override permissions. If a user can’t access a document, the topic card will not expose it.
Measure Success: KPIs and Reporting
Define metrics that tie knowledge to outcomes. Review with practice leaders quarterly.
Recommended KPIs
- Adoption: Number of published topics, topic views by practice area, hover rate in Office apps.
- Engagement: Edits per topic, number of SMEs contributing, suggestion acceptance rate.
- Efficiency: Time saved in onboarding, reduction in duplicate research requests, faster access to precedents.
- Quality: Percentage of topics reviewed on schedule; number of outdated items pruned.
How to Report
- Export SharePoint usage and Topic Center analytics to Excel or Power BI for dashboards.
- Use Teams channel posts and Planner tasks as a lightweight curation backlog report.
Conclusion
Viva Topics turns your firm’s documents and expertise into a living knowledge hub across Microsoft 365. With clear governance, a purposeful taxonomy, and the intake‑to‑curation automation above, attorneys get reliable, in‑context answers where they work—improving speed, quality, and client value. Start with a pilot, refine your processes, then scale across practices to realize compounding returns from your knowledge assets.
Want expert guidance on bringing Microsoft 365 automation into your firm’s legal workflows? Reach out to A.I. Solutions today for tailored support and training.
