# Rust in Peace A talk by [Nick](mailto:nick@neonlaw.com) for [Rust NYC](https://www.meetup.com/rust-nyc/events/316056830/) Rust in Peace is a eulogy to my programming career. Over the past year, teaching coding at Apple, I realized nearly all my students were vibe coding and had stopped needing me. That was the signal to go back to practicing law. Our firm runs its entire practice on the [Neon Law Navigator](/navigator), Rust-built software that flexes its great ecosystem. We built our practice to enable all lawyers to vibe-code custom client experiences and tell our clients' unique stories. In this presentation, you'll see how this all fits together beginning with how we architected the data, chose Rust-first vendors, and leverage agentic tooling for coding and lawyering. Navigator is only possible because the ecosystem is this good, because the LLMs are this good, and because communities like RustNYC are this good. Please come to my retirement party and let us get crabby together. ## Intro ### May my soul rust in peace ![Ferris the Rust crab in goggles holds a glowing vial, Megadeth Rust in Peace parody](img/rust-in-peace/cover.png) --- Rust in Peace is a Eulogy to my programming career, as I know I'll never see myself as a full-time developer again. ### Las Vegas Ruby Group ![The Las Vegas Ruby Group's red ruby profile mark](img/lvrug/lvrug.png) --- Began programming here. Very grateful for Paul, David, Ryan, Alex, Jeremy, Russ, Jason, Rachel, Brian, Dylan and so many more. ### 5 Years at the Fruit ![A hand holds a kiwi in front of a colorful rainbow sculpture](img/rust-in-peace/kiwi-rainbow.jpg) --- Twenty days in New York. Thank you to Rob, my friend of twenty years. ### 4 years finance data & platform engineering ![Ten colleagues standing together in an Apple office](img/rust-in-peace/apple-team.jpg) --- Over 30 petabytes of data, high stress but high performing team. ### 1 year teaching programming ![Colleagues share dinner together at a restaurant](img/rust-in-peace/apple-teaching.jpg) --- The man in the front is Owen, my beloved boss. Apple is an incredible place. ### What I realized is ![Groovy card: asterisk everyone loves vibing; nearly](img/rust-in-peace/everyone-loves-vibing.png) --- Nearly everyone loves vibing. ### Decided to be a lawyer in New York ![New York City seen beyond a hillside cemetery](img/rust-in-peace/new-york-lawyer-decision.jpg) --- I decided to be a lawyer in New York. ### What our firm does {{firm-product-cards}} --- Our firm offers Litigation, Fractional GC, Personal Plan, and One-Time Services. ### Neon Law Navigator {{navigator-product}} --- Neon Law Navigator is source-available software designed to enable all lawyers to be vibe-coding storytellers. ### Agenda - Why go all-in on Rust - {Library,Data,DevX,Cloud} tour - Navigator: Everyone vibes - Notations: Markdown => PDF with workflows - Thanks --- We begin with our experience, we end rusting in peace. ## Why go all-in on rust ### Compiled, correct, and fast ![Ferris the Rust crab racing a hare at tremendous speed](img/rust-in-peace/ferris-races-the-hare.png) --- If we're vibing, why not just vibe in Rust? ### Amazing Community What other compiled language has meetups this big? And a discord community of thousands. ![A large Rust community meetup filling a presentation room](img/rust-in-peace/rust-community-meetup.png) --- Also perhaps other communities like JavaScript and Python are too big and subsequently fragmented. ### Mac, Windows, Linux Rust works on all three. ![Ferris works across Apple, Windows, and Linux](img/rust-in-peace/ferris-apple-windows-linux.png) --- You can download our `navigator` CLI on each cloud. ### Non-profit governance The Rust Foundation > Private Company ![Ferris shares governance with an equal business community](img/rust-in-peace/ferris-shared-governance.png) --- No need to worry about enterprise fees ### snake_case > camelCase `rob_balicki` or `robBalicki` --- I'll die on this hill. ## The tour: {Library,Data,DevX,Cloud} ### Libraries: Some crates Read our [Cargo.toml](https://github.com/neon-law-source-code/navigator/blob/main/Cargo.toml). - **HTTP and views** — `axum`, `dioxus`, `tower` / `tower-http` - **Store & Durable execution** — `surrealdb`, `restate-sdk` - **Telemetry & Backups** — `opentelemetry`, `arrow`, `parquet` - **Notations** — `typst` - **Cloud** — `google-cloud-storage`, `reqwest` --- It's easier thinking in only one language. ### Libraries: Developer parity Local `KIND` deployment - **Rauthy** - OIDC - **Regorus** - OPA - **Restate** - Durable Workflows - **Surreal** - Store ![Ferris carries four glowing tools between connected workshop rooms](img/rust-in-peace/libraries-developer-parity.png) --- Choosing Rust vendors helps us stay pure rust. ### Data: People A `person` can be one of: - **Client** - someone with a retainer - **Clerk** - a supervised worker - **Lawyer** - member of the bar - **Admin** - lawyers with admin access to the system - **Owner** - owner of the system ![Ferris joins a five-role council around a worktable](img/rust-in-peace/data-people.png) --- Important to have a single owner or DRI. ### Data: Project A project or "matter" is a loose and flexible arrangement of legal services. Each has at least one client and lawyer DRI who can make decisions. ![Ferris connects a client and lawyer through a flexible project constellation](img/rust-in-peace/data-project.png) --- Per-project disclosure is important. ### Data: Documents The abstract deliverable of lawyers. Contracts, pleadings, forms. ![Ferris transforms legal work into a stack of signed documents](img/rust-in-peace/data-documents.png) --- The more signed PDFs we acquire the better our business. ### DevX: Monorepo github.com/neon-law-source-code/navigator ![Ferris maintains a living treehouse monorepo](img/rust-in-peace/devx-monorepo.png) --- A well-tested mono repo keeps things in sync. ### DevX: Glossary & Ontology www.neonlaw.com/docs/glossary ![Ferris organizes a shared vocabulary in a magical library](img/rust-in-peace/devx-glossary-ontology.png) --- Keeping terms aligned ensures that we're reviewing work together. ### DevX: Tests Unit & Integration. High code coverage. ![Eight continuous integration checks passed](img/rust-in-peace/tests-checks-passed.png) --- If we're vibing, vibe high and as much as possible. ### DevX: Multiple explanations Compare a long string that can't fit in memory? 6 unique spots. Here, 6 unique explanations. Tests, code, prs, commits, diagrams, workshops, etc. ![Three Ferris crabs point at one another](img/rust-in-peace/ferris-three-way-pointing.png) --- If an LLM describes the same concept in multiple different ways, chances are we have mutual understanding. ### DevX: Agent skills Optimize for both Claude Code & Codex. Adversarial review between the two is amazing. ![Two Ferris characters review the same code in mirrored workshops](img/rust-in-peace/devx-agent-skills.png) --- A "tell me what this is prompt" is often illuminating. ### DevX: Works on my machine Linux, Mac. Local with and w/o Kind. GKE. Orbstack for local containers --- Flex Rust's skills to work everywhere. ### DevX: Build for all use cases Web. CLI. MCP. ![Ferris uses a website, CLI, and MCP tools](img/rust-in-peace/ferris-web-cli-mcp.png) --- Everyone uses software in different ways. ### DevX: One flow, worktree per PR One `main` branch. Squash & Merge. Worktree per PR. Tag only from `main`. ![Ferris tends a main railway with worktree branches](img/rust-in-peace/devx-one-flow-worktree-pr.png) --- Environment creation should be idempotent. The test should always run all the time. ### Cloud: GCP Omakase. Nicer customer support. ![Ferris selects dependable cloud infrastructure from a cloud kitchen](img/rust-in-peace/cloud-gcp.png) --- The `gcloud` CLI and IAM much easier to reason about. ### Cloud: GKE Autopilot Kubernetes is awesome, even if maintaining isn't. ![Ferris relaxes while a Kubernetes cloudship runs on autopilot](img/rust-in-peace/ferris-gke-autopilot.png) --- Benefits of using the same manifests and tech like sidecars don't need to learn something new. ### Cloud: SaaS SaaS will never die, the same way restaurants wont. Sendgrid, Docusign, Xero, Slack, Notion, GitHub. ![Ferris assembles specialized services in a storybook marketplace](img/rust-in-peace/cloud-saas.png) --- We create documents, not rebuild the above. ### Cloud: Infra Surreal DB & Restate Each proudly Rust and based abroad. ![Ferris presents the SurrealDB and Restate logos](img/rust-in-peace/ferris-surrealdb-restate.png) --- Each uses the Business Source license, an excellent choice for tech companies. [Sources] - - ### Cloud: Iceberg backups Save everything application {logs,telemetry,data} in Iceberg. Different GCP account **and** different vendor. ![Ferris sends glowing data containers to a distant iceberg backup vault](img/rust-in-peace/cloud-iceberg-backups.png) --- Never lose data. ## Navigator: Everyone vibes ### High-Throughput Low-Cost Our north star is Access to Justice ![Ferris helps every person be seen and heard](img/rust-in-peace/ferris-access-to-justice.png) --- And all of our actions should be consistent with working towards access to justice sustainably. ### Lifecycle of a project ![Three recycling arrows labeled Intake, Feedback, and Documents](img/rust-in-peace/project-lifecycle.png) --- A project could be a quick LLC incorporation. It could be managing 10 cases on behalf of one person. Projects are flexible on purpose. ### Intake, our customer conversion Collect info. Web forms, chat prompts, API calls (e.g. ID.me, Docusign) ![Ferris welcomes a visitor through three intake entrances](img/rust-in-peace/intake-customer-conversion.png) --- Decouple questions from projects to ensure we're not repeating and asking the same things. ### Continous feedback The best ideas never happen with one person. We work with our teammates and clients. Custom web apps, client MCPs, phone & video. ![Ferris builds an idea with a lawyer and client around a feedback table](img/rust-in-peace/continuous-feedback.png) --- The more our clients are engaged with the process, the happier they are with our services. ### Vibing for clients ![Groovy card: asterisk everyone loves vibing; nearly](img/rust-in-peace/everyone-loves-vibing.png) --- Everyone knows is vibing is cool, let's do more of it. ### Create documents ![Ferris signs a document with a quill and the Rust logo](img/rust-in-peace/ferris-signs-rust-document.png) --- We'll cover in our `Notations` section. High-level PDFs we sign. Nearly everything else is ephemeral toward that pursuit. Retention time is for everything that's not our final output. Very rarely is our final output not some sort of PDF. ## Notations: Markdown => PDF with workflows ### Frontmatter ```yaml title: Retainer Agreement code: onboarding__letter respondent_type: person_and_entity jurisdiction: NV confidential: true questionnaire: BEGIN: { _: person__client } person__client: { _: project__engagement } project__engagement: { _: END } END: {} workflow: BEGIN: { intake_submitted: intake_persisted__client } intake_persisted__client: { retainer_rendered: lawyer_review } lawyer_review: approved: generate_pdf__retainer_pdf changes_requested: reask__client rejected: END generate_pdf__retainer_pdf: pdf_persisted: sent_for_signature__pending sent_for_signature__pending: signature_received: END END: {} ``` --- Imbue markdown with a ton of rules. Incremental progress. ### Markdown ```md {{custom_datetime__engagement_start_date}} {{person__client.name}} Re: Retainer Agreement — {{project__engagement.name}} Dear {{person__client.name}}: This Retainer Agreement (the "Agreement") is entered into between the Firm and {{person__client.name}} (the "Client"), reachable at {{person__client.email}}, for legal services on the matter referred to as {{project__engagement.name}}. ... ``` --- Imbue markdown with a ton of rules. Incremental progress. ### A Clippy for law ![Ferris inspects legal pages with a magnifying glass](img/rust-in-peace/clippy-for-law.png) ```bash navigator validate --help Validate Markdown and YAML files in `` (default `.`). Usage: navigator validate [OPTIONS] [DIR] Arguments: [DIR] Directory to walk [default: .] Options: --fix Apply every safe-by-construction rule autofix (whitespace, ATX heading spacing, blockquote. -h, --help Print help ``` --- Imbue markdown with a ton of rules. Incremental progress. ### Render the retainer ```bash navigator template render \ templates/neon_law/shared/retainer.md \ --out /tmp/retainer.pdf ``` ![First page of the rendered Retainer Agreement PDF](img/rust-in-peace/retainer-agreement-preview.png) --- Markdown in, PDF out. ## Thanks ### Rust in peace I still vibe in the background, but the foreground is being your lawyer. ![Ferris rests at Green-Wood Cemetery surrounded by friends](img/rust-in-peace/ferris-green-wood-farewell.png) --- Imbue markdown with a ton of rules. Rust in peace, Ferris Surrounded by friends at Green-Wood Cemetery.