lace-work, n. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

lace-work n.

[boxing imagery: the rubbing of the glove’s laces in the opponent’s face and eyes or f. the ideas of ‘embroidery’]

(US) the gathering of evidence for a legal process.

1879		Nat. Police Gaz. (NY) 22 Nov. 14/3–4: The Divorce must be obtained at all hazards. Where the husband is a jolly, good-natured fellow, who goes freely about town, all this evidence business is very much easier. It is here that the special divorce detective gets his lace-work in.
1882		Nat. Police Gaz. (NY) 3 June 2/1: Whew ! Five new divorce suits In Brooklyn and not a parson got his ‘lace work’ in.