legal-brief

Legal Brief Skill

This skill drafts structured legal briefs and memos using IRAC format — the standard structure for legal writing.

Required Inputs

• Brief type (legal memo / case summary / argument outline / position paper / letter before action)
• Legal issue or question
• Jurisdiction (England & Wales / US / EU / Other)
• Relevant facts
• Relevant law or cases (if known — otherwise flagged as [RESEARCH NEEDED])
• Audience (internal memo / court submission / client letter)

Output Structure

Header

• To: [Recipient]
• From: [Author]
• Date: [Date]
• Re: [Matter reference]
• Confidential: Subject to legal professional privilege

Issue(s)

One sentence per legal question:

• Issue 1: Whether X constitutes Y under [law]

Brief Answer

One sentence per issue — conclusion upfront before analysis.

Facts

Concise relevant facts only. Flag disputed facts.

Law (Rule)

• Relevant statute, regulation, or case law
• How the rule has been interpreted in key cases
• Flag [RESEARCH NEEDED] where law is not provided

Application

• Arguments in favour
• Counter-arguments and responses
• Areas of uncertainty flagged explicitly

Conclusion

• Clear answer to each issue
• Overall recommendation
• Suggested next steps

Caveats

What this memo does not cover. What additional research would change the analysis.

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WARNING: This draft requires review by a qualified legal professional. It does not constitute legal advice.

Quality Checks

• [ ] Issue is stated as a specific legal question (not a general topic)
• [ ] Brief answer appears before the analysis (conclusion upfront)
• [ ] Disputed facts are explicitly flagged
• [ ] Areas of legal uncertainty are noted (not hidden in confident language)
• [ ] Caveats section lists what would change the analysis
• [ ] Disclaimer is included

Anti-Patterns

• [ ] Do not present uncertain legal positions with confident language — areas of legal ambiguity must be flagged explicitly, not smoothed over
• [ ] Do not omit the disclaimer — every legal brief output must include the professional review caveat before the user treats it as advice
• [ ] Do not structure the brief chronologically — IRAC format (Issue, Rule, Application, Conclusion) must be used regardless of how the user framed the request
• [ ] Do not cite cases or statutes from memory without flagging them as [REQUIRES VERIFICATION] — hallucinated citations are worse than no citations
• [ ] Do not conflate jurisdiction — legal positions in England & Wales, US, and EU can differ materially; always confirm jurisdiction before stating the rule

Example Trigger Phrases

• "Draft a legal memo on [issue]"
• "Write a legal brief arguing [position]"
• "Summarise the legal position on [topic]"
• "Write a letter before action for [situation]"