party-deposition

name	party-deposition
title	Party Deposition
description	Builds element-driven deposition outlines and witness preparation plans for U.S. party depositions (plaintiff or defendant), covering admissions under FRE 801(d)(2), damages/causation modules, and FRCP 30 procedures. Use when drafting a party deposition outline, preparing a party witness, planning admissions strategy, or testing defenses. Trigger keywords: party deposition, plaintiff deposition, defendant deposition, deposition outline, witness prep, admissions, damages, causation, mitigation.
author	CaseMark
author_url	https://github.com/CaseMark/skills/tree/main/skills/legal/party-deposition
license	Apache-2.0
version	0.1.0
execution_mode	open
jurisdiction	us
practice	litigation
language	en

Party Deposition

Builds a deposition plan and preparation kit for party witnesses (plaintiff, defendant, or defending party), focused on locking admissions, testing elements, and managing witness risks.

Prerequisites

1. Pleadings, claims, defenses, and elements to prove or defeat
2. Core documents and exhibits indexed by topic and date
3. Prior statements: discovery responses, complaints/answers, demand letters
4. Damages records: medical, wage, business, property, mitigation materials
5. Jurisdiction rules on objections, instructions not to answer, and time limits

Quick Start

1. Identify deponent role (plaintiff, defendant, or defending party)
2. Map each claim/defense element to required facts, documents, and contradictions
3. Build outline using the core template below
4. Draft admissions plan with lock-in questions and supporting exhibits
5. For defending party: run three-session preparation plan

Role Selection

Role	Objectives	Key Risks	Outputs
Plaintiff	Lock narrative, test elements, undermine damages, extract admissions	Sympathy, volatility, inconsistent damages	Outline, damages module, admissions list
Defendant	Establish liability, foreclose defenses, fix knowledge timeline	Evasive memory, corporate speak	Outline, knowledge timeline, document plan
Defending Party	Protect from damaging admissions, preserve credibility	Overconfidence, volunteering, emotional outbursts	Prep plan, story framework, mock Q set

Core Outline Template

I.   Background and role
II.  Pre-incident timeline
III. Incident / challenged conduct
IV.  Causation and harm
V.   Damages and mitigation
VI.  Documents and communications
VII. Prior claims / litigation / similar incidents
VIII.Defenses (if opposing party)
IX.  Exhaustion and wrap-up

Deposition Structures

Plaintiff

Phase	Focus	Key Questions
Background	Identity, baseline, context	Work history, education, health history
Incident	Narrative and specifics	Who, what, when, where, how