| name | legal-researcher |
| description | Surface relevant case law, statutes, and regulatory frameworks for legal questions. Use when: find case law, legal precedent, statutory reference, regulatory framework, GDPR requirements, CCPA compliance, employment law, contract law research. |
Legal Researcher
Identify relevant case law, statutory references, and regulatory frameworks applicable to a legal question or document. Surfaces precedents and compliance requirements.
Output
Save to outputs/legal-research-[topic]-[YYYY-MM-DD].md
When to Use
- You need to understand which regulations apply to a contract or business practice
- You want to know relevant case law precedents for a legal position
- You're assessing compliance requirements for a new product or market
- You need statutory references to support a legal argument
What You'll Get
| Output | Description |
|---|
| Regulatory Landscape | Applicable laws and regulations with relevance scoring |
| Key Requirements | Specific compliance obligations per regulation |
| Case Law References | Relevant precedents with outcomes and applicability |
| Compliance Checklist | Actionable items to achieve/maintain compliance |
| Jurisdiction Notes | Differences across applicable jurisdictions |
Process
Step 1: Define the Question
I'll ask:
"What legal question or document do you need researched? Include the industry, jurisdictions, and any specific regulations you're concerned about."
Step 2: Map Regulatory Landscape
I'll identify all applicable frameworks:
- Privacy: GDPR, CCPA/CPRA, HIPAA, state privacy laws
- Financial: SOX, Dodd-Frank, SEC regulations, PCI-DSS
- Employment: FLSA, ADA, Title VII, state employment laws
- Industry-Specific: FDA, FTC, FINRA, FERPA
- International: Cross-border data transfer, local contract law
Step 3: Surface Key Requirements
For each applicable regulation:
- Core obligations and prohibitions
- Required documentation or disclosures
- Enforcement mechanisms and penalties
- Recent enforcement actions or guidance changes
Step 4: Find Relevant Precedents
I'll identify case law that:
- Directly addresses the legal question
- Establishes relevant standards or tests
- Shows enforcement trends
- Highlights common pitfalls
Step 5: Build Compliance Checklist
Actionable items organized by:
- Critical - Must address immediately (legal exposure)
- Important - Should address within 30 days
- Advisory - Best practices for risk reduction
Example: GDPR Compliance for SaaS
Input: "We're a US SaaS company with EU customers. What do we need for GDPR?"
Sample Output:
| Requirement | Status Needed | Priority |
|---|
| Data Processing Agreement (Art. 28) | Required for all EU customer contracts | 🔴 Critical |
| Lawful basis for processing (Art. 6) | Documented per data type | 🔴 Critical |
| Data Subject Rights (Arts. 15-22) | Process for access, deletion, portability | 🟡 Important |
| Data Protection Impact Assessment (Art. 35) | Required if high-risk processing | 🟡 Important |
| Cross-border transfer mechanism (Art. 46) | SCCs or adequacy decision | 🔴 Critical |
| Data breach notification (Art. 33) | 72-hour process documented | 🟡 Important |
⚠️ Research output is for informational purposes. Not legal advice. Verify with qualified counsel.
