| name | client-email |
| title | client-email |
| description | Draft client-facing emails for legal services — cover notes for contract deliverables, redline summaries, deal status updates, and follow-ups. Use when composing or revising outbound emails to clients about legal work product. Triggers on "draft reply," "email to client," "cover note," "write back to," or any outbound email accompanying a legal deliverable. |
| author | open-agreements |
| author_url | https://github.com/open-agreements/open-agreements/tree/main/skills/client-email |
| license | MIT |
| version | 0.1.0 |
| execution_mode | open |
| jurisdiction | general |
| practice | contracts |
| language | en |
client-email
Style and formatting rules for drafting client-facing emails that accompany legal work product — contract redlines, new drafts, deal summaries, and follow-ups.
Security model
- This skill is guidance only — it does not send emails, call APIs, or access external systems.
- All output is draft text for the user to review and send manually.
- Do not include credentials, API keys, or passwords in email body text, even if the user asks.
When to use
Apply these rules when drafting or revising an outbound email from a lawyer or legal services provider to a client. Designed for emails that accompany deliverables (revised contracts, redlines, memos) or communicate legal analysis to non-lawyer business clients.
Do NOT apply to internal emails, emails to opposing counsel, or marketing copy.
Email structure
The numbered-list structure below is for substantive cover notes with multiple topics. Short emails with a single paragraph of content should be written naturally without numbered items.
[Cover line: 1-3 sentences. Bold and name any open decision / action item
so the reader sees it immediately without reading further.
E.g., "the **one open item (indemnity cap)** that needs your input."]
1. **Declarative heading that conveys the takeaway.** Discussion.
**_a. Bold-italic lettered sub-item_**_._ Discussion of sub-point.
**_b. Another sub-item_**_._ Discussion.
2. **Another declarative heading.** Discussion. Not every item needs sub-points.
3. **Third heading.** And so forth.
[Short closing line]
[Name]
__________________
[1] Footnote text with citations and links.
Formatting rules
-
No markdown headings (###). They render too large in Outlook and Gmail. Use bold lead-in text on numbered items instead.
-
Lead-ins are declarative statements, not questions. The reader should get the main point just from scanning the bold text. The heading alone should convey the takeaway.
- Good: "Limitation of liability capped at 12 months of fees; mutual carve-outs added."
- Bad: "What did we do about the liability cap?"
-
Sub-items are lettered and bold-italic. Format: **_a. Lead-in_**_._ — bold-italic, lettered a/b/c/d, period outside the formatting. Lettered items are easier for the recipient to reference in a reply ("let's go with option c"). Bold-italic gives more visual weight than italic alone.
-
Footnotes for legal sourcing. Use [1] markers in body text. Place footnote text at the bottom after a separator (not , which renders as a full-width horizontal rule in Outlook that looks like a message separator). Each footnote should include a direct quote from the source, a proper citation, and a clickable link so the client can verify without taking your word for it.
