| name | amicus-interest-statement |
| title | Amicus Interest Statement |
| description | Drafts the "Interest of Amicus Curiae" section of an amicus brief. Establishes institutional credibility, tethers the amicus's interest to the specific legal question, articulates non-party impacts, and embeds disclosure guardrails under FRAP 29 and Supreme Court Rule 37. Trigger when drafting amicus briefs, friend-of-the-court filings, interest statements, amicus disclosures, or when the user asks why an organization belongs in a case. |
| author | CaseMark |
| author_url | https://github.com/CaseMark/skills/tree/main/skills/legal/amicus-interest-statement |
| license | Apache-2.0 |
| version | 0.1.0 |
| execution_mode | open |
| jurisdiction | us |
| practice | litigation |
| language | en |
| tags | ["brief","drafting"] |
Amicus Interest Statement
The Interest of Amicus Curiae section is the credibility gateway. Courts scrutinize amicus filings for "me-too" redundancy — a weak interest statement signals the brief wastes the court's time. This skill produces a statement that passes the clerk test: can someone explain in one sentence why this amicus belongs in this case?
Pre-Draft Intake
Gather before drafting (skip only if user says "use defaults" or "just draft"):
- Case context — caption, court, docket number, stage, questions presented, decision below
- Amicus identity — legal name, entity type, founding year, membership size/scope, coalition status
- Mission & expertise — mission statement, core programs, publications, prior amicus filings, domain expertise
- Concrete stake — who is affected, through what mechanisms (compliance costs, enforcement changes, chilling effects)
- Parties' briefs (if available) — to identify the amicus's unique perspective
- Disclosure facts — (a) who authored the brief, (b) party/counsel funding, (c) other monetary contributors
- Governing rules — FRAP 29, S.Ct. Rule 37, or state rules; flag if unknown
Defaults when user doesn't respond: stakeholder advocate posture; FRAP 29 rules; disclosure withheld pending confirmation. Label all defaults. Request missing disclosure facts before finalizing.
Core Workflow
1. Anchor to the Legal Issue
Open by connecting the amicus to the specific question presented. Mirror the language of the questions presented.
Amicus curiae [Organization] submits this brief to assist the Court in resolving whether [legal issue]. Because [Organization] [work tied to issue], the Court's resolution will have significant consequences for [constituency] and for [system/market/program].
- Name the specific statute/provision at issue — not generic values
- Distinguish amicus perspective from parties' arguments
- Show why this amicus in this case on this question
2. Describe the Organization with Verifiable Specifics
[Organization] is a [entity type] founded in [year] that represents [members/constituency] across [scope]. Its work includes [2-4 activities], including [activity relevant to the issue].
- Use verifiable facts (membership numbers, founding year, programs) — no superlatives ("leading," "premier")
- Be candid about advocacy posture; disclose coalition composition when filing jointly
