| name | legal-research-summary |
| title | Legal Research Summary |
| description | Synthesizes U.S. statutes, case law, and regulatory guidance into attorney-ready litigation research summaries with counterarguments and strategic implications. Use when drafting research memos, case law surveys, statutory/regulatory synthesis, or answering "what is the law on X" questions. Trigger keywords: legal research summary, research memo, case law survey, statutory analysis, regulatory guidance, legal landscape. |
| author | CaseMark |
| author_url | https://github.com/CaseMark/skills/tree/main/skills/legal/legal-research-summary |
| license | Apache-2.0 |
| version | 0.1.0 |
| execution_mode | open |
| jurisdiction | us |
| practice | litigation |
| language | en |
Legal Research Summary
Produces a concise, attorney-ready synthesis of governing law and competing interpretations on a defined U.S. legal question.
Prerequisites
Gather before starting:
- Research question — precise issue statement in one sentence
- Jurisdiction — state/federal, circuit, choice-of-law constraints
- Time scope — currentness cutoff and retroactivity needs
- Fact pattern — material facts driving legal tests/standards
- Authority sources — preferred databases (Westlaw, Lexis, gov sites)
Section Order
Use all sections, in this order:
- Issue & Scope — restate the question with jurisdiction boundaries
- Executive Summary — direct answer, dominant rule, any split/controversy, bottom line for litigation posture (2–3 paragraphs)
- Legal Framework (Thematic) — analysis organized by legal theme (see template below)
- Counterarguments / Alternative Views — strongest opposing authority, jurisdictional splits, relative strength assessment
- Gaps / Open Questions — first-impression issues, unreconciled conflicts, pending appeals or legislative changes
- Practical Implications & Strategy — litigation leverage points, risk assessment, procedural constraints (SOL, exhaustion)
- Sources & Verification — Bluebook-format citations with verification notes
Authority Priority
Apply in every section, in this order:
- Binding precedent for the forum
- Persuasive authority (if binding absent or split)
- Statutes and regulations with effective dates
- Agency guidance and enforcement actions
Thematic Analysis Template
Organize the Legal Framework section by topic, not by source type.
| Theme | Legal Standard | Key Authorities | Fact Alignment | Notes |
|---|
| {Theme} | Rule/element | Case/Statute/Reg | Align/Distinguish | Trend/Conflict |
Per theme, include:
- Rule statement — one sentence
- Primary authority — binding first, then persuasive
- (case law) or (statute/reg)
