How to use the Brief Section Drafter agent skill

What is an agent skill and what does this one do?

An agent skill is a folder containing a SKILL.md file with instructions that an AI agent loads when a request matches the skill's description. This one is named brief-section-drafter and its job is to draft a brief section in house style, consistent with the case theory.

The skill follows a short workflow: it loads the case theory and house style from a configuration file, drafts the section in the house format, tone and citation style, and then flags every place a fact or citation needs verification. The output is a draft section, not filing-ready text.

• Drafts statements of facts and argument sections in house style.
• Keeps the draft consistent with the case theory stored in your config file.
• Marks every fact or citation that needs checking.
• Flags weak arguments instead of presenting them as strong.
• Asks whether the section is for written submission or oral argument before drafting.

Install the brief-section-drafter skill

Download the ZIP for the skill from this page and unzip it. The skill is a single file, SKILL.md. Place the unzipped folder in one of two locations: ~/.claude/skills/ to make it available for all of your projects, or a project's .claude/skills/ folder to make it available only in that project.

If you use the Claude apps instead, upload the skill under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.

• Personal install: unzip into ~/.claude/skills/
• Project install: unzip into the project's .claude/skills/ folder
• Claude apps: Settings → Capabilities → Skills, then upload

Set up the required configuration file

The skill will not work from the description alone. It reads the case theory and house style from a file at ~/.claude/plugins/config/claude-for-legal/litigation-legal/CLAUDE.md. Create this file with your case theory, citation format, structure, tone and length norms before you ask for a draft.

The skill also needs the claude-for-legal plugin framework, which the file path refers to. The skill's conflicts gate checks a matter log at ~/.claude/plugins/config/claude-for-legal/litigation-legal/matters/_log.yaml. If the matter is not in that log, the skill refuses to draft and tells you to run /litigation-legal:matter-intake first.

• Required file: ~/.claude/plugins/config/claude-for-legal/litigation-legal/CLAUDE.md
• Required framework: the claude-for-legal plugin
• Conflicts gate: the matter must appear in matters/_log.yaml

How to trigger the skill with natural requests

The skill's description lists the phrases that should activate it. You can also invoke it directly with its slash name, /brief-section-drafter, and a section such as 'statement of facts' or 'argument II'.

• "Draft the statement of facts."
• "Write the statement of facts for the motion."
• "Argument section on [issue]."
• "I need a first draft of the argument section on the limitations defense."
• "Draft the argument II section."

Get the most from a draft: quotes, citations and weak points

The skill is built around record discipline. It will not put quotation marks around words unless the exact passage is available, and where it cannot find the exact wording it paraphrases and marks the gap with [verify exact quote — record cite pending]. Pinpoint cites are expected to support the whole proposition; if a pinpoint only supports part of a claim, the skill splits the cite or narrows the claim.

When the law or facts cut against a point, the skill flags it with a review note rather than building a confident argument. Expect bracketed markers such as [verify against record] and [review — strategic call] in the output, and clear all of them before anything is filed.

• Every [verify] marker must be cleared by a lawyer.
• Oral argument drafts focus on 3-4 points rather than covering everything.
• Consistency with prior submissions is encouraged, but the skill avoids repeating whole sentences.

Safety notes: scripts, network and witness statements

According to the listing, this skill runs no scripts and uses no network access. Its only file is SKILL.md, and it reads your local CLAUDE.md config and matter log.

The skill refuses to draft a witness statement in a witness's own voice for England and Wales proceedings under PD 57AC, or a declaration in a declarant's voice for US matters. It will instead help prepare question prompts, capture the witness's own words, list documents shown, run a compliance checklist, and draft the solicitor's certificate.

• Runs scripts: no
• Uses network: no
• Will not write witness statements or declarations in the witness's voice