How to use the Legal Writing Feedback agent skill

What an agent skill is and what this one does

An agent skill is a folder containing a SKILL.md file that gives an AI agent specific instructions for one kind of task. When the skill is installed, the agent can follow those instructions when a request matches the skill's description.

This skill, named legal-writing, is for feedback on legal writing drafts. It reads the whole draft, identifies whether it is an office memo, brief, paper, or exam essay, and gives feedback in a fixed order: structure first, then analysis depth, then clarity and style, then the top three fixes.

• Structure: organization, thesis, and transitions between sections
• Analysis depth: rule statements, application to facts, and counterarguments
• Clarity and style: conclusory sentences, passive voice overuse, wordiness, and citation form
• Flags: uncertain substantive rule calls and edge-case citations are marked [VERIFY]
• Tracking: session notes are appended to a tracker file to spot recurring writing patterns over time

Install the legal-writing skill from the ZIP

Download the ZIP for the skill from this page. Unzip it so that the skill folder, which contains SKILL.md, sits in one of two locations. Use ~/.claude/skills/ to make the skill available across your projects, or use a project's .claude/skills/ folder to make it available only inside that project.

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

• Personal install: place the unzipped folder in ~/.claude/skills/
• Project install: place the unzipped folder in the project's .claude/skills/ folder
• Claude apps: upload the skill under Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Trigger the skill with natural requests

You can ask for feedback in ordinary language. The skill's description lists phrases such as 'feedback on my memo', 'read my draft', and 'critique my brief' as triggers. The skill also has a slash command, /legal-writing, with the argument hint '[paste draft OR path to file]', so you can paste the draft text or give the path to a file.

Include the assignment type if you know it. The skill identifies the type itself, but telling it helps the feedback match your course's expectations.

• 'Feedback on my memo' followed by the pasted text
• 'Read my draft' with a file path to your document
• 'Critique my brief' for an advocacy document
• /legal-writing with the draft or file path attached

What the skill reads and what it needs

The skill can read a local configuration file at ~/.claude/plugins/config/claude-for-legal/law-student/CLAUDE.md if it is present. When found, it uses that file for context such as your class, your writing skill level, and past feedback patterns. This file is optional. The skill runs without it.

If you share an assignment prompt or rubric, the skill can use it as well.

• Required: the draft itself, pasted or as a file path
• Optional: the CLAUDE.md context file described above
• Optional: an assignment prompt or rubric

Safety notes: scripts and network access

According to the skill's listing, it runs no scripts and uses no network connection. Its work is reading the draft and any context file you provide, then writing feedback and appending to the tracker file.

The tracker is written to ~/.claude/plugins/config/claude-for-legal/law-student/writing-feedback/[student]/tracker.md. Because it stores summaries of your past sessions, review it if you share your computer or your drafts are confidential.

• No scripts are run by this skill
• No network use is declared
• Local files read: the optional CLAUDE.md context file and the draft you provide
• Local file written: the tracker.md summary file

Tips for getting useful feedback

Give the skill the whole draft, since it reads top to bottom before commenting and a partial draft can hide structural problems. If you have a rubric, share it so feedback targets what your grader will check.

Expect the skill to refuse requests to rewrite. It offers more targeted structural feedback, a labeled example of one structural move, or a Socratic drill on the rule you are writing about. Each example it gives is labeled 'write yours, don't copy' and is limited to one or two per session.

After three or more sessions, the skill can point out patterns from your tracker, such as a thesis that is often buried or weak counterarguments.

• Paste the complete draft, not excerpts
• Share the assignment prompt or rubric when you have one
• Work through the top three fixes before resubmitting for another round
• Check every [VERIFY] flag against your casebook, the Bluebook, or ALWD before relying on it