Guide · Agent skill
How to use the Matter Briefing agent skill (matter-briefing)
Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data
The matter-briefing skill is an agent skill for Claude that writes a short briefing on one legal matter: current posture, recent changes, next deadline, open questions and a prompt to recheck the risk rating. It is aimed at in-house lawyers preparing for a GC update or an outside counsel call, and at legal ops staff who need a quick read on a matter they did not handle. After this guide you will know what the skill needs, how to install it, how to ask for a briefing and what it will refuse to do.
Matter Briefinganthropics/claude-for-legal · Apache-2.0 Download the skill Quick start
- 1Check the plugin files. Confirm that the claude-for-legal litigation-legal configuration exists at ~/.claude/plugins/config/claude-for-legal/litigation-legal/ with CLAUDE.md and matters/_log.yaml.
- 2Confirm the matter was intaken. Make sure the matter has been through matter-intake so its slug appears in _log.yaml.
- 3Download and unzip the skill. Download the ZIP from this page and unzip the matter-briefing folder into ~/.claude/skills/ or a project's .claude/skills/ folder.
- 4Or upload it in the Claude apps. In the Claude apps, go to Settings → Capabilities → Skills and upload the skill.
- 5Ask for a briefing. Say 'brief me on [matter slug]' or 'where are we on [matter slug]'. Add the purpose if you have one.
- 6Review the flags and sections. Check the header for STALE and conflicts flags, then read the summary, changes, next steps and open questions.
- 7Update the matter after the meeting. Run /litigation-legal:matter-update [slug] to record what was discussed so the next briefing is current.
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 comes from the claude-for-legal litigation-legal plugin, and its file is SKILL.md.
When you ask for a briefing on a specific matter, the agent reads that matter's saved log row, narrative intake and event history, then writes a summary. The skill checks whether the risk rating still reflects the case, and flags the briefing as stale if the matter was last updated more than 30 days ago. It only reads files and does not change them.
- Current posture and what the matter is for
- What has changed since the last update, most recent first
- The next deadline and upcoming milestones
- Open questions and decisions pending
- A risk re-assessment prompt asking whether the risk field still fits
- A staleness flag when the matter was last updated more than 30 days ago
What you need before you install
The skill reads files from the claude-for-legal litigation-legal plugin configuration. It has nothing to read without them, so it will refuse or fail on a machine that does not have them.
The skill expects these files at ~/.claude/plugins/config/claude-for-legal/litigation-legal/: a CLAUDE.md file, a matters/_log.yaml file, and a matter.md and history.md file for each matter. The matter must also have been through a prior matter-intake run so that it appears in _log.yaml.
- The claude-for-legal litigation-legal plugin configuration files, in the location above
- A matter folder for each matter, with matter.md and history.md
- A prior matter-intake run for each matter, so it appears in _log.yaml
~/.claude/plugins/config/claude-for-legal/litigation-legal/Install the skill
Download the ZIP for this skill from this page and unzip it. Then choose one of two locations. For all of your projects, place the matter-briefing folder inside ~/.claude/skills/. For a single project, place it inside that project's .claude/skills/ folder.
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
~/.claude/skills/matter-briefing/SKILL.mdHow to trigger a briefing with natural requests
You do not need to type a command. The skill's description tells the agent to use it when you say things like 'brief me on [matter]' or 'where are we on [matter]', or when you need a read on a specific matter. Name the matter by its slug, the short identifier used in the matter folder.
If the request is ambiguous or the slug is missing, the agent should ask you to pick from a list of active matters. The skill also accepts a slug as an argument, shown as /matter-briefing [slug] in its header.
- 'Brief me on the Harbor Logistics dispute before my GC update' (use the slug for the matter)
- 'Where are we on [slug]?'
- 'I need a read on [slug] before the outside counsel call.' The agent will tailor the final section to that purpose.
- '/matter-briefing [slug]' if you prefer the explicit form
Read the briefing and check the flags
The briefing has a fixed structure: a header with status, risk, materiality, outside counsel, last updated date and conflicts status, then a summary, recent changes, next steps, exposure, internal owners, the risk re-assessment check, and open questions. A final section for the conversation appears only if you stated a purpose.
Pay attention to the flags. A ⚠️ STALE marker means the matter was last updated more than 30 days ago. A conflicts status of pending or not-run is also flagged. Treat the briefing as only as current as the notes saved in the matter folder.
- Check the STALE flag before relying on the summary
- If history is thin, the briefing will say so rather than pad it
- The risk section is a prompt to reconsider, not a new rating
Safety notes: scripts and network
This skill runs no scripts and uses no network access, according to its listing. It reads local matter files and writes nothing. Because it reads confidential matter notes, you should still keep those files on a machine and account you are authorised to use, and check what your Claude setup sends to external services.
The skill also refuses any matter that has not passed intake and a conflicts check. It does not work on arbitrary documents.
- No scripts are run by this skill
- No network use is declared
- Read-only: it does not change matter files
- Refuses matters missing from _log.yaml and points you to /litigation-legal:matter-intake
Tips for getting a useful briefing
The quality of the briefing depends on what is saved in the matter folder. Keep matter.md and history.md current, and run the matter update step after meetings so the next briefing has something to read. Give a purpose when you ask, such as a GC update or an outside counsel call, so the final section is useful.
Do not use the briefing in place of the source files. Check the underlying documents before acting on a deadline or exposure figure.
- Update matter notes after each meeting, using /litigation-legal:matter-update [slug] as the skill suggests
- State the purpose of the briefing in your request
- Verify deadlines and exposure against source files
What people use it for
- Briefing an in-house lawyer before a GC update on posture, exposure and next deadline
- Preparing questions and decisions to get before a call with outside counsel
- Giving legal ops staff a quick read on a matter they did not handle
- Checking whether a matter's risk rating still fits after a discovery development
- Spotting matters whose notes have not been updated in over 30 days
Frequently asked questions
Is the matter-briefing skill free?
This page does not state a price or licence terms for the skill beyond its listed licence, which is Apache-2.0. Check the licence file in the source repository for the terms that apply to you.
What license does matter-briefing use?
The skill is listed under the Apache-2.0 licence, in the anthropics/claude-for-legal repository.
What do I need to use the matter-briefing skill?
You need the claude-for-legal litigation-legal plugin configuration files at ~/.claude/plugins/config/claude-for-legal/litigation-legal/, including CLAUDE.md, matters/_log.yaml, and per-matter matter.md and history.md files. The matter must also have had a prior matter-intake run so it appears in _log.yaml.
Why does the skill refuse to brief my matter?
The skill refuses any matter whose slug is not in _log.yaml, because the conflicts check is the gate. Run /litigation-legal:matter-intake for that matter first, then ask for the briefing again.
How do I install a skill in Claude?
Download the ZIP and unzip the matter-briefing folder into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use, or into a project's .claude/skills/ folder. In the Claude apps, upload it under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
Does the matter-briefing skill predict outcomes or recommend strategy?
No. The skill states it does not predict outcomes, recommend strategy or re-triage. It raises questions for the lawyer to answer, and the risk rating is a captured judgment rather than a forecast.
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Our verdict
Use this skill if you are an in-house lawyer or legal ops member working with claude-for-legal litigation matter folders and need a fast, read-only summary before a GC update or outside counsel call. Pick something else if you do not have those matter files, need to analyse arbitrary documents, or want case outcome predictions or strategy advice.
Download the skill