Guide · Agent skill
How to use the Open Internal Investigation agent skill
Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data
The investigation-open skill is a file of instructions for an AI agent, built for the moment a workplace complaint or allegation arrives. When you ask the agent to open an investigation, it runs an intake of the details, produces a checklist of sources to collect, and creates a persistent investigation log. It is written for an attorney who needs to set up a privileged investigation workspace. After this guide you will know what the skill does, how to install it, how to trigger it, and what else it needs to work properly.
Open Internal Investigationanthropics/claude-for-legal · Apache-2.0 Download the skill Quick start
- 1Check prerequisites. Confirm the claude-for-legal employment-legal plugin set is installed, and that the internal-investigation reference skill is available.
- 2Create the configuration file. Make sure a CLAUDE.md file exists at ~/.claude/plugins/config/claude-for-legal/employment-legal/CLAUDE.md.
- 3Download the skill ZIP. Download the investigation-open ZIP from this page.
- 4Unzip into a skills folder. Unzip into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use, or into a project's .claude/skills/ folder.
- 5Or upload in the Claude apps. Alternatively, upload the skill under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
- 6Run the command with a description. Invoke /employment-legal:investigation-open with a brief description of the allegation.
- 7Review the output. Check the intake, sources checklist and log with the supervising attorney before acting on any step.
What is an agent skill, and what does this one make the agent do?
An agent skill is a folder containing a SKILL.md file. The file tells an AI agent when to use a particular workflow and what steps to follow. This skill is named investigation-open and is part of the claude-for-legal plugin set (employment-legal). Its job is narrow: start a new internal investigation matter.
When a complaint or allegation comes in and the attorney needs a privileged investigation workspace, the skill tells the agent to load your configuration file, load a separate reference skill called internal-investigation, and run that reference skill's Mode 1 (Open). The result is an intake of the details, a sources checklist, and a persistent investigation log.
What do you need before installing?
The skill depends on several things. Check each one before you start.
The claude-for-legal plugin set (employment-legal) must be installed. The skill also expects a configuration file at ~/.claude/plugins/config/claude-for-legal/employment-legal/CLAUDE.md. Finally, the internal-investigation reference skill must be installed. It is not included in this file, and the detailed intake rules, privilege requirements and log templates come from it.
- claude-for-legal plugin set (employment-legal) installed
- Configuration file at ~/.claude/plugins/config/claude-for-legal/employment-legal/CLAUDE.md
- internal-investigation reference skill installed (not included in this download)
How do you install the investigation-open skill?
Download the ZIP for this skill from the page where you found this guide. Unzip it into one of two locations. For a personal setup that applies everywhere, use ~/.claude/skills/. For a single project, place it in that project's .claude/skills/ folder.
If you use the Claude apps instead, you can upload the skill under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
- Personal: unzip into ~/.claude/skills/
- Project only: unzip into the project's .claude/skills/ folder
- Claude apps: upload under Settings → Capabilities → Skills
How do you trigger the skill with a natural request?
You can invoke the skill with its slash command and a short description of the allegation. The skill accepts a brief description of the allegation as its argument. If you leave out the details, the skill will ask you for them.
Because the skill's description covers situations where a complaint or allegation comes in and an attorney needs to stand up a privileged investigation workspace, a plain request in that spirit should also lead the agent to use it.
/employment-legal:investigation-open
Harassment complaint filed against a manager in the Austin office.What happens when you run it?
The agent first loads your configuration file. It then loads the internal-investigation reference skill and runs Mode 1 (Open). If a matter with the same slug already exists, the skill tells the agent to warn you before overwriting it.
The reference skill holds the substantive rules, so the agent must load it before doing real work. Treat the output as a starting structure, not a finished investigation.
- Loads your CLAUDE.md configuration file
- Loads and runs the internal-investigation reference skill in Mode 1 (Open)
- Warns before overwriting an existing matter with the same slug
What are the safety notes?
This skill runs no scripts and uses no network access, according to its listing. It works by giving the agent instructions and by relying on the reference skill's templates and rules.
The skill assumes attorney supervision and privilege judgement. Its output is not legal advice, so review every step before acting on it. Output may be incomplete if the internal-investigation reference skill is missing. It also does not explain privilege rules for every jurisdiction or matter, so check those yourself.
- Runs no scripts and uses no network, per its listing
- Not legal advice; a lawyer must supervise and review each step
- Incomplete output if internal-investigation is not installed
- Privilege rules may differ by jurisdiction; this file does not explain them
Tips for getting better results
Give a clear, one-sentence description of the allegation as the argument. Keep your configuration file current so the agent works from your setup. Confirm the reference skill is installed before you start, because the templates and rules depend on it.
- Describe the allegation briefly and specifically in the argument
- Check that CLAUDE.md and internal-investigation are both in place before you start
- Read any existing matter before reopening a matter with the same slug
What people use it for
- An employment lawyer opens a matter when a harassment complaint against a manager is filed.
- An in-house counsel team sets up consistent investigation files across matters using the claude-for-legal plugin set.
- HR or compliance staff work with counsel to organise the early stages of an inquiry and generate a sources checklist.
- An attorney starts a fresh investigation log when an allegation arrives and needs a persistent record.
Frequently asked questions
Is the investigation-open skill free?
The source material for this page does not state pricing or licence terms beyond the listing's Apache-2.0 licence. Check the licence file in the repository for the terms that apply to you.
What do I need to install before using investigation-open?
You need the claude-for-legal employment-legal plugin set, a CLAUDE.md config file at ~/.claude/plugins/config/claude-for-legal/employment-legal/CLAUDE.md, and the internal-investigation reference skill. The reference skill is not included in this file and the skill depends on it for its templates and rules.
Where do I put the skill folder after downloading the ZIP?
Unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ to use it everywhere, or into a project's .claude/skills/ folder to use it in one project. In the Claude apps you can instead upload it under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
Does investigation-open give legal advice?
No. The skill assumes an attorney is supervising and making privilege judgements, and its output is not legal advice. Review every step before acting on it.
Why is my output incomplete?
The most likely cause is that the internal-investigation reference skill is not installed. The skill relies on it for detailed intake rules, privilege requirements and log templates.
What are the alternatives if this skill does not fit my matter?
The source does not name alternatives. If your matter is in a jurisdiction with different privilege rules, or you are not a lawyer, this skill is not designed for that situation and you should seek qualified legal help.
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Our verdict
Use investigation-open if you are an employment lawyer, in-house counsel, or HR or compliance staff working with counsel, and you already use the claude-for-legal employment-legal plugin set. It gives you a structured starting point for a privileged investigation. Do not use it as a substitute for legal judgement, and do not rely on it alone if the internal-investigation reference skill is missing or your jurisdiction's privilege rules differ.
Download the skill