Guide · Agent skill
How to use the Subpoena Triage agent skill (subpoena-triage)
Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data
Subpoena Triage is an agent skill, a set of instructions that an AI agent such as Claude Code loads when you ask for a particular kind of work. This one helps in-house or outside counsel and legal operations staff take a subpoena or civil investigative demand from receipt to a first-pass triage memo. After this guide you will know what the skill does, how to install it, how to trigger it with a natural request, and what limits to respect before relying on its output.
Subpoena Triageanthropics/claude-for-legal · Apache-2.0 Download the skill Quick start
- 1Download and unzip the skill. Download the ZIP from this page and unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ or a project's .claude/skills/ folder. In the Claude apps, upload it under Settings → Capabilities → Skills instead.
- 2Prepare your configuration files. Make sure CLAUDE.md and matters/_log.yaml exist in your litigation-legal plugin config folder under ~/.claude/plugins/config/claude-for-legal/. The skill reads both.
- 3Share the subpoena. Give the agent the path to the subpoena or drop the file into the session, and say something like 'we got a subpoena, please triage it'.
- 4Check the classification and grand jury flag. Confirm the subpoena type the agent assigns. If it is a grand jury subpoena, the skill stops and escalates to criminal counsel rather than analyzing it.
- 5Review the triage memo and verify citations. Read triage.md, check every citation tagged verify against a primary source, and confirm deadlines against the current rule and local variant before any lawyer acts on them.
What the subpoena-triage skill makes the agent do
When you share a subpoena, the agent reads it and classifies it as a third-party document subpoena, a third-party deposition subpoena, a party subpoena, a regulatory civil investigative demand, or a grand jury subpoena. It then pulls related matter information and privilege notes from your legal configuration files and analyzes scope, burden and privilege.
The output is a triage memo with a possible objections framework, a compliance plan and a deadline calendar. The skill also flags follow-up steps such as a legal hold.
- Classifies the subpoena by type
- Checks the request against your matter log for related matters
- Analyzes scope, burden and privilege issues
- Drafts an objections framework, compliance plan and deadline calendar
- Flags grand jury subpoenas for immediate escalation to criminal counsel
What you need before you install
The skill is designed for Claude Code or a compatible agent that has the claude-for-legal litigation-legal plugin configuration directory. It also expects local legal configuration files under your home plugin config folder: a CLAUDE.md file and a matters/_log.yaml file.
For rule lookups the skill needs access to a configured legal research tool, for example Westlaw, CourtListener, Trellis or Descrybe. If that research returns thin coverage, the skill stops and asks you how to proceed instead of silently using web search or model knowledge.
- Claude Code or a compatible agent
- The claude-for-legal litigation-legal plugin configuration directory
- CLAUDE.md and matters/_log.yaml in your home plugin config folder
- A configured legal research tool for rule lookups
How to install the skill
Download the ZIP file from this page. Then choose one of two routes. For a personal install, unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/. For a single project, unzip it into 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
How to trigger the skill with natural requests
You do not need to remember a command. The skill is meant to activate when you say things like 'we got a subpoena', 'served with a subpoena', or when you share a subpoena, CID or third-party document request to evaluate.
The skill also accepts an explicit form with an argument hint of [path-to-subpoena] [--slug=custom-slug]. The slug names the folder where the output is saved.
- 'We got a subpoena. Can you triage it?' followed by the file path
- 'We were served with a subpoena in the supplier dispute, here is the PDF'
- 'Here is a CID from the state attorney general, evaluate what we need to do'
- Explicit form: /subpoena-triage [path-to-subpoena] [--slug=custom-slug]
/subpoena-triage [path-to-subpoena] [--slug=custom-slug]What the skill writes and where
The triage memo is written to triage.md inside an inbound folder named for the slug, under your litigation-legal plugin config directory. A copy or link of the subpoena is placed beside it as incoming with the original file extension.
The skill then suggests next steps. It may recommend /legal-hold --issue if no hold is in place, /matter-intake if the subpoena's materiality warrants it, or /matter-briefing [slug] if a party subpoena relates to an existing matter.
- triage.md: the triage memo
- incoming.[ext]: a copy or link to the original subpoena
- Suggested hand-offs: /legal-hold --issue, /matter-intake, /matter-briefing [slug]
~/.claude/plugins/config/claude-for-legal/litigation-legal/inbound/[slug]/triage.mdSafety notes: scripts and network
The skill does not run scripts. It does use the network, because it queries a legal research tool for rule lookups. It is built to stop and ask before using web search or model knowledge for legal citations.
Citations in the output carry source tags such as [Westlaw], [CourtListener], [web search — verify], [model knowledge — verify] and [user provided]. Treat anything tagged verify as a citation to check against a primary source before you rely on it in an objection or filing.
The skill's own text says its rule outputs are starting-point heuristics. Confirm the current rule and the local variant before you use them in writing, because wrong deadlines or missed objections can cause harm.
- No scripts are run
- Network is used for legal research lookups
- Verify every tagged citation before asserting it
- Confirm deadlines against the current rule and local variant
Tips for better triage results
Give the skill the complete subpoena, including any schedule of document categories, and the caption. Accurate fields in step two of the workflow, such as the issuing authority, production date and custodian, drive the deadline calendar.
Keep your CLAUDE.md and matter log current. The cross-check against existing matters and the privilege conventions depend on those files. If the skill asks you to confirm posture, for example because you are acting for a family member rather than the company, answer it before the analysis continues.
- Share the full subpoena, not a summary
- Keep CLAUDE.md and matters/_log.yaml up to date
- Confirm your side and posture when asked
- Multiple subpoenas from one case are flagged as coordinated, so review them together
What people use it for
- In-house counsel receiving a third-party document subpoena who needs a first-pass objection list and production calendar before outside counsel is engaged
- Legal operations staff building a deadline list and routing a party subpoena to the matching existing matter
- Outside counsel checking a structured set of objection categories such as relevance, burden, privilege and place of compliance against a new civil investigative demand
Frequently asked questions
Is the subpoena-triage skill free to use?
The source describes the skill as Apache-2.0 licensed, which governs how the code may be used and shared. It does not state any price, so check the licence terms on the item page for the full terms.
What do I need to install the subpoena triage skill?
You need Claude Code or a compatible agent, the claude-for-legal litigation-legal plugin configuration directory, and local CLAUDE.md and matters/_log.yaml files. A configured legal research tool such as Westlaw, CourtListener, Trellis or Descrybe is needed for rule lookups.
How do I install the subpoena-triage skill in Claude?
Download the ZIP from this page and unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ for a personal install or into a project's .claude/skills/ folder for one project. In the Claude apps, upload it under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
Can the skill triage a grand jury subpoena?
No. The skill classifies a grand jury subpoena and stops to escalate it to criminal counsel. It gives no substantive analysis of that type, so a different path is needed.
Does this skill replace a lawyer?
No. Its outputs are starting-point heuristics that must be checked against the current rule and local variant before use in writing. Missed deadlines can lead to contempt exposure or waived privilege, so it should be used under a supervising lawyer.
How does subpoena triage compare with doing it manually?
The skill structures the first pass: classification, key fields, scope, burden and privilege issues, objection categories, a compliance plan and a deadline calendar. The source does not compare it with other tools or give any benchmark, so judge it on your own test subpoenas.
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Our verdict
Subpoena Triage suits in-house or outside counsel, and legal operations staff working with a lawyer, who need a structured first pass and deadline list on a subpoena or CID served on a company. It is not a substitute for legal advice, it does not analyze grand jury subpoenas, and anyone without legal training or a supervising lawyer should choose a different route.
Download the skill