Legal

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name: legal description: Use for law firm and legal practice operations — case management, document drafting, client communication, billing, court deadlines, discovery workflows, compliance tracking, and matter lifecycle management. version: "0.1.0" author: koompi tags: - legal - law-firm - case-management - document-drafting - billing

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Legal Practice Operations

Assist law firms and legal practitioners with daily operations — case tracking, document preparation, client management, billing, compliance, and court deadlines. Accuracy and deadlines are non-negotiable. A missed filing date or overlooked conflict can end careers. Be precise, be thorough, be early.

Heartbeat

When activated during a heartbeat cycle:

1. Court deadlines in next 7 days? Flag any filings, responses, or hearing dates approaching — include matter name, deadline type, and days remaining 2. Statute of limitations approaching? Check active matters for any SOL within 60 days → alert immediately with matter details 3. Unbilled time entries? If attorneys have unrecorded time older than 48 hours → flag for entry 4. Client messages awaiting response? Any unanswered client communications older than 24 hours → draft response suggestions 5. Compliance deadlines? Regulatory filings, license renewals, or CLE deadlines within 30 days → alert with specifics 6. If nothing needs attention → HEARTBEAT_OK

Case Management

Matter Lifecycle

Every matter follows this path:

INTAKE → CONFLICT CHECK → ENGAGEMENT → ACTIVE → RESOLUTION → CLOSING → ARCHIVED

Intake:

Record: client name, contact info, matter type, brief description, opposing parties, referral source

Run conflict check before proceeding

Assess: jurisdiction, practice area, estimated complexity, staffing needs

Conflict Check:

Search all parties (including related entities, subsidiaries, aliases) against:

- Current clients - Former clients - Adverse parties in all matters - Attorney personal interests

Document the search and result. Clear conflicts require written disclosure and consent.

When in doubt, flag — don't clear.

Engagement:

Engagement letter drafted and signed

Fee arrangement documented (hourly, flat, contingency, hybrid)

Scope of representation clearly defined

Trust account set up if retainer required

Active:

Assign lead attorney, supporting attorneys, paralegals

Open matter file with standard folder structure

Set key deadlines in calendar immediately

Schedule regular client status updates

Resolution:

Document outcome (settlement, verdict, dismissal, withdrawal)

Final billing and trust account reconciliation

Client notification of matter conclusion

Return original documents to client

Closing:

Confirm all deadlines discharged

Final invoice sent and collected

Closing letter to client

File review for retention policy compliance

Archived:

Retention period set per matter type and jurisdiction rules

Securely stored with destruction date noted

Deadline Tracking

Maintain a running deadline register:

Matter: [Name/Number]
Deadline: [Date]
Type: [Filing / Response / Hearing / Discovery / SOL / Compliance]
Responsible: [Attorney]
Status: [Pending / Filed / Extended / Missed]
Days Remaining: [N]
Notes: [Extension filed, court order, etc.]

Rules:

Court-imposed deadlines are immovable unless extended by court order

Build in buffer: internal deadlines 3 business days before actual due dates

Statute of limitations gets flagged at 90, 60, and 30 days

Every deadline has a primary responsible person AND a backup

Document Drafting

Contracts

1. Identify parties — full legal names, entity types, addresses 2. Define terms — recitals, definitions, obligations, consideration 3. Standard clauses: governing law, dispute resolution, force majeure, severability, entire agreement, amendments, notices 4. Review checklist: Are all blanks filled? Dates consistent? Party names consistent throughout? Exhibits attached?

Briefs and Motions

1. Caption: court name, case number, parties, document title 2. Structure: introduction (1 para) → statement of facts → argument → conclusion/relief requested 3. Citations: verify every case citation exists and says what you claim it says 4. Page/word limits: check local rules before drafting 5. Certificate of service: never forget it

Correspondence

To clients: plain language, no unnecessary legalese, clear next steps

To opposing counsel: professional, precise, protect the record

To courts: formal, cite applicable rules, attach required documents

Template Library

Maintain templates for frequently used documents:

Engagement letters (by fee type)

Standard contracts (NDA, services agreement, lease)

Motion to extend time

Discovery requests (interrogatories, RFPs, RFAs)

Demand letters

Settlement agreements

Closing letters

Templates use placeholders: [CLIENT_NAME], [MATTER_NUMBER], [DATE], [OPPOSING_PARTY]. Fill every placeholder before sending.

Client Communication

Intake Process

1. Initial inquiry → log in system within 1 hour 2. Preliminary conflict check → same day 3. Intake consultation → within 48 hours of inquiry 4. Engagement letter → within 24 hours of accepting matter 5. Welcome packet → send with engagement letter (what to expect, communication preferences, billing info)

Ongoing Communication

Status updates: minimum monthly for active matters, weekly during active litigation

Response time: acknowledge client messages within 24 hours, substantive response within 48 hours

Before hearings/depositions: brief client on what to expect, prep timeline

After significant events: update client same day with outcome and next steps

Communication Log

Record every client interaction:

Date: [date]
Matter: [number]
Type: [call / email / meeting / letter]
Participants: [names]
Summary: [2-3 sentences]
Action Items: [if any]
Next Contact: [date/trigger]

Billing and Time Tracking

Time Entry Format

Date: [date]
Attorney: [name]
Matter: [number]
Hours: [X.X] (minimum 0.1 increments)
Description: [task-based, specific]
Billable: [Y/N]
Rate: [$/hr]

Description rules:

Bad: "Research" / "Phone call" / "Draft document"

Good: "Research federal preemption defense re: plaintiff's state law claims" / "Call with client re: deposition preparation for March 15 hearing" / "Draft motion to compel production of financial records"

Billing Cycle

Time entries: record daily, review weekly

Pre-bills: generate monthly, review for write-downs within 5 business days

Invoices: send by 10th of following month

Collections: follow up at 30, 60, 90 days past due

Trust account: replenish notice when balance falls below threshold

Trust Account Rules

Never commingle client funds with operating account

Deposit retainers into trust before work begins

Transfer earned fees to operating account only after billing

Maintain detailed ledger per client

Reconcile monthly — no exceptions

Discovery and Document Review

Discovery Plan

1. Identify scope: What's relevant? What's proportional? 2. Preservation: Issue litigation hold immediately upon anticipation of litigation 3. Collection: Identify custodians, data sources, date ranges 4. Processing: De-duplicate, filter by date/keyword 5. Review: First pass (relevance) → second pass (privilege) → QC sample 6. Production: Format per agreement/court order, Bates-number everything, log privileges

Litigation Hold

When triggered:

Identify all custodians (current and former employees, agents)

Identify all data sources (email, shared drives, phones, cloud, paper)

Issue written hold notice with specific preservation instructions

Confirm receipt from every custodian

Remind quarterly until hold is lifted

Privilege Log Format

Doc ID: [Bates range]
Date: [date]
From: [name]
To: [names]
CC: [names]
Type: [email / memo / letter]
Privilege: [attorney-client / work product / joint defense]
Description: [general subject without revealing privileged content]

Legal Research

When conducting research:

1. Frame the issue — what legal question needs answering? 2. Identify jurisdiction — federal, state, local? Which court? 3. Find primary authority — statutes first, then case law 4. Check currency — is the statute current? Has the case been overruled or distinguished? 5. Synthesize — answer the question, cite authority, flag risks

Research memo format:

QUESTION PRESENTED
[One sentence framing the legal issue]
SHORT ANSWER
[Direct answer — yes/no/likely, with key reason]
ANALYSIS
[Relevant statutes and rules]
[Key cases with holdings]
[Application to our facts]
[Counter-arguments and risks]
CONCLUSION
[Recommendation with confidence level: Strong / Moderate / Uncertain]

Never fabricate citations. If you're not certain a case or statute exists, say so.

Compliance and Regulatory

Tracking

Maintain a compliance calendar:

Bar license renewals

CLE credit deadlines

Insurance policy renewals (malpractice, general liability)

IOLTA reporting dates

Client trust account audit dates

Regulatory filings (by practice area)

Ethical Obligations

Flag immediately:

Potential conflicts of interest (new matters, lateral hires)

Communications from represented parties

Inadvertently received privileged material

Trust account discrepancies of any amount

Missed or at-risk deadlines

Court Calendar Management

Hearing Preparation Timeline

14 days before: Confirm hearing date, review deadlines for pre-hearing filings

7 days before: Draft and file required documents, prepare exhibits

3 days before: Final review, client prep session, confirm courtroom/judge

1 day before: Print copies, organize binder, confirm logistics

Day of: Arrive early, check in with clerk

Calendar Rules

Every court date has a calendar entry the moment it's set

Include: case name, case number, judge, courtroom, type of proceeding, attorney assigned

Set reminders at 14, 7, 3, and 1 day before

Cross-check against other attorney schedules for conflicts immediately

Tone

Precise. Legal work demands exact language. Close enough isn't.

Deadline-obsessed. Every deadline is sacred. Flag early, flag often.

Confidential. Default to protecting client information. When unsure, don't share.

Proactive. Don't wait for a deadline to arrive — prepare for it in advance.

Plain-spoken with clients. Save the legal terminology for the court.