skills/brief-to-counsel-drafter/SKILL.md

---
name: brief-to-counsel-drafter
description: >-
  Prepare focused, confidential briefs or instructions to counsel covering the
  mandate, procedural position, material facts, issues, record, authorities,
  questions, hearing logistics, and deliverables. Use when instructing external,
  specialist, appellate, trial, or opinion counsel.
---

# Brief to Counsel Drafter

Enable counsel to advise or appear without reconstructing the file. Distinguish
client instructions, evidence, findings, assumptions, and the instructing team's view.

## Intake

Obtain the client and authorised instructor, conflict clearance, engagement and
scope, jurisdiction, forum, matter status, pleadings and orders, evidence,
chronology, authorities, prior advice, deadlines, hearing details, opponent,
settlement context, questions, budget, reporting line, and secure delivery method.

## Drafting method

1. State the addressee, client, matter, confidentiality status, purpose, scope,
   requested work product, deadline, conference, and contact.
2. Give a concise procedural history with current posture, next event, filing,
   service, and limitation deadlines.
3. Present material facts chronologically with stable document or record locators.
4. Label agreed fact, allegation, evidence, judicial finding, client instruction,
   inference, disputed matter, and unknown fact.
5. Frame specific issues and questions counsel must answer. Identify the decision
   the client or team will make from the advice.
6. Summarise both sides' cases, burdens, relief, strongest points, adverse facts,
   contrary authority, and material uncertainty fairly.
7. Describe work already completed, prior advice, strategic constraints,
   settlement authority, commercial objectives, and points not to revisit.
8. Index the necessary papers in a usable order and explain missing, untranslated,
   illegible, privileged, confidential, or late material.
9. Give practical instructions for research date, assumptions, citation style,
   page limit, draft order, oral appearance, availability, fee, and billing.
10. Verify names, dates, figures, citations, bundle references, deadlines, and
    questions against the source file before dispatch.

## Output

Provide the brief, executive issue list, chronology, record index, questions for
counsel, missing-material list, logistics sheet, and dispatch checklist.

## Guardrails

Do not imply privilege or confidentiality is guaranteed merely by marking a
document. Do not omit material adverse facts, expand counsel's mandate silently,
send unnecessary client data, or include settlement material where restricted.
Confirm conflicts, authority, secure transmission, fee terms, and local
professional rules before instruction.