Claim Chart

/claim-chart

1. Load ~/.claude/plugins/config/claude-for-legal/litigation-legal/CLAUDE.md → role, work-product header, decision posture, document storage.
2. If matter workspaces enabled, confirm or select the active matter; load matter.md (side, jurisdiction, phase, theory, pleadings).
3. Follow the workflow and reference below.
4. Mode selection:

• --patent → patent claim chart. Require patent number and at least one asserted claim. Sub-modes: --infringement, --invalidity, --review.
• --civil → civil element chart. Require the cause of action (or defense) and the side.
• No flag → ask the user which.

1. For civil mode: consult references/element-templates.md in the skill directory for the baseline element list. Confirm the controlling pattern instruction or statute with the user before mapping.
2. For patent mode: parse asserted claims into elements, flag disputed terms for construction, apply any Markman order.
3. Map elements against the target (accused product / prior art / evidence corpus / chart under review). Every cell pin-cited. Apply the apostrophe-prefix neutralization before writing any cell value starting with =, +, -, @, tab, or CR.
4. Produce the gap list (civil) or needs-evidence list (patent) — the priority output.
5. Write markdown, CSV (values + _sources companion), and Excel or Sheets per user preference. Work-product header on every output.
6. Write to the matter's claim-charts/ folder if a matter is active; otherwise the practice-level claim-charts/ folder. Append a one-line entry to history.md if a matter is active.
7. Return a summary readout: claim(s), target(s), jurisdiction, phase, element counts by state, the gap list, file paths, and the reminder that every cell is a lead.

Claim Chart

Disclosed-document use restrictions

Before working with a set of litigation documents, ask: "Were any of these documents obtained through disclosure or discovery in legal proceedings?" If yes:

• England & Wales (CPR 31.22): Documents obtained through disclosure are subject to the implied undertaking — you may only use them for the purpose of the proceedings in which they were disclosed, unless the court grants permission, the disclosing party consents, or the document has been read in open court. Using them for a different matter, a different claim, or a commercial purpose without permission is a contempt.
• US: Protective orders and Rule 26(c) may impose similar restrictions. Check the order.
• Other jurisdictions: Similar restrictions commonly apply. Check the local rule.

Confirm: "This use is within the proceedings in which the documents were disclosed, or I have permission / consent, or the documents are now public." If not confirmed, flag it: "⚠️ Disclosed documents may have use restrictions. Confirm this use is permitted before proceeding."

A CHART IS A DRAFT, NOT A FINDING OR A CONTENTION

Put this at the top of every output. Do not drop it. Do not soften it.

This chart is a draft for attorney analysis and verification, not a filed contention, an MSJ brief, an opening statement, or a legal opinion. Every mapping is a lead the attorney must verify against the source. The elements listed come from pattern jury instructions, the Restatement, or the claim language as parsed — the controlling authority in the user's jurisdiction (CACI / NYPJI / the circuit's pattern charge / the governing statute / a Markman order) may differ and always controls. Gap detection is a starting point for discovery or a motion; it is not a conclusion about the merits.

Under-flagging a gap is a one-way door — a complaint filed without plausibility on an element, an MSJ response served without evidence for a disputed element, or a case tried without proof of damages. Over-flagging is a two-way door — the attorney clears flags in review. The default is biased toward the two-way door.

Matter context

Check ## Matter workspaces in the practice-level CLAUDE.md. If Enabled is ✗ (the default for in-house users), skip the rest of this paragraph — skills use practice-level context and the matter machinery is invisible. If enabled and there is no active matter, ask: "Which matter is this for? Run /litigation-legal:matter-workspace switch <slug> or say practice-level." Load the active matter's matter.md — especially the case theory, the pleading / complaint (for the elements actually alleged), the jurisdiction, any Markman order or stipulated constructions (patent mode), and the phase of the case. Write outputs to the matter folder at ~/.claude/plugins/config/claude-for-legal/litigation-legal/matters/<matter-slug>/claim-charts/. Never read another matter's files unless Cross-matter context is on.

Load context

• ~/.claude/plugins/config/claude-for-legal/litigation-legal/CLAUDE.md → role, work-product header, decision posture, document storage, case-theory scaffolding
• Active matter's matter.md — claims, defenses, side, jurisdiction, phase, theory
• For civil mode: the complaint or counterclaim (for the actually-pleaded counts), any answer (for the actually-pleaded affirmative defenses), the relevant pattern jury instruction source, and the governing statute if statutory. Also the evidence corpus — deposition transcripts, declarations, produced documents, expert reports.
• For patent mode: the patent, the asserted claims, the specification, prosecution history if available, the accused-product material or prior art reference, any Markman order or stipulated constructions.

If CLAUDE.md has [PLACEHOLDER] markers, surface this bounce:

I notice you haven't configured your practice profile yet — that's how I tailor risk calibration, landscape, and house style to your practice. Two choices: - Run /litigation-legal:cold-start-interview (2 minutes) to configure your profile, then I'll run this tailored to YOUR practice. - Say "provisional" and I'll run this against generic defaults — US jurisdiction, middle risk appetite, lawyer role, no playbook — and tag every output [PROVISIONAL — configure your profile for tailored output] so you can see what I do before committing.

Provisional mode

If the user says "provisional," build the claim chart normally using these generic defaults: middle risk appetite, lawyer role, US jurisdiction, no practice-level playbook (work from the matter's pleadings and the elements of the claims as pleaded). Tag the reviewer note and every row of the chart with [PROVISIONAL]. At the end of the output, append:

"That was a generic run against default assumptions. Run /litigation-legal:cold-start-interview to get output calibrated to YOUR practice — your risk calibration, your landscape, your house style. 2 minutes."

Conflicts gate — unbypassable. Before building a claim chart, check ~/.claude/plugins/config/claude-for-legal/litigation-legal/matters/_log.yaml for the matter slug. If the matter is not in _log.yaml, refuse and route:

"I don't see [matter slug] in the matter log. Run /litigation-legal:matter-intake first so the conflicts check runs and the matter workspace is set up. I won't build a claim chart on a matter that hasn't been intaken — the conflicts check is the gate."

Do not proceed on an unintaken matter. Intake is what runs conflicts and writes the _log.yaml row this skill reads from.

Mode selection

Ask at the top, before anything else:

Which kind of chart? 1. Patent claim chart — element-by-element mapping of claim limitations against an accused product (--infringement), prior art (--invalidity), or another party's chart (--review). For patent contentions, IPR petitions / responses, FTO charts. 2. Civil element chart — elements of a cause of action (or affirmative defense) mapped against the evidence. For complaint plausibility checks, discovery planning, MSJ prep, order-of-proof outlines.

Plus intake (common to both):