How to use the Cold-Call Prep for Law Students agent skill

What is an agent skill and what does this one do?

An agent skill is a folder containing a SKILL.md file that tells an AI agent how to handle a specific kind of task. When the skill is installed and you ask for something that matches its description, the agent follows the workflow written in that file.

The cold-call-prep skill makes the agent work through a fixed sequence. It identifies the reading, professor and class, predicts 6-10 likely questions across the categories Facts, Holding, Reasoning, Application and Policy, and then drills you one question at a time. It waits for your answer, pushes back when you are sloppy, and narrows the question when you are stuck. It does not state the answer first.

At the end it posts a summary sorting your answers into strong, shaky and missed, plus a short list of what to re-check before class and the top three questions the professor is most likely to open with.

• Predicts questions weighted toward the professor's known style, if your notes say so
• Asks one question at a time and waits for your answer
• Gives a post-drill summary with strong, shaky and missed questions
• Stops and redirects if you describe a real legal problem instead of a study question

Install the cold-call-prep skill

There are two ways to install it. Both start with downloading the ZIP for this skill from this page. The skill is a single file, SKILL.md, inside the download.

For Claude Code, unzip the download into your personal skills folder, ~/.claude/skills/, so the skill sits in that folder. To make it available only in one project, unzip it into the project's .claude/skills/ folder instead. Start a new session afterwards so the agent picks it up.

In the Claude apps, open Settings, go to Capabilities, and upload the skill under Skills. Use the ZIP from this page for that upload as well.

• Personal install: ~/.claude/skills/ (available in all your projects)
• Project install: .claude/skills/ inside the project folder (available only there)
• Claude apps: Settings → Capabilities → Skills, then upload the ZIP

Set up your class notes (optional)

The skill can read a CLAUDE.md file that lists your classes, your professors and how you like to learn. This is optional, but it lets the skill weight its questions toward a professor's known habits, such as heavy hypotheticals or a focus on policy.

The skill looks for the file at the path below. If it is missing, the skill works from general cold-call patterns and from whatever case text you provide.

• Put class list, professor names and learning style notes in the file
• Note any professor hobby horses so the skill can weight questions to them
• Skip this step and the skill still runs

How to trigger it with natural requests

You do not need a special command. The skill is meant to be triggered by phrases like the ones below. You can also add the case name, paste the case text, or point at the reading. The skill's argument hint asks for a case name, pasted case text, or a path to the reading.

The more of the case text you give it, the more confident its questions will be. A bare case name works, but the skill will flag questions that depend on details it is unsure of.

• "Prep for class tomorrow" followed by the case name
• "Cold call [case name]"
• "What might [professor] ask on [case name]?"
• Paste the casebook pages and say "drill me on this"

Examples of a good session

A typical session starts with you pasting the case and saying which professor teaches it. The agent confirms the reading, lists its predicted categories, and asks the first question. You answer, and it either moves on, asks you to explain your reasoning, or asks a narrowing question if you are stuck.

If you only give a case name, the agent says it is working from what it knows about the case. It marks uncertain questions with [UNCERTAIN] and recommends pasting the text first. Expect the post-drill summary to point you back to specific passages to re-read.

• Paste the case, say "cold call tomorrow, Professor [name] likes hypotheticals", then answer questions one by one
• Give only the case name and receive questions marked [UNCERTAIN] where details are unclear
• After drilling, use the Before class tomorrow list as your re-read plan

What the skill needs and what it does not do

The skill needs you to have read the case. Its questions depend on text you have absorbed, so it cannot stand in for reading. The CLAUDE.md file is optional. The skill also needs access to the case text, which you provide by pasting it or pointing at it.

The skill does not run scripts and does not use the network, according to its source. It will not give you the holding without asking you to answer first, and it will not predict every niche question a professor might ask.

• Required: the case text or reading you provide
• Optional: the CLAUDE.md class notes file
• Runs scripts: no
• Uses network: no

Safety notes and when to stop

The skill has a real-matter check. If your question sounds like it is about a real situation, such as a lease, a parking ticket, a family business, a real deadline or a real party's name, it stops and says it cannot give legal advice. It points to legal aid, a school clinic, a lawyer referral service or a private attorney, and offers to explain general legal concepts as study.

Treat the skill as a study tool. Do not use its output as advice on any real matter.

• Real-situation questions get redirected to legal aid or a lawyer
• Use it for study only; the skill says it is not a substitute for a lawyer