Guide · Agent skill
How to use the IRAC Case Memo Scaffold agent skill (memo)
Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data
The memo skill is an agent skill for Claude that helps a law student start an internal case analysis memo. Instead of writing the analysis, it produces an IRAC outline (Issue, Rule, Application, Conclusion), marks the rules the student must research as gaps, and leaves the application and conclusion for the student. This guide explains what the skill does, how to install it, how to trigger it, and what it needs, so you can use it on a real case.
IRAC Case Memo Scaffoldanthropics/claude-for-legal · Apache-2.0 Download the skill Quick start
- 1Download the ZIP. Download the memo skill ZIP from the page you are reading.
- 2Unzip into a skills folder. Unzip the file into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use, or into the project's .claude/skills/ folder.
- 3Or upload in the Claude apps. In the Claude apps, open Settings, go to Capabilities, then Skills, and upload the skill.
- 4Set up your clinic config. Make sure the legal-clinic CLAUDE.md file exists in the plugin config folder, with your practice areas and jurisdiction.
- 5Supply your facts. Provide the intake summary and case notes so the agent can frame the issues.
- 6Trigger the skill. Run /legal-clinic:memo or ask for an IRAC memo scaffold in plain language, optionally naming the issue to focus on.
- 7Fill in the blocks yourself. Work through each RESEARCH NEEDED and STUDENT ANALYSIS block, then write your own conclusion.
What does the memo skill make the agent do?
When a student asks for help with a case memo, the skill has the agent frame the legal questions as questions, then scaffold an IRAC block for each one. The Rule blocks are marked as research the student still needs to do. The Application blocks are prompts that list the facts to consider, and the Conclusion is left blank.
The skill also ends with strengths, weaknesses and open questions, plus a summary of every research gap so the student can work through them one by one. Its output carries a prominent label saying the analysis is the student's to write.
- Frames each issue as a question
- Rule sections are marked RESEARCH NEEDED, with optional framework starting points flagged as unverified
- Application sections are STUDENT ANALYSIS prompts listing the key facts
- Conclusion sections are blank by design
- Ends with a research gaps list that can feed the /research-start skill
Install the memo skill from the ZIP or the Claude apps
Download the ZIP file for the skill from the page you are reading. Unzip it into your personal skills folder, ~/.claude/skills/, or into a project's .claude/skills/ folder if you want the skill available only in that project.
If you use the Claude apps instead, open Settings, go to Capabilities, then Skills, and upload the skill there.
- Personal install: unzip into ~/.claude/skills/
- Project install: unzip into the project's .claude/skills/ folder
- Claude apps: Settings → Capabilities → Skills, then upload
~/.claude/skills/Set up the clinic configuration file
The skill first reads a configuration file that holds your practice areas, jurisdiction and supervision style. It also reads intake summary and case notes that you supply, because the skill needs the facts of the case to frame issues.
If your supervisor has written a guide for your practice area, it goes in the same plugin config folder under guides/ and can set the pedagogy posture described below.
- Required: the clinic CLAUDE.md file in the plugin config folder
- Required: intake summary and case notes from you
- Optional: a supervisor guide file for your practice area
~/.claude/plugins/config/claude-for-legal/legal-clinic/CLAUDE.mdHow do you trigger the skill with a natural request?
You can invoke the skill with the slash command shown below, or describe what you need in plain language. The skill description says it is used when a student needs to scaffold a case analysis memo, write up their analysis, or build an IRAC memo for a case.
You can also give an optional focus argument to point the skill at one specific issue.
- Slash command: /legal-clinic:memo
- Natural request: "Scaffold an IRAC memo for this eviction case from my intake notes."
- Natural request: "Help me write up my analysis of the habitability issue, but don't write the conclusion for me."
- Focused request: pass an issue as the optional argument, such as the heater issue
/legal-clinic:memoWhat does the pedagogy mode change?
The skill checks the supervisor guide for a pedagogy_posture setting. In guide mode, which is the default, the agent produces the IRAC structure and research-gap list and asks you to draft each rule statement from your research. In assist mode, the agent fills in what can be filled and flags items for your review. In teach mode, the agent withholds the framework and scaffold content, asks leading questions, and shows a model rule or application only after two attempts on the section you are stuck on.
In every mode, the Application and Conclusion blocks stay blank for you to complete. If no guide exists, or the guide sets no posture, guide mode is used.
- guide (default): you draft each rule from research; the agent gives feedback
- assist: the agent fills the scaffold and framework rule; you review and edit
- teach: the agent asks questions and tracks your progress for your supervisor
What does the skill need and what should you check?
The skill does not run scripts and does not use the network, according to its listing. Its rule statements are unverified framework starting points. The skill says every citation it suggests was generated by an AI model and must be checked in a legal research platform for accuracy and current good-law status before you rely on it.
The skill's files do not provide authoritative legal sources. Use the output to structure your thinking and your research, not as legal advice.
- Runs scripts: no
- Uses network: no
- Check each rule and citation against your jurisdiction and a research platform such as Westlaw or CourtListener
- Tag citations with where they came from and flag unverified ones to your supervisor
Tips for getting useful output
Give the agent complete intake notes and case facts, including dates, how and when the client notified the landlord, and what documentation exists. The Application prompts are only as good as the facts you provide.
Work through the research gaps list in order and run the research roadmap skill on each gap. Write your own rule statements before asking for feedback, because that is where most of the learning happens.
- Include specific facts with dates and documentation
- Name the jurisdiction in your clinic CLAUDE.md file so the rule prompts point to the right state
- Draft your rule statement first, then ask for feedback
- Keep a record of what you verified so your supervisor can review it
What people use it for
- A law clinic student starting an internal case analysis memo for an eviction matter, with the habitability issue framed as a question
- A student who wants a checklist of research gaps to work through with the /research-start skill
- A supervisor reviewing whether a student is drafting their own rule statements under guide or teach mode
- A student who has written an analysis and wants structured feedback on how it lines up with the IRAC blocks
Frequently asked questions
Is the memo skill free to use?
The source material for this listing does not state pricing or licence terms beyond the Apache-2.0 licence noted on the page. Check the licence file in the source repository for the terms that apply to you.
What do I need before I can use the memo skill?
You need the clinic CLAUDE.md configuration file at the plugin config path, plus intake summary and case notes for your matter. A supervisor guide file is optional and can set the pedagogy posture.
Does the memo skill write my legal analysis or conclusion?
No. The skill deliberately leaves the Application and Conclusion blocks for you to write, and it produces no conclusions. It frames issues, flags rules you must research, and lists facts to consider.
Can I use the output as legal advice or in client work?
No. The skill is an educational scaffold, and its rule statements are unverified starting points that must be checked against your jurisdiction. Every citation should be verified in a legal research platform before use.
Why does the agent keep asking me to draft the rule myself?
That is the default guide mode, which asks you to draft each rule statement from research before receiving a framework. Your supervisor's guide may set a different mode, such as assist or teach, that changes how much the agent provides.
How is this different from a legal research tool?
The memo skill does not research the law. It organizes your issues and marks the rules that need research, and it can point you to the /research-start skill for a roadmap. You still need a research platform for verified authority.
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Our verdict
Use the memo skill if you are a law clinic student who must write an internal case analysis memo and wants structure without being handed the answer, or if you are a supervisor who wants students to do the reasoning. Pick something else if you are a practising lawyer or need a finished memo or verified law, since the skill intentionally produces no conclusions and its rules are unverified starting points.
Download the skill