/status

name: status
description: >
  Case status summary by audience — client-facing (plain language), internal
  (for the professor), or court-ready (formal caption format per local rules).
  Same facts, different framing and depth. Use when a student needs to update
  the client, brief the professor, or prepare a court status report.
argument-hint: "[client | internal | court]"

/status

1. Load `~/.claude/plugins/config/claude-for-legal/legal-clinic/CLAUDE.md` → supervision style, plain-language standards, jurisdiction. 2. Use the workflow below. Read case notes. 3. Generate for the specified audience:

• `client` — plain language, what happened/next/you do/reach us
• `internal` — procedural posture, done since last check-in, upcoming, needs professor input, student's assessment
• `court` — formal status report in caption format per local rules

4. Supervision routing per audience (client-facing and court-ready usually flag).

/legal-clinic:status client

/legal-clinic:status internal

/legal-clinic:status court

---

Status: Audience-Aware Case Summaries

Purpose

Clinics generate enormous numbers of status updates — to clients, to professors, to co-counsel, to courts. Same case, same facts, completely different documents. This skill takes the case notes and produces the right summary for the right reader.

Load context

`~/.claude/plugins/config/claude-for-legal/legal-clinic/CLAUDE.md` → supervision style, plain-language standards (for client-facing), jurisdiction. Case notes for facts.

Audience modes

Client-facing

**Reader:** The client. Probably stressed. Possibly unfamiliar with legal process. Reading level per `~/.claude/plugins/config/claude-for-legal/legal-clinic/CLAUDE.md` plain-language standards (default 6th grade).

**Include:**

• What's happened since they last heard from the clinic
• What's happening next and when
• What (if anything) they need to do
• How to reach the clinic

**Don't include:**

• Legal analysis (they don't need to know the IRAC)
• Weaknesses in their case (unless it's time to have that conversation — and that's a call for the professor, not a status update)
• Jargon

*Review label for the student (not for the client — strip before sending):* `[AI-ASSISTED DRAFT — requires student review and supervision step per plugin config]`

Check your jurisdiction's student practice rule for required law-student sign-off language; some jurisdictions require specific forms.

Dear [Client],

I wanted to update you on your case.

**What's happened:** [Plain English. "We filed your answer with the court on
[date]" not "The responsive pleading was submitted."]

**What's next:** [What and when. "The court scheduled a hearing for [date] at
[time]. You need to be there." Or: "We're waiting for the landlord's lawyer
to respond. That could take a few weeks."]

**What you need to do:** [Specific and clear. Or: "Nothing right now — we'll
let you know when we need something from you."]

**How to reach us:** [Clinic phone, hours, student name]

[Student name]
Law Student, Certified Legal Intern
Under the supervision of [Supervising Attorney]
[Clinic name]

**Before sending:** sending a client status update is a consequential action. The gate is the supervision workflow in `## Supervision style` in `~/.claude/plugins/config/claude-for-legal/legal-clinic/CLAUDE.md`, reinforced by the Part 0 role check confirming a licensed supervising attorney owns the setup. Confirm the draft has been reviewed per the supervision protocol (queue / flag / lighter-touch) and all internal review labels (`[AI-ASSISTED DRAFT]`, `[VERIFY]`, etc.) have been removed from the client-facing copy.

Internal (for the professor)

**Reader:** The supervising professor. Knows the law. Wants to know where the case stands and what the student needs from them.

**Include:**

• Procedural status (where in the life of the case)
• What's been done since last check-in
• What's coming up (deadlines, hearings)
• Issues needing professor input
• Student's assessment (how it's going, concerns)

# Status: [Client] — [Matter] — [date]

**Student:** [name] | **Procedural posture:** [pre-filing / answer filed /
discovery / motion pending / etc.]

## Since last check-in

- [What's been done]

## Upcoming

| Date | What | Action needed by |
|---|---|---|
| [date] | [deadline/hearing] | [date] |

## Needs professor input

- [Question or decision point — specific]

## Student's assessment

[How it's going. Strengths, concerns, strategic questions. This is where the
student's thinking shows.]

---
[AI-ASSISTED DRAFT — student should revise the assessment section especially;
that's your thinking, not a summary of notes]

Court-ready

**Reader:** A judge or clerk. Formal. Specific to what the court needs (often a status report ordered by the court, or a statement in advance of a status conference).

**Include:**

• Procedural history (briefly)
• Current status of discovery/motions/settlement
• What's outstanding
• Proposed next steps or scheduling

**Format:** Per local rules. Caption, signature block, certificate of service if filed.

═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
  AI-ASSISTED DRAFT — requires student analysis and attorney review
  Court filings ALWAYS require professor review before filing
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

[Caption per jurisdiction — VERIFY against current local rules]

STATUS REPORT

[Party] respectfully submits this status report pursuant to [the court's
order of [date] / local rule [X] / in advance of the status conference
scheduled for [date]].

1. Procedural history: [brief]

2. Current status: [discovery status / motion status / settlement status]

3. Outstanding matters: [what's pending]

4. Proposed next steps: [scheduling, if the court wants input]

[Signature block — student attorney under supervision of [Professor]]

[Certi