Law Memo Skill

Before Drafting

1. If a sample memo exists at ~/.claude/skills/law-memo/law-memo_sample.docx (CLI) or /mnt/skills/user/law-memo/law-memo_sample.docx (web), clone it as the base for exact formatting
2. Clarify with the user if needed: recipient, subject/RE line, key points to cover, any attachments or action items

Document Formatting Spec

Page Setup

• Margins: 1" on all sides (1440 twips)
• Font: Cambria 12pt throughout — header block AND body text. Do NOT use Book Antiqua.
• Line spacing: 276 / auto (~1.15)

Logo

• Centered paragraph, w:after="200"
• Image: PennCareyLaw_UPenn_Blue-WhiteBkrnd.png from ~/.claude/skills/law-memo/assets/ (CLI) or /mnt/skills/user/law-memo/assets/ (web)
• EMU dimensions: cx="2628900" cy="476250" (matches sample exactly)
• ALWAYS include the logo. This is mandatory.

MEMORANDUM Title

• Centered, w:after="240", Cambria bold 12pt

Header Block

TO:     [Recipient]
FROM:   [Your Name], [Your Title]
DATE:   [Full date — e.g. March 11, 2026. Always use the actual current date, never just month/year.]
RE:     [Subject — bold]

Each header line paragraph:

• Tab stop at 1440 twips: <w:tabs><w:tab w:val="left" w:pos="1440"/></w:tabs>
• Spacing: w:line="276" w:lineRule="auto" w:after="160"
• Label run: Cambria bold 12pt
• Value run: Cambria regular 12pt (tab + value), EXCEPT RE value which is bold

RE line specifically: add a hanging indent so long subjects wrap under the text, not under "RE:":

<w:ind w:left="1440" w:hanging="1440"/>

Horizontal Rule

Paragraph with bottom border, w:after="240":

<w:pBdr><w:bottom w:val="single" w:color="000000" w:sz="6" w:space="1"/></w:pBdr>

Body Text

• Cambria 12pt, w:line="276" w:lineRule="auto" w:after="160"
• No Book Antiqua anywhere
• Bold used sparingly for key terms and section heads
• Section headings: bold Cambria 12pt, w:before="200" w:after="80"

Bullets

Bullet character (•) with tab, hanging indent — never Word list bullets, never em-dash bullets:

<w:pPr>
  <w:spacing w:line="276" w:lineRule="auto" w:after="120"/>
  <w:ind w:left="720" w:hanging="360"/>
</w:pPr>
<w:r>...<w:t>•	bullet text here</w:t></w:r>

For bold lead-in bullets, use separate runs: bullet+tab run, bold run (lead phrase), normal run (rest of text).

Tables

Tables must not split across pages. After building any table, apply cantSplit to every row and keepNext to all paragraphs in every row except the last. See the law-document skill for the prevent_table_split(table) helper function. Call it after populating every table.

Footer

Italic Cambria 10pt "Page x of y." centered. If cloning from sample, the footer is preserved automatically.

Section Properties (sectPr)

<w:sectPr>
  <w:footerReference w:type="default" r:id="rId6"/>
  <w:pgSz w:w="12240" w:h="15840" w:orient="portrait"/>
  <w:pgMar w:top="1440" w:right="1440" w:bottom="1440" w:left="1440" w:header="708" w:footer="708" w:gutter="0"/>
  <w:pgNumType/>
  <w:docGrid w:linePitch="360"/>
</w:sectPr>

Memo-Specific Voice

Memos layer these conventions on top of the CLAUDE.md voice baseline:

• More formal than emails but never bureaucratic
• Opens directly with the situation or context — no throat-clearing
• States recommendations clearly: "I recommend," "the EPC should," "faculty should be advised"
• Bullet lists always introduced by a full sentence, never launched cold
• Closes with a concrete next-steps or action paragraph
• No personal sign-off; memo ends with the action/next-steps paragraph
• Collegial but authoritative — writes as a peer who has done the work and is sharing conclusions

FROM line: Always "[Your Name], [Your Title]" unless context clearly calls for a different title.

Structural Patterns

Standard policy/recommendation memo

1. Situation paragraph — what is the issue and why it matters (2-4 sentences)
2. Recommendation paragraph — what [Your Name] recommends, leading into bullet list if needed
3. Bullet list (if applicable) — em-dash style
4. Implications/advisory paragraph (if applicable)
5. Next steps paragraph — who will do what, closing the loop

Short informational memo

1. Purpose sentence — one sentence stating what the memo does
2. Body — 2-4 paragraphs of substance
3. Closing — brief action or availability statement

AI Writing Tell Check

Before delivering any memo, scan the full text for common AI writing patterns and fix every instance. See the law-document skill for the complete checklist. The short version:

• Cut filler: "a wide range of," "a variety of," "taken together," "reflecting the breadth of," "in a structured way," "the larger point is"
• Vary or cut overused words: "several" (if used more than once), "curated," "nuanced," "multifaceted"
• Watch for structural tells: identical sentence patterns across bullets, trailing summary lists that restate what was just said, overwrought framing where plain language would do
• Em-dash limit: 1-2 per page max in inline prose. Replace most with commas.

This check applies to every memo before delivery.

Automated review: After writing the memo file:

1. If the factual-reviewer agent is available, spawn it and pass it the file path. Fix any factual issues it flags.
2. If the factual reviewer lists claims needing live verification, if the fact-verifier agent is available, spawn it with those claims. Correct any contradicted claims; flag unverifiable ones for the user.
3. If the voice-style-checker agent is available, spawn it and pass it the file path. Fix any style issues it flags. Complete all steps before delivering to the user.

Filename Convention

Memo_[Topic]_[YYYY-MM].docx (e.g., Memo_OCI-Calendar_2025-09.docx)

Post-Generation Validation (Required)

After generating any .docx file, run the validation script from the law-document skill (~/.claude/skills/law-document/SKILL.md, "Post-Generation Validation" section). This catches structural corruption (duplicate style IDs, misnamed images) that prevents Word from opening the file.

If validation reports repairs, switch to python-docx and regenerate — the repair is a safety net, not a substitute for correct generation. Do not use Pandoc to generate .docx files.

Quick Checklist Before Delivering

• LOGO INCLUDED — Penn Carey Law logo in title block (MANDATORY, ALWAYS)
• MEMORANDUM centered, Cambria bold 12pt
• Header block: TO / FROM / DATE / RE — labels bold, tab at 1440, spacing after 160
• DATE is the actual current date (full: e.g. "March 18, 2026") — never just month/year
• RE value is bold, with hanging indent (w:left="1440" w:hanging="1440")
• Horizontal rule after header (bottom border, sz=6, after=240)
• Cambria 12pt throughout — NO Book Antiqua
• Bullet character (•) with hanging indent, never Word list bullets
• Footer: italic Cambria 10pt "Page x of y." centered
• Tone follows CLAUDE.md voice baseline (direct, active, no filler)
• AI writing tell check passed (see section above)
• Closes with action/next-steps paragraph