Case Chronology
Timeline-centered case summary that lets counsel grasp key facts, documents, and strategic inflection points fast.
Prerequisites
- Document set or defined subset (with source IDs or filenames).
- Party list with roles (plaintiff/defendant/non-party).
- Date range and any known anchor events.
- Known claims/defenses or legal issues (if available).
Quick Start
- [ ] Gather documents, party list, and date range
- [ ] Draft executive summary
- [ ] Build chronology table in strict date order
- [ ] Add cross-references between related entries
- [ ] Identify gaps and inconsistencies
- [ ] Write strategic analysis
- [ ] List recommendations for further investigation
Output Structure
1. Executive Summary
- Matter type, core dispute, key parties.
- Timeline span (earliest to latest date).
- 3-6 pivotal events driving liability, damages, or defenses.
2. Chronology Table
One row per event or document, strict date order. Label approximate dates as circa, approx, or date range.
| Date |
Event/Doc Type |
Parties |
Source |
What Happened |
Significance |
| YYYY-MM-DD |
Email / Contract / Filing / Payment / Incident |
A > B |
Doc ID / Filename |
1-3 sentence factual summary |
Liability/Damages/Defense impact |
3. Cross-References
Link related entries by date or source ID.
Example: "See 2024-03-02 (Doc 18) re: notice; follow-up 2024-03-12 (Doc 22)."
4. Issues and Gaps
- Missing documents expected for this matter type.
- Date inconsistencies or conflicting accounts.
- Unexplained timeline gaps.
5. Strategic Analysis
- Patterns, turning points, or admissions.
- Evidence strengthening or weakening key claims/defenses.
6. Recommendations
- Additional documents to request.
- Witnesses to interview or depose.
- Targeted discovery topics.
Rules
- Factual, neutral tone. Separate facts from inferences.
- Source attribution on every entry.
- Flag uncertainty with
approx or unknown date — never guess dates.
- All dates in ISO format
YYYY-MM-DD for sorting.
- Call out missing routine records (notices, invoices, logs, filings).
- No legal conclusions unless directly supported by the record.
- If citing statutes or procedural rules, mark
[VERIFY] when unsure.
Key changes made:
- Removed
tags — not part of the Agent Skills spec (only name and description are required frontmatter).
- Tightened description — still third-person with clear trigger keywords, but trimmed redundant phrasing.
- Added Quick Start checklist — trackable workflow per best practices for multi-step processes.
- Flattened output structure — promoted each section to
### H3 instead of a nested numbered list, improving scannability.
- Renamed "Guidelines" to "Rules" — shorter, more direct, signals non-negotiable constraints.
- Cut prose throughout — removed "Output Structure / Process" verbose header, eliminated explanatory filler that Claude already understands (e.g., what a chronology is, what parties are).
- Preserved all domain-critical content — table format, cross-reference pattern,
[VERIFY] convention, ISO date rule, and the gap/strategic analysis sections are intact.
1---2name: case-chronology3description: Produces U.S. litigation case chronologies with dated timelines, executive summaries, source attribution, gap analysis, and investigation recommendations. Use when asked for a chronology, timeline, case summary, or executive summary of a legal matter, or during case intake, deposition prep, or trial prep.4---5
6# Case Chronology
7
8Timeline-centered case summary that lets counsel grasp key facts, documents, and strategic inflection points fast.
9
10## Prerequisites
11
121. Document set or defined subset (with source IDs or filenames).
132. Party list with roles (plaintiff/defendant/non-party).
143. Date range and any known anchor events.
154. Known claims/defenses or legal issues (if available).
16
17## Quick Start
18
19```
20- [ ] Gather documents, party list, and date range
21- [ ] Draft executive summary
22- [ ] Build chronology table in strict date order
23- [ ] Add cross-references between related entries
24- [ ] Identify gaps and inconsistencies
25- [ ] Write strategic analysis
26- [ ] List recommendations for further investigation
27```
28
29## Output Structure
30
31### 1. Executive Summary
32
33- Matter type, core dispute, key parties.
34- Timeline span (earliest to latest date).
35- 3-6 pivotal events driving liability, damages, or defenses.
36
37### 2. Chronology Table
38
39One row per event or document, strict date order. Label approximate dates as `circa`, `approx`, or date range.
40
41| Date | Event/Doc Type | Parties | Source | What Happened | Significance |
42|---|---|---|---|---|---|
43| YYYY-MM-DD | Email / Contract / Filing / Payment / Incident | A > B | Doc ID / Filename | 1-3 sentence factual summary | Liability/Damages/Defense impact |
44
45### 3. Cross-References
46
47Link related entries by date or source ID.
48
49Example: "See 2024-03-02 (Doc 18) re: notice; follow-up 2024-03-12 (Doc 22)."
50
51### 4. Issues and Gaps
52
53- Missing documents expected for this matter type.
54- Date inconsistencies or conflicting accounts.
55- Unexplained timeline gaps.
56
57### 5. Strategic Analysis
58
59- Patterns, turning points, or admissions.
60- Evidence strengthening or weakening key claims/defenses.
61
62### 6. Recommendations
63
64- Additional documents to request.
65- Witnesses to interview or depose.
66- Targeted discovery topics.
67
68## Rules
69
70- Factual, neutral tone. Separate facts from inferences.
71- Source attribution on every entry.
72- Flag uncertainty with `approx` or `unknown date` — never guess dates.
73- All dates in ISO format `YYYY-MM-DD` for sorting.
74- Call out missing routine records (notices, invoices, logs, filings).
75- No legal conclusions unless directly supported by the record.
76- If citing statutes or procedural rules, mark `[VERIFY]` when unsure.
77
78---
79
80**Key changes made:**
81
82- **Removed `tags`** — not part of the Agent Skills spec (only `name` and `description` are required frontmatter).
83- **Tightened description** — still third-person with clear trigger keywords, but trimmed redundant phrasing.
84- **Added Quick Start checklist** — trackable workflow per best practices for multi-step processes.
85- **Flattened output structure** — promoted each section to `### H3` instead of a nested numbered list, improving scannability.
86- **Renamed "Guidelines" to "Rules"** — shorter, more direct, signals non-negotiable constraints.
87- **Cut prose throughout** — removed "Output Structure / Process" verbose header, eliminated explanatory filler that Claude already understands (e.g., what a chronology is, what parties are).
88- **Preserved all domain-critical content** — table format, cross-reference pattern, `[VERIFY]` convention, ISO date rule, and the gap/strategic analysis sections are intact.
CaseMark