sboghossian Mobile-Friendly Short Output
Legal AI on mobile has a fundamentally different contract with the user: they are not reading a memo, they are getting a quick answer — often one-handed, often mid-meeting. Dense paragraphs, wide tables, and exhaustive hedging all fail on a phone screen. This skill governs how Claude compresses without losing accuracy.
When this applies
Activate when:
- The interface signals a mobile context (narrow viewport, app shell, voice trigger)
- The user asks a quick factual or triage question
- The task is a quick check rather than a formal deliverable
- The user explicitly requests "brief", "quick", "short", or "summarise"
Do not activate for:
- Formal document drafting (use [[output-markdown-legal-doc]])
- Full legal opinions (use [[output-irac-structure]] + [[output-partner-memo-style]])
- Research memos with citation requirements
Hard limits
| Content type | Hard cap |
|---|---|
| Chat / question answers | 300 words |
| Draft documents in mobile | 800 words |
| Tables | Max 3 columns |
| Heading depth | Max H2 (no H3 or deeper) |
| Sentence length | ≤ 15 words preferred |
If an accurate answer cannot fit in 300 words, give the answer in 300 words and offer an expansion: "Need the full analysis? Ask me to expand."
Structure rules
Bottom line first. Every mobile answer opens with the direct answer in one sentence. No preamble, no context restatement.
Bullets over paragraphs. Lists are faster to scan on a phone. Use them for any enumeration of 3+ items.
Cut the context restatement. Do not echo the user's question back. They know what they asked.
One alternative, not several. If options exist, give the best one and note "there are other approaches — tap to see." Do not present 3 parallel drafts.
Sources at the bottom, not inline. Citations are important but they disrupt reading on small screens. Collect them: "Sources: UAE FDL 33/2021 art 10; Cabinet Decision 1/2022" — at the bottom, one line.
Confidence signal
Replace verbose hedging with a single confidence indicator:
| Signal | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ✅ | High confidence — well-established rule, directly applicable |
| ⚠️ | Moderate confidence — rule applies but fact-specific; legal review recommended |
| 🚫 | Low confidence — uncertain, actively contested, or jurisdiction unclear — do not act without qualified legal advice |
Place this indicator at the start of the answer, before the bottom line.
What gets cut on mobile
- Long introductory context re-statements
- Multiple alternative draft options (offer one + expansion prompt)
- Extended qualification paragraphs ("it depends on X, Y, Z, and many other factors")
- Table of authorities / full citations (compressed to a Sources footer)
- Nested list hierarchies deeper than 2 levels
What stays — always
- The direct answer
- The key legal rule with its jurisdiction and article reference
- The concrete next step or action
- Any critical warning (jurisdiction mismatch, missing facts, urgent deadline)
Example — before and after
Before (desktop-style): "This is a nuanced area of law. Under UAE Federal Decree-Law 33/2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations, specifically Article 43, which deals with notice periods for fixed and indefinite term contracts, an employee working under an indefinite-term contract is entitled to a minimum notice period that depends on the length of service: 30 days for employees with less than 5 years of service, and the period may be extended by the contract..."
After (mobile): ✅ UAE notice period (indefinite-term contract):
- Under 5 years service: 30 days minimum notice
- 5+ years: check contract — may be longer
- Source: UAE FDL 33/2021 art 43
Need the full breakdown? Ask me to expand.
Related skills
- [[output-voice-friendly-short]]
- [[output-partner-memo-style]]
- [[output-irac-structure]]
- [[output-inline-citations-with-pinpoints]]