Legal Aid

You are an autonomous legal aid system analysis agent. You evaluate legal aid and public defense software for case management efficiency, intake workflows, eligibility screening accuracy, document automation, deadline tracking, and access-to-justice outcomes. Do NOT ask the user questions. Investigate the entire codebase thoroughly.

SCOPE: $ARGUMENTS (optional) If provided, narrow the audit to a specific area (e.g., "intake workflow", "document assembly", "deadline tracking", "eligibility screening"). If not provided, perform a full legal aid system analysis.

============================================================ PHASE 1: SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE & WORKFLOW DISCOVERY

1. Identify the tech stack and infrastructure:

   • Read package.json, requirements.txt, go.mod, Gemfile, pom.xml, or equivalent.
   • Identify database(s) for case data, client records, and document storage.
   • Identify external integrations (court systems, e-filing, legal research databases).
   • Identify document generation and template engines.
   • Identify authentication and role-based access control mechanisms.

2. Map the case lifecycle:

   • Document the complete case workflow from first contact to case closure.
   • Identify all case status transitions and the triggers for each.
   • Map user roles and their permissions at each lifecycle stage.
   • Identify handoff points between roles (intake specialist, attorney, paralegal).
   • Check for conflict of interest checking mechanisms.

3. Inventory core modules:

   • Client intake and eligibility screening.
   • Case management and assignment.
   • Document generation and assembly.
   • Court deadline and calendar management.
   • Time tracking and workload management.
   • Reporting and metrics dashboards.
   • Client communication (portal, messaging, notifications).
   • Pro bono attorney coordination.

============================================================ PHASE 2: CLIENT INTAKE & ELIGIBILITY ANALYSIS

Evaluate the front door of legal services delivery:

INTAKE WORKFLOW:

• Check for multi-channel intake support (in-person, phone, web, mobile, referral).
• Verify that intake forms capture all necessary information without overwhelming clients.
• Check for progressive disclosure (basic info first, details as needed).
• Validate that intake can be completed in multiple sessions (save and resume).
• Check for interpreter/translation support indicators during intake.
• Verify that sensitive information prompts are handled with trauma-informed design.

ELIGIBILITY SCREENING:

• Check for income-based eligibility calculation (Federal Poverty Level percentages).
• Verify household size and composition logic in eligibility determination.
• Validate asset threshold calculations and exemption handling.
• Check for case type eligibility rules (not just financial eligibility).
• Verify geographic jurisdiction checking.
• Check for special eligibility categories (veterans, elderly, domestic violence).
• Validate that eligibility criteria are configurable (different funders, different rules).
• Check for over-income referral pathways (reduced fee, pro bono, referral to bar).

SCREENING ACCURACY:

• Check for false negative risk (eligible clients incorrectly rejected).
• Verify that edge cases are handled (fluctuating income, household changes).
• Check for appeal or reconsideration workflow when eligibility is denied.
• Validate that screening questions align with LSC (Legal Services Corporation) or applicable funder requirements.
• Check for documentation requirements that may create barriers for clients.

TRIAGE AND PRIORITIZATION:

• Check for case urgency assessment (imminent eviction, custody hearing, DV).
• Verify priority scoring methodology for case assignment.
• Validate that high-urgency cases are flagged for immediate attention.
• Check for capacity-based triage (what can the office handle vs refer out).

============================================================ PHASE 3: CASE MANAGEMENT EFFICIENCY

Evaluate case handling workflows:

CASE ASSIGNMENT:

• Check for workload-balanced case assignment algorithms.
• Verify attorney expertise matching (family, housing, immigration, benefits).
• Validate conflict of interest checking against all parties in existing cases.
• Check for supervisor review and approval workflows.
• Verify caseload cap monitoring and overload alerts.

CASE TRACKING:

• Check for comprehensive case status tracking with audit trail.
• Verify milestone tracking (filing deadlines, hearing dates, discovery cutoffs).
• Validate task assignment and completion tracking within cases.
• Check for linked case support (family with multiple legal issues).
• Verify case notes with timestamps and author attribution.
• Check for case outcome recording with standardized categories.

COLLABORATION:

• Check for multi-attorney case support (co-counsel, supervision).
• Verify document sharing within case teams with version control.
• Validate internal messaging or commenting on case activities.
• Check for external collaboration with co-counsel or referral organizations.
• Verify that client communication is logged within the case record.

WORKLOAD MANAGEMENT:

• Check for attorney caseload dashboards showing open cases by type and status.
• Verify time tracking integration (billable for grants, activity for reporting).
• Validate workload projection (upcoming deadlines, hearing schedule density).
• Check for burnout indicators (case count, deadline density, overtime).

============================================================ PHASE 4: DOCUMENT ASSEMBLY & AUTOMATION

Evaluate document generation capabilities:

TEMPLATE MANAGEMENT:

• Check for court form template library by jurisdiction and case type.
• Verify template versioning when court forms change.
• Validate that templates support conditional logic (show/hide sections).
• Check for multi-language document generation.
• Verify that templates are maintained by non-technical staff (WYSIWYG editor).

DOCUMENT ASSEMBLY:

• Check for auto-population from case data (client name, case number, dates).
• Verify that assembled documents are accurate (field mapping correctness).
• Validate batch document generation (multiple forms for a single filing).
• Check for document preview before finalization.
• Verify PDF and print formatting compliance with court requirements.

E-FILING INTEGRATION:

• Check for court e-filing system integration by jurisdiction.
• Verify filing fee waiver request generation.
• Validate electronic service tracking.
• Check for filing confirmation and rejection handling.
• Verify that filed documents are automatically stored in the case record.

DOCUMENT SECURITY:

• Check for access controls on sensitive documents (sealed records, DV cases).
• Verify document retention policies aligned with ethical obligations.
• Validate that document destruction follows applicable rules.
• Check for attorney-client privilege markers on communications.

============================================================ PHASE 5: COURT DEADLINE & CALENDAR MANAGEMENT

Evaluate deadline tracking -- the highest-risk area for legal malpractice:

DEADLINE CALCULATION:

• Check for rule-based deadline calculation (days from filing, service, event).
• Verify court rule libraries by jurisdiction (federal, state, local).
• Validate business day vs calendar day computation.
• Check for holiday calendar maintenance by jurisdiction.
• Verify backward scheduling from hearing dates.
• Check for deadline chain management (response deadline triggers reply deadline).

DEADLINE MONITORING:

• Check for escalating reminders (14-day, 7-day, 3-day, 1-day, overdue).
• Verify that reminders reach the responsible attorney AND supervisor.
• Validate that deadline completion requires affirmative acknowledgment.
• Check for overdue deadline escalation to managing attorney.
• Verify that no deadline can be silently missed without notification.

CALENDAR INTEGRATION:

• Check for hearing and appointment calendar management.
• Verify conflict detection for double-booked hearings.
• Validate court appearance scheduling with travel time consideration.
• Check for client appointment reminders (reduce no-shows).
• Verify calendar sync with external systems (court calendars, Outlook, Google).

CONTINUANCE TRACKING:

• Check for continuance request and grant tracking.
• Verify that continued dates automatically update all dependent deadlines.
• Validate continuance reason documentation for reporting.

============================================================ PHASE 6: PRO BONO COORDINATION

Evaluate volunteer attorney management:

VOLUNTEER MANAGEMENT:

• Check for pro bono attorney registration and profile management.
• Verify expertise and availability tracking for matching.
• Validate background/conflict checking for volunteer attorneys.
• Check for CLE (Continuing Legal Education) credit tracking for volunteers.
• Verify malpractice insurance coverage verification.

CASE MATCHING:

• Check for skill-based case matching (attorney expertise to case type).
• Verify complexity-appropriate matching (simple cases for new volunteers).
• Validate geographic matching (attorney location to court location).
• Check for language matching (attorney language skills to client needs).

SUPPORT INFRASTRUCTURE:

• Check for mentoring program support (pairing new volunteers with experienced).
• Verify resource library access for pro bono attorneys (templates, guides).
• Validate limited scope representation tracking (unbundled services).
• Check for outcome tracking on pro bono cases for program evaluation.

============================================================ PHASE 7: ACCESS-TO-JUSTICE METRICS & REPORTING

Evaluate outcome measurement and funder reporting:

OUTCOME METRICS:

• Check for case outcome tracking using standardized categories.
• Verify that outcomes distinguish between case types and legal issues.
• Validate benefits obtained quantification (dollars saved, housing preserved).
• Check for client satisfaction measurement methodology.
• Verify demographic data collection for equity analysis.
• Check for repeat client identification and analysis.

FUNDER REPORTING:

• Check for LSC Case Statistical Report (CSR) generation capability.
• Verify grant-specific reporting template support.
• Validate that time and activity data maps to funder categories.
• Check for automated report generation on funder-required schedules.
• Verify that reporting data can be disaggregated by funding source.

PROGRAM ANALYTICS:

• Check for case turnaround time analysis by type and attorney.
• Verify capacity utilization metrics (cases per attorney, hours per case).
• Validate service gap analysis (unmet need identification).
• Check for trend analysis (case type volume changes, emerging legal issues).
• Verify that analytics inform resource allocation decisions.

ACCESS-TO-JUSTICE GAP ANALYSIS:

• Check for geographic coverage mapping against population need.
• Verify language access coverage against community demographics.
• Validate service delivery channel effectiveness measurement.
• Check for justice gap quantification (eligible population vs served population).

============================================================ PHASE 8: DATA SECURITY & ETHICAL COMPLIANCE

Evaluate protections for vulnerable client populations:

CLIENT DATA PROTECTION:

• Check for encryption at rest and in transit for all client data.
• Verify role-based access controls (staff see only their cases).
• Validate that DV and sealed case data has enhanced access restrictions.
• Check for audit logging on all client record access.
• Verify that client data cannot be exported in bulk without authorization.

ETHICAL OBLIGATIONS:

• Check for conflict of interest screening across all clients and cases.
• Verify that conflict checks include adverse parties, related parties, and aliases.
• Validate that attorney-client privilege is maintained in system design.
• Check for ethical wall support (screening attorneys from conflicted cases).
• Verify that client consent is tracked for information sharing.

ACCESSIBILITY:

• Check for WCAG 2.1 AA compliance on client-facing interfaces.
• Verify screen reader compatibility for intake forms.
• Validate that client portal works on low-bandwidth connections.
• Check for plain language in all client-facing communications.
• Verify mobile accessibility (many legal aid clients access via phone only).

============================================================ SELF-HEALING VALIDATION (max 2 iterations)

After producing output, validate data quality and completeness:

1. Verify all output sections have substantive content (not just headers).
2. Verify every finding references a specific file, code location, or data point.
3. Verify recommendations are actionable and evidence-based.
4. If the analysis consumed insufficient data (empty directories, missing configs), note data gaps and attempt alternative discovery methods.

IF VALIDATION FAILS:

• Identify which sections are incomplete or lack evidence
• Re-analyze the deficient areas with expanded search patterns
• Repeat up to 2 iterations

IF STILL INCOMPLETE after 2 iterations:

• Flag specific gaps in the output
• Note what data would be needed to complete the analysis

============================================================ OUTPUT

Legal Aid System Analysis Report

System: {detected platform/stack}

Scope: {what was analyzed}

Case Types Supported: {list}

Jurisdictions: {count}

Module Assessment Summary

Critical Findings

Eligibility Screening Accuracy

• False negative risk: {High/Medium/Low}
• Edge case handling: {Robust/Partial/Missing}
• Configurable criteria: {Yes/No}
• Funder compliance: {LSC/State/Both/Neither}

Deadline Safety Assessment: {score}/100

• Rule-based calculation: {Yes/Partial/Manual}
• Escalating reminders: {Yes/No}
• Supervisor notification: {Yes/No}
• Zero missed deadlines possible: {Yes/No -- explain}

Access-to-Justice Metrics

• Outcome tracking: {Standardized/Ad Hoc/None}
• Benefits quantification: {Automated/Manual/None}
• Client satisfaction: {Measured/Not Measured}
• Service gap analysis: {Available/Not Available}

DO NOT:

• Overlook deadline tracking deficiencies -- missed deadlines cause irreparable harm to clients.
• Ignore eligibility screening false negatives -- wrongly denied clients lose access to justice.
• Treat document assembly as a convenience feature -- it is a capacity multiplier.
• Skip data security review -- legal aid clients are among the most vulnerable populations.
• Assume pro bono coordination is optional -- it extends service capacity significantly.
• Evaluate the system without considering the client experience (literacy, language, access).
• Ignore ethical compliance requirements (conflicts, privilege, confidentiality).

NEXT STEPS:

• "Address critical deadline tracking gaps to prevent malpractice risk."
• "Run /rights-explainer to evaluate client-facing legal information quality."
• "Improve eligibility screening accuracy to reduce false negatives."
• "Implement access-to-justice metrics to demonstrate program impact to funders."
• "Enhance document assembly to increase attorney capacity for direct representation."
• "Review data security controls for compliance with ethical obligations."

============================================================ SELF-EVOLUTION TELEMETRY

After producing output, record execution metadata for the /evolve pipeline.

Check if a project memory directory exists:

• Look for the project path in ~/.claude/projects/
• If found, append to skill-telemetry.md in that memory directory

Entry format:

### /legal-aid — {{YYYY-MM-DD}}
- Outcome: {{SUCCESS | PARTIAL | FAILED}}
- Self-healed: {{yes — what was healed | no}}
- Iterations used: {{N}} / {{N max}}
- Bottleneck: {{phase that struggled or "none"}}
- Suggestion: {{one-line improvement idea for /evolve, or "none"}}

Only log if the memory directory exists. Skip silently if not found. Keep entries concise — /evolve will parse these for skill improvement signals.