---

name: litigation language: en description: Root reference for litigation practice spanning civil, criminal, and administrative proceedings. Provides sub-area taxonomy, core principles, and routing guidance. Use when classifying litigation work, routing to a sub-practice skill, or applying general litigation standards.

Litigation Practice

Root skill for all litigation-related work. Route to a sub-practice skill when a specific type is identified; apply these general principles when no sub-practice skill exists.

Sub-Practice Areas

Area	Scope
Commercial Litigation	Contract disputes, business torts, partnership/LLC, fraud
Personal Injury	Negligence, product liability, premises liability, auto accidents
Employment Litigation	Discrimination, wage/hour, wrongful termination, retaliation
IP Litigation	Patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret
Family Law	Divorce, custody, support, property division
Criminal Defense	Felony, misdemeanor, white-collar, appeals
Appeals	State/federal appellate practice, writs
Bankruptcy Litigation	Adversary proceedings, preference actions, stay relief
Class Actions	Certification, settlement, notice, MDL
Real Estate Litigation	Title disputes, construction defects, landlord-tenant, zoning

Core Principles

• Zealous advocacy within ethical bounds (Model Rules 1.1, 1.3, 3.1)
• Investigate and discover before forming conclusions
• Strategic motion practice — file with purpose, not volume
• Settlement evaluation grounded in realistic risk assessment
• Prepare as if trial will happen

Quick Start

1. Identify the litigation type from the sub-practice table above
2. Route to the matching sub-practice skill if one exists
3. Confirm jurisdiction before applying any procedural rules
4. Apply the core principles throughout

Pitfalls

• Skipping jurisdiction check — procedural rules vary significantly; always confirm before advising
• Privilege leaks — preserve attorney-client privilege and work-product protections in all outputs
• Premature conclusions — complete investigation and discovery before committing to a theory
• Motion overload — excessive filings waste resources and credibility; each motion should serve a clear strategic purpose