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name: litigation-support-summary language: en description: Generates structured management summaries of active commercial litigation matters. Covers case overview, procedural posture, strategy, deadlines, discovery status, budget, and risk analysis. Use when preparing case status reports, onboarding stakeholders to active litigation, or conducting periodic case reviews.

Litigation Support Summary

Synthesizes case materials into a structured management document (5-10 pages) for legal teams and clients to track progress on active litigation.

Quick Start

1. Gather inputs: pleadings, docket sheet, court orders, discovery materials, scheduling orders
2. Follow the six-section output structure below
3. Apply the quality checks before delivering

Required Inputs

• Case file: pleadings, court orders, docket sheet, case caption/number, presiding judge
• Discovery materials: requests, responses, production logs, deposition transcripts
• Scheduling orders: court-imposed deadlines, trial date, expert disclosure dates
• Correspondence (if available): strategic memos, client communications
• Budget/staffing (if available): litigation budget, team assignments

Output Structure

1. Case Overview & Procedural Posture

Field	Content
Caption & Docket	Full case caption, docket number
Court & Judge	Court, jurisdiction, presiding judge
Parties	All parties with roles
Claims & Defenses	Each cause of action/counterclaim with status
Procedural Stage	Pleadings / discovery / pre-trial / trial
Significant Rulings	Key motions, hearings, orders

2. Strategy & Theory of Case

• Primary legal theories and key factual arguments
• Desired outcome (damages, injunctive relief, dismissal, etc.)
• Strategy evolution based on discovery/rulings/new facts
• Candid strengths/weaknesses for both sides:

Factor	Our Position	Opposing Position
Strongest argument
Key vulnerability
Critical unresolved issue

• ADR/settlement posture: demand/offer history, mediation prospects

3. Timeline & Critical Deadlines

Chronological table covering discovery cutoffs, expert disclosures, dispositive motion deadlines, pretrial conferences, trial date, and internal targets.

Date	Event/Deadline	Status	Action Required
past	Event	Complete	--
upcoming	Deadline	Pending	Owner + prep needed

Flag deadlines requiring immediate attention.

4. Discovery Status & Key Evidence

Written discovery (interrogatories, doc requests, RFAs): track served, received, outstanding, disputes.

Depositions: witness, date, status (completed/scheduled/needed), key testimony.

Critical evidence: most significant documents/testimony and relevance to case theory.

Open issues: privilege disputes, protective orders, Daubert challenges, outstanding productions.

5. Resource Allocation & Budget

Track by category (attorney fees, experts, e-discovery, court reporters, travel): budget, spent, projected remaining. Include team assignments and resource constraints.

Omit if no budget data available; note the gap and recommend gathering it.

6. Risks, Opportunities & Recommendations

• Risks: adverse outcome exposure (liability + damages range), cost escalation triggers, reputational concerns
• Opportunities: favorable developments, settlement leverage, dispositive motion prospects
• Recommendations: numbered, actionable next steps with priority (High/Medium/Low) and owner

Quality Checks

• Cite specific documents by name and page/paragraph when asserting facts
• Distinguish established facts, disputed facts, and legal contentions
• Provide candid assessments, not advocacy; flag information gaps
• Use accessible language while maintaining legal precision; define terms of art on first use
• Note the summary date; frame as a living document
• Mark as attorney-client privileged / work product as appropriate