Legal Strategy Summary

Synthesizes facts, law, procedure, and risk into one litigation roadmap.

Prerequisites

Gather before drafting:

1. Core record — pleadings/draft claims, key exhibits, correspondence, timeline
2. Objectives — client goals, acceptable outcomes, constraints, settlement posture
3. Forum — jurisdiction, governing law, procedural posture
4. Deadlines — filed/upcoming dates, limitations periods, scheduling order
5. Known gaps — missing documents, witnesses, unresolved disputes

Output Sections

Keep each section concise and evidence-linked.

1) Executive Overview

| Field | Content | |---|---| | Matter | Short case descriptor | | Posture | Stage and next critical event | | Client objective | Primary objective and fallback | | Strategic thesis | One-sentence theory of the case | | Top risks | 3–5 highest-impact risks | | Immediate decisions | 3–5 decisions needed now |

2) Key Facts

| Date/Period | Fact | Source | Disputed? | |---|---|---|---| | | | | Yes/No |

3) Issues, Claims, Defenses

| Issue | Claim/Defense | Element | Supporting Facts | Gaps | |---|---|---|---|---| | | | | | |

4) Legal Authority Snapshot

| Issue | Standard | Authority | Notes | |---|---|---|---| | | | | |

5) Argument Map

| Argument | Best Fact Support | Likely Counter | Rebuttal | |---|---|---|---| | | | | |

6) Procedural Strategy

| Motion/Step | Timing | Legal Basis | Purpose | Success Likelihood | |---|---|---|---|---| | | | | | |

7) Discovery Strategy

| Target | Method | Purpose | Risk/Objection | Priority | |---|---|---|---|---| | | | | | |

Discovery checklist:

• Confirm litigation hold and custodian identification
• Map repositories and privilege boundaries
• Plan deposition order and key admissions
• Define expert needs and retention timing

8) Settlement / ADR Posture

| Option | Timing | Leverage | Risks | Recommendation | |---|---|---|---|---| | | | | | |

9) Risk and Outcome Assessment

| Scenario | Probability | Exposure/Recovery | Key Drivers | |---|---|---|---| | | | | |

10) Deadlines and Triggers

| Deadline/Trigger | Date | Source | Action | |---|---|---|---| | | | | |

11) Open Questions

| Question | Why It Matters | Owner | Target Date | |---|---|---|---| | | | | |

12) Next Steps

| Task | Owner | Due Date | |---|---|---| | | | |

Checks

• Cite record sources for every material fact or inference.
• Mark uncertain authority with [VERIFY].
• Keep the strategic thesis consistent across motions, discovery, and settlement sections.
• Separate known facts from allegations and disputed issues.
• Flag jurisdiction-specific rules and procedural traps.
• Provide candid strengths and weaknesses — do not overstate success likelihood.
• Exclude privileged content beyond what strategy requires.