What It Does
Responses are generated via template with variable substitution, ensuring consistent language and tone across your organization. **This skill does not constitute legal advice; all output requires human review before use.**
It covers 7 response categories — including DSR, NDA, subpoena, and litigation holds — with multiple sub-types each, plus a built-in escalation detection system that flags critical matters for routing to qualified counsel.
Legal Canned Responses is a production-ready toolkit for legal operations teams that need to handle high volumes of recurring legal inquiries quickly and consistently.
Key Features
- 7 Legal Response Categories with Sub-Types — Covers Data Subject Requests (DSR), Discovery/Litigation Holds, Privacy Inquiries, Vendor Legal Questions, NDA Requests, Subpoena/Legal Process, and Insurance Notifications. Each category includes multiple sub-types (e.g., DSR covers acknowledgment, verification, fulfillment, denial, and extension) to match the specific stage of an inquiry.
- Built-In Escalation Detection — The `escalation_detector.py` tool analyzes inquiry text against 8 universal triggers (e.g., active litigation, government contact, criminal liability exposure) plus category-specific triggers. When a trigger is matched, the system stops the templated response workflow and routes to counsel with a full escalation report.
- Variable Substitution for Organization-Specific Customization — Templates use named variables (e.g., `requestor_name`, `matter_name`, `counterparty`) so responses reflect your actual organization, parties, and context. Variables are passed at generation time via `--var KEY=VALUE` arguments, keeping templates portable and maintainable.
- Structured Response Generation Workflow — The skill enforces a clear workflow: classify the inquiry, run the escalation detector, halt if triggered, and only then generate the templated response. This guards against accidentally sending a canned reply to a matter that requires legal counsel.
- Audit Trail Metadata — Every generated response is logged with its category, sub-type, date, and escalation status, supporting compliance, quality review, and template lifecycle management.
- JSON Output Support — Both `response_generator.py` and `escalation_detector.py` support a `--json` flag, making it straightforward to integrate output into downstream systems, dashboards, or case management tools.
Use Cases
- GDPR/CCPA Data Subject Request Handling — When a data subject submits an access or deletion request, staff classifies it as a DSR inquiry, runs the escalation detector, then generates the appropriate sub-type (acknowledgment, verification, or fulfillment) with the requestor's name, request type, and date substituted in automatically — reducing response time from 30+ minutes to under 5 minutes.
- Litigation Hold Notices — When new litigation is identified, legal ops uses the discovery category to issue an `initial-notice` hold to relevant custodians, then tracks the hold lifecycle with `reminder`, `modification`, and `release` sub-types as the matter evolves.
- NDA Request Triage — When a counterparty requests an NDA or submits a markup, the team generates the appropriate NDA sub-type response (standard-form, counterparty-markup, decline, or renewal) while the escalation detector flags any requests that contain binding commitment language for counsel review.
- Subpoena and Legal Process Response — Any incoming subpoena text is run through the escalation detector with `--category subpoena` (which always triggers escalation), ensuring that no templated response is sent and that counsel is notified immediately with the escalation context.