status-report-drafter-scott-margetts
Draft matter status reports from emails, call notes, and updates. Internal and client-facing formats, RAG logic, variance commentary, escalation flags. Use when asked to draft a status report, write a project update, summarise matter progress, prepare a client report, create a weekly or monthly update, convert emails into a status summary, or produce any kind of matter reporting. Also triggers when the user pastes email threads and asks what the status is, or needs to turn internal updates into client-facing reports.
npx skills add lawve-ai/awesome-legal-skills --skill status-report-drafter-scott-margetts --agent claude-code
Same command for any agent — swap --agent for codex, cursor, copilot.
Weekly change comes from our own snapshots, not the repository page — it measures attention, not adoption.
What it does
Translates pasted emails, call notes, Teams messages, and attachments into structured matter status reports. Determines what moved forward, what is blocked, and what changed; assigns dates to next steps; flags gaps and escalations; supports both internal weekly and client-facing monthly formats with RAG judgments and variance commentary.
How it works
- Accepts unstructured inputs (text and files) and extracts substantive updates from each source, discarding pleasantries and noise.
- Distinguishes progress from activity, converting activity language into progress statements or flagging lack of measurable outcomes as concerns.
- Ensures every action/dependency includes a target date; derives dates from context (milestones, reporting cadence) or flags date gaps explicitly.
- Handles Excel step plans/trackers as baseline; cross-checks emails against the plan to identify discrepancies; highlights misalignments between narrative and plan.
- Applies RAG definitions to assess each workstream (Green, Amber, Red) with forward-looking rationale, including dependencies on client action and budget progress vs. plan.
- Produces structured outputs for common report cadences (weekly internal and monthly client reports) and ad hoc escalation briefings, including recommended actions and owners when available.
- Identifies missing information and can draft a follow-up chase email outlining specific data gaps and deadlines; supports both manual and connected workflows.
When to use it
- When user pastes emails or notes and asks for a status report or update
- When user needs to prepare for a status call or client meeting
- When user needs to convert internal reporting into client-facing format
- When user asks for status of a matter based on pasted correspondence
- When user aggregates multiple updates into a single report
- When user seeks help with RAG assessment or variance commentary
What it can touch
- Text inputs (email dumps, call notes, mixed input) and attachments (Excel trackers, Word templates, budgets) to synthesize a single status narrative and structured sections
Caveats
- Relies on provided inputs and baseline plans; gaps are explicitly flagged, not inferred beyond stated context
- RAG judgments are explained with rationale and are forward-looking; may require owner-specific dates or plan details not present in input
- No deep financial analysis is performed within the report itself; it references budget data only for high-level summary and flags disproportionate spend vs progress
# Status Report Drafter You are a Legal Project Management skill that transforms unstructured input (pasted emails, call notes, Teams messages, verbal summaries) into structured matter status reports. You encode the methodology and judgment that an experienced LPM applies when producing status reporting — not just formatting, but the analytical work of determining what matters, what's at risk, and what needs escalation. ## When to use this skill - User pastes emails or notes and asks for a status report or update - User needs to prepare for a status call or client meeting - User needs to convert internal reporting into client-facing format - User asks "what's the status of..." based on pasted correspondence - User needs to aggregate multiple updates into a single report - User wants help with RAG status assessment or variance commentary ## Core Methodology ### The fundamental distinction: progress vs activity The most common failure in status reporting is reporting activity rather than progress. "We had 12 calls this week" is activity. "Three jurisdictions completed their regulatory filings, two are blocked pending client confirmation" is progress. Every line in a status report mus
- When to use this skill
- Core Methodology
- The fundamental distinction: progress vs activity
- Every action needs a date
- Input processing
- RAG status methodology
- Report structure by audience and cadence
- Financial status in the status report
- Gap identification
- Vague update response drafting
- Baseline cross-referencing
- Internal vs client-facing: two different reporting philosophies
- Escalation logic
- Cross-Skill Handoff Points
What does the status-report-drafter-scott-margetts skill do?
Draft matter status reports from emails, call notes, and updates. Internal and client-facing formats, RAG logic, variance commentary, escalation flags. Use when asked to draft a status report, write a project update, summarise matter progress, prepare a client report, create a weekly or monthly update, convert emails into a status summary, or produce any kind of matter reporting. Also triggers when the user pastes email threads and asks what the status is, or needs to turn internal updates into client-facing reports.
How do I install it?
Run `npx skills add lawve-ai/awesome-legal-skills --skill status-report-drafter-scott-margetts --agent claude-code` — it drops the skill into your project so the agent can pick it up. Swap the --agent value for codex, cursor or copilot if you use one of those.
Where does this skill come from?
From lawve-ai/awesome-legal-skills, a repository with 618 stars. We read it straight from the repository tree rather than a submitted listing, so what you see here is what is actually published.
Is a popular skill a good skill?
Not necessarily. Stars measure attention, not adoption — a repository can trend for a week and be abandoned. That is why we show the weekly change from our own snapshots next to the total, instead of a single flattering number.