Fact Pattern Issue Spotter: Claims and Defenses to Research
Reads a fact pattern and lists possible claims and defenses as questions to research, each tied to quoted facts and marked for authority. It states no elements and rates nothing.
The Prompt
Variables (6)
| Variable | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| {{client_name}} | Client Name | Marisol Vega |
| {{our_side}} | Our Side | Plaintiff |
| {{jurisdiction}} | Jurisdiction and Forum | Not yet determined |
| {{fact_pattern}} | Fact Pattern | Client signed a three-year employment agreement on Feb. 1, 2025. Six months in, the employer cut her commission plan and demanded relocation. |
| {{documents}} | Documents in Hand | Employment agreement dated Feb. 1, 2025. Email from HR dated Aug. 4, 2025. |
| {{notes}} | Attorney Notes | Client wants to stay employed if possible. |
Expected Output
An attorney-only issue list: flags, fact register, conflicts, count and time check, possible claims and defenses each phrased as a research question with the facts that bear on it, the facts the material does not address and an authority-needed marker, then a verification list.
Usage Notes
Use at intake as a brainstorm, never as a final issue list. Paste the facts, the documents in hand and your notes. Failure mode to watch: a question that assumes a fact nobody gave, names an element, or carries a strength rating. Research every theory in the governing jurisdiction before relying on it. Not legal advice. The attorney remains responsible for verifying every fact, figure and authority before use.
Double-check before use
- Check that no issue rests on a rule or case that a note merely mentions. In testing, a rule recalled by a former lawyer once became an issue.
These are the places where this prompt was seen to slip when tested on sample cases with a small AI model.
Originally featured in: ChatGPT Prompts for Lawyers: The Complete Guide
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* These prompts are drafting and analysis aids for licensed attorneys. They are not legal advice and do not replace professional judgment. AI output can contain errors, including invented citations and incorrect deadlines: verify every fact, figure, authority and deadline against primary sources before relying on it. Rules vary by jurisdiction, and you remain responsible for the final work product.