AgentSkillsCN

legal-document-formatting

法律文件格式化

SKILL.md

Legal Document Formatting Skill

This skill provides standardized citation and documentation formats for legal and regulatory documents commonly encountered in civic research and government transparency work.

Purpose

The Legal Document Formatting skill ensures:

  • •Consistent citation formats for various legal document types
  • •Standardized URL formatting for legal databases and repositories
  • •Proper attribution and source verification procedures
  • •Professional documentation templates for legal research
  • •Cross-jurisdictional citation compatibility for comparative analysis

Citation Standards

NYC Charter Citations

Format: NYC Charter § [Section] ([Year]) Examples:

  • •NYC Charter § 6 (2025) - For general sections
  • •NYC Charter § 6(a)(1) (2025) - For subsections
  • •NYC Charter App. A § 1 (2025) - For appendices

URL Format:

code
https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/newyorkcity/latest/NYCcharter/0-0-0-[section]

Full Citation Template:

code
New York City Charter § [section] ([year]), available at [URL] (last visited [date]).

NYC Administrative Code Citations

Format: NYC Admin. Code § [Title]-[Section] ([Year]) Examples:

  • •NYC Admin. Code § 3-702 (2025) - For standard sections
  • •NYC Admin. Code § 6-01.1 (2025) - For decimal sections

URL Format:

code
https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/newyorkcity/latest/NYCadmin/0-0-0-[section]

Executive Orders

NYC Executive Orders: Format: NYC Exec. Order No. [Number] ([Date]) Example: NYC Exec. Order No. 15 (Jan. 15, 2025)

URL Format:

code
https://www1.nyc.gov/office-of-the-mayor/news/[order-number]-[year]/executive-order-[number]

New York State Law Citations

Format: NY [Code] Law § [Section] ([Year]) Examples:

  • •NY Gen. Mun. Law § 800 (2025) - General Municipal Law
  • •NY Pub. Auth. Law § 1005 (2025) - Public Authorities Law
  • •NY Ed. Law § 2590 (2025) - Education Law

Federal Citations

Federal Statutes: Format: [Title] U.S.C. § [Section] ([Year]) Example: 42 U.S.C. § 1983 (2025)

Federal Regulations: Format: [Title] C.F.R. § [Section] ([Year]) Example: 24 C.F.R. § 570.200 (2025)

Document Type Formatting

Meeting Minutes

Standard Format:

code
[Entity Name] [Meeting Type] Minutes
Date: [Full Date]
Location: [Address or Virtual]
Attendees: [List of attendees with titles]
Agenda Items:
1. [Item 1]
2. [Item 2]
Decisions/Actions:
- [Decision 1]
- [Action item with responsible party]

Citation Format:

code
[Entity Name], [Meeting Type] Minutes ([Date]), available at [URL].

Board Resolutions

Standard Format:

code
RESOLUTION NO. [Number]
[Entity Name]
[Resolution Title]

WHEREAS, [background clause]; and
WHEREAS, [additional background]; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED:
[Resolution text]

Adopted: [Date]
Vote: [Vote count or unanimous]

Policy Documents

Standard Format:

code
[Entity Name]
[Policy Title]
Policy Number: [Number]
Effective Date: [Date]
Last Revised: [Date]

PURPOSE:
[Policy purpose statement]

SCOPE:
[Applicability statement]

POLICY:
[Policy details]

URL Formatting Standards

NYC Government URLs

NYC.gov Structure:

  • •Main site: https://www1.nyc.gov/
  • •Agency sites: https://www1.nyc.gov/site/[agency]/
  • •Documents: https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/[agency]/downloads/

Legal Code Library:

  • •Charter: https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/newyorkcity/latest/NYCcharter/
  • •Admin Code: https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/newyorkcity/latest/NYCadmin/

State and Federal URLs

New York State:

  • •Statutes: https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/[code]/[section]
  • •Regulations: https://govt.westlaw.com/nycrr/

Federal:

  • •USC: https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/[title]/[section]
  • •CFR: https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-[title]/section-[section]

Research Documentation Templates

Legal Authority Matrix

Template:

code
Entity: [Entity Name]
Authorizing Authority: [Source of Authority]
Citation: [Proper Citation]
URL: [Link to Document]
Key Provisions: [Relevant Sections]
Appointment Authority: [Who Appoints]
Reporting Requirements: [Legal Reporting Structure]
Last Verified: [Date]

Source Verification Checklist

For Each Citation:

  • • Citation format follows established standards
  • • URL is accessible and current
  • • Document version/date is current
  • • Cross-references are accurate
  • • Attribution is complete

Legal Research Notes Template

Format:

code
Research Topic: [Subject]
Date: [Research Date]
Researcher: [Name/Organization]

SOURCES CONSULTED:
1. [Primary Source 1] - [Citation]
2. [Primary Source 2] - [Citation]
3. [Secondary Source 1] - [Citation]

KEY FINDINGS:
- [Finding 1 with citation]
- [Finding 2 with citation]

UNCERTAINTIES:
- [Question 1] - [Further research needed]
- [Question 2] - [Conflicting sources]

RECOMMENDATIONS:
- [Action 1]
- [Action 2]

NYC-Specific Formatting Guidelines

Governance Entity Documentation

Entity Profile Template:

code
ENTITY: [Full Legal Name]
TYPE: [Board/Commission/Authority/etc.]
AUTHORIZING DOCUMENT: [Charter/Code/Law Citation]
ENABLING LEGISLATION: [Specific Citation]
CREATED: [Date]
SUNSET CLAUSE: [If applicable]

APPOINTMENT AUTHORITY:
- [Position]: [Appointing Authority]
- [Position]: [Appointing Authority]

GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE:
- Chair: [Appointment method]
- Members: [Number and appointment method]
- Terms: [Length and staggering]

LEGAL REPORTING:
- Reports to: [Legal superior]
- Filing requirements: [What, when, where]

OVERSIGHT:
- Administrative oversight: [Agency/Office]
- Legislative oversight: [Committee]

SOURCES:
1. [Primary Citation]
2. [Secondary Citation]
Last Updated: [Date]

Amendment and Change Tracking

Template:

code
ENTITY: [Entity Name]
CHANGE TYPE: [Creation/Amendment/Abolition]
EFFECTIVE DATE: [Date]
AUTHORIZING DOCUMENT: [Citation]

PREVIOUS STATUS:
[Description of prior state]

CHANGES MADE:
- [Change 1]
- [Change 2]

CURRENT STATUS:
[Description of current state]

IMPACT ANALYSIS:
- Appointment changes: [Description]
- Reporting changes: [Description]
- Authority changes: [Description]

SOURCES:
1. [Citation for change]
2. [Citation for current status]

Cross-Jurisdictional Formatting

Comparative Analysis Citations

When comparing across jurisdictions:

code
NYC: [NYC Citation]
Chicago: [Chicago Citation] 
Los Angeles: [LA Citation]
Comparison: [Summary of differences/similarities]

Multi-Level Government Citations

Federal/State/Local Hierarchy:

code
Federal Authority: [Federal citation]
State Implementation: [State citation]
Local Adaptation: [Local citation]
Interaction: [How levels interact]

Quality Assurance Standards

Citation Verification Protocol

  1. •Primary Source Check: Verify citation leads to correct document
  2. •Currency Check: Confirm document is current version
  3. •Accessibility Check: Ensure URL is publicly accessible
  4. •Format Check: Confirm citation follows established format
  5. •Cross-Reference Check: Verify internal references are accurate

Documentation Standards

  • •Date Stamps: All research includes completion date
  • •Source Attribution: Full citation for all references
  • •Version Control: Track changes to legal authorities
  • •Access Notes: Document any access restrictions or requirements

Integration with Civic AI Tools

With Government Web Scraping

  • •Format scraped legal documents consistently
  • •Standardize citations for collected documents
  • •Verify legal authority for scraped content

With OpenGov MCP Companion

  • •Cite open data sources appropriately
  • •Reference legal authorities for data governance
  • •Document data collection authorization

With NYC Governance Organizations

  • •Standardize entity legal authority documentation
  • •Format authorizing document citations consistently
  • •Track legal changes affecting entities

Error Prevention

Common Citation Errors

  1. •Incorrect Section Numbers: Verify against source document
  2. •Outdated Citations: Check for recent amendments
  3. •Broken URLs: Verify links are current and accessible
  4. •Format Inconsistencies: Use standardized templates
  5. •Missing Dates: Include last visited date for web sources

Quality Control Measures

  • •Peer Review: Have citations reviewed by another researcher
  • •Automated Checking: Use tools to verify URL accessibility
  • •Regular Updates: Periodically review and update citations
  • •Source Documentation: Maintain records of research methodology

This skill ensures consistent, professional, and legally accurate documentation across all civic research and government transparency initiatives.