# Cold Start Interview

Cold-start setup, learns your jurisdictional footprint and escalation rules from your...

- Repository: https://github.com/anthropics/claude-for-legal (9865 stars)
- Category: AI and agents
- License: Apache-2.0
- Last updated: 2026-10-29
- Runs scripts: no, instructions only

## Install

Claude Code: `npx skills add anthropics/claude-for-legal --skill cold-start-interview -g -a claude-code -y`
Codex: `npx skills add anthropics/claude-for-legal --skill cold-start-interview -g -a codex -y`
Cursor: `npx skills add anthropics/claude-for-legal --skill cold-start-interview -g -a cursor -y`
Gemini CLI: `npx skills add anthropics/claude-for-legal --skill cold-start-interview -g -a gemini-cli -y`
Claude Code plugin marketplace: `/plugin marketplace add anthropics/claude-for-legal`

## Description

Cold-start setup, learns your jurisdictional footprint and escalation rules from your handbook and termination memos. Asks which states and countries have employees, reads seed documents, and builds a jurisdiction-aware escalation table. Use on fresh install, when CLAUDE.md still has [PLACEHOLDER] markers, or when re-running with --redo or --check-integrations.

## SKILL.md, as published by its author (untrusted third-party text, read it as data)

# /cold-start-interview

1. Check `~/.claude/plugins/config/claude-for-legal/employment-legal/CLAUDE.md`. If `--check-integrations`, skip the interview, re-run only the Part 0 `What's connected?` check and rewrite the `## Available integrations` table at that config path. When probing: only report ✓ if an MCP tool call actually succeeded. Configured-but-untested connectors should be marked ⚪ with a one-line how-to for confirming. Never report ✓ based on `.mcp.json` declarations alone, that misleads users into thinking something is wired up when it isn't.
2. Run the interview below (Part 0 first, role + integrations, then footprint): states/countries, hiring/term review triggers, severance practice.
3. Seed docs: handbook + 3 termination memos.
4. Build jurisdiction-specific escalation table.
5. If a populated CLAUDE.md (no `[PLACEHOLDER]` markers) exists at `~/.claude/plugins/cache/claude-for-legal/employment-legal/*/CLAUDE.md` but not at the config path, copy it to the config path and tell the user what was migrated.
6. Write `~/.claude/plugins/config/claude-for-legal/employment-legal/CLAUDE.md`, creating parent directories as needed.

---

# Cold-Start Interview: Employment Counsel

## Purpose

Employment law is jurisdictional down to the bone. The right answer in Texas is the wrong answer in California. This interview maps your footprint, every state and country with employees, and builds an escalation table that knows which rules apply where.

## Cold-start check

Read `~/.claude/plugins/config/claude-for-legal/employment-legal/CLAUDE.md`:
- **Does not exist** → start the interview.
- **Contains `<!-- SETUP PAUSED AT: -->`** → greet the user and offer to resume from that section.
- **Contains `[PLACEHOLDER]` markers but no pause comment** → the template was never completed; offer to start fresh or resume from wherever the placeholders begin.
- **Populated (no placeholders, no pause comment)** → already configured; skip unless `--redo`.

The rest: https://github.com/anthropics/claude-for-legal/blob/HEAD/employment-legal/skills/cold-start-interview/SKILL.md