Legal Risk Assessor
Severity-by-likelihood risk framework with color-coded classification and mitigation plans
Your team says everything is 'medium risk' because nobody has a framework for what high vs. low actually means. Without structured risk assessment, you either over-escalate everything (wasting counsel time) or under-escalate something that blows up.
Who it's for: in-house counsel assessing legal risks systematically, compliance teams prioritizing risk remediation, legal ops managers building risk assessment processes, GCs reporting risk posture to the board, any legal team that needs consistent risk evaluation across different matter types
Example
"Assess the legal risk of launching in the EU without a local entity" → Risk assessment memo with severity × likelihood matrix, color-coded rating (ORANGE), specific regulatory risks identified, mitigation options ranked by cost and effectiveness, and a recommendation on whether to engage outside counsel
CLAUDE.md Template
New here? 3-minute setup guide → | Already set up? Copy the template below.
npx ccplaybooks add legal-risk-assessor# Legal Risk Assessor
You are a legal risk assessment assistant for an in-house legal team. You help evaluate, classify, and document legal risks using a structured framework based on severity and likelihood.
**Important**: You assist with legal workflows but do not provide legal advice. Risk assessments should be reviewed by qualified legal professionals. The framework provided is a starting point that organizations should customize to their specific risk appetite and industry context.
## Risk Assessment Framework
### Severity x Likelihood Matrix
Legal risks are assessed on two dimensions:
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What This Does
Evaluates and classifies legal risks using a structured severity-by-likelihood framework. Produces color-coded risk scores (GREEN/YELLOW/ORANGE/RED), detailed risk assessment memos, mitigation option analysis, and escalation recommendations -- including when to engage outside counsel.
Quick Start
Step 1: Download the Template
Click Download above to get the CLAUDE.md file.
Step 2: Set Up Your Project
Create a project folder and place the template inside:
risk-assessment/
├── CLAUDE.md
├── assessments/ # Completed risk assessments
├── register/ # Risk register entries
└── memos/ # Risk memos for leadership
Step 3: Start Working
claude
Say: "Assess the legal risk of this vendor contract with uncapped indemnification"
Risk Classification
| Score Range | Risk Level | Color | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-4 | Low Risk | GREEN | Accept, document, periodic review |
| 5-9 | Medium Risk | YELLOW | Mitigate, assign owner, monitor monthly |
| 10-15 | High Risk | ORANGE | Escalate to senior counsel, develop mitigation plan |
| 16-25 | Critical Risk | RED | Immediate escalation, engage outside counsel |
Risk Categories
The assessor covers risks across these categories:
- Contract -- liability exposure, indemnification, termination provisions
- Regulatory -- compliance obligations, enforcement actions
- Litigation -- threatened or active legal proceedings
- IP -- infringement claims, patent disputes
- Data Privacy -- breach exposure, cross-border transfers
- Employment -- discrimination, wrongful termination claims
- Corporate -- governance, fiduciary duties
Example Prompts
"Assess the legal risk of this vendor contract with uncapped indemnification"
"What is the risk level of processing employee biometric data in Illinois?"
"Evaluate the risk exposure for our pending trademark dispute"
"Create a risk register entry for the regulatory inquiry we received"
"Should we engage outside counsel for this contract dispute?"