Drafting Client Letters That Sound Like You, Not a Template
Client letters tend to go one of two ways when they're rushed. Either they get buried in hedging and defined terms until the actual news is hard to find, or they get flattened into something so brief it reads as evasive. Both versions technically inform the client. Neither one reads like it was written by a person who has their case in mind.
A client letter has exactly one job: make the reader understand what happened and what happens next, in that order.
Why the first draft usually needs a rewrite, not just a proofread
The instinct under time pressure is to start from whatever letter you sent last time and swap the details. That saves time on structure, but it also imports the previous letter's tone, even when this update calls for something different. A letter announcing a favorable ruling and a letter announcing an unfavorable one shouldn't sound like the same document with different nouns.
Generic: "Please be advised that opposing counsel has filed a motion for extension of time, which this office does not oppose."
Specific: "Opposing counsel asked for an extra 30 days to respond, and we don't object. That pushes the trial date to March, but doesn't change our strategy."
The second version tells the client what happened, what it means for them, and what doesn't need to worry them, in three short sentences instead of one long one.
What a clear client letter actually needs
States the actual development plainly, in the first sentence, not buried after the caption and background
Matches urgency to reality: routine procedural news shouldn't read as alarming, and genuinely bad news shouldn't read as routine
Uses only as much legal terminology as the client actually needs to follow the point
Ends with a clear next step: what the client needs to do, if anything, and by when
Getting there fastest means giving Claude the situation directly, not a half-drafted letter to patch up:
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Draft a letter to a client explaining that opposing counsel requested a 30-day extension, we don't object, and it pushes the trial date to March. Keep it under 150 words and reassuring, not alarming. The client is anxious about delays, so be direct that this doesn't change our strategy.
”Tip
Tell Claude how the client is likely to feel about the news, not just what the news is. "The client is anxious about delays" changes the letter more than any instruction about tone alone.
Matching the letter to the actual news
The same process that produces a calm letter for routine news needs a different pass when the update is genuinely bad. Softening real bad news until it reads as neutral isn't kindness, it's a disservice, and clients tend to notice the gap later when the full impact lands.
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Draft a letter telling a client that the court denied our motion to dismiss. Be direct about what this means for next steps and cost, without either overstating the setback or downplaying it. Aim for 200 words.
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Inside Claude Tutorial
Matching tone to the actual situation is a repeatable skill.
Reading what a message needs before choosing how to say it applies well beyond client letters. The app has a full lesson on this, with practice you can apply to any written update.
Iterating without starting over
The first draft rarely lands exactly right, and that's fine. The efficient move is refining through conversation rather than rewriting from scratch each time.
Common mistake
Treating the first draft as a rough sketch to discard and rewrite by hand. Telling Claude specifically what's off, too formal, too long, missing the client's real concern, usually gets you a better second draft faster than starting over.
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That draft is too formal for this client. Rewrite it in a more direct, conversational tone while keeping every factual point, and cut it to under 120 words.
”Continue reading
- Reviewing Contracts with Claude Without Missing the Risky Clause: the review this kind of letter often reports back on.
- Turning Deposition Notes into a Clear Case Summary: for when the update you're writing about comes from witness testimony rather than a filing.