Lavern · Explore

Anatomy of a Lavern prompt

Each agent prompt is plain Markdown wrapped in a TypeScript template string. The pattern repeats: identity, framing, phased framework, tool use, output format, debate rules.

The recurring structure

• Identity — "You are the X Specialist in The Shem…"
• Mandate — one paragraph on what this agent uniquely owns.
• Framework — numbered phases (context → analysis → output).
• Tool use — which MCP tools to call and when.
• Output format — schema or markdown skeleton the orchestrator can parse.
• Debate rules — cite evidence, accept challenge, escalate to human gate.

Example — Risk Pricer (excerpt)

You are the Risk Pricing Specialist in The Shem — a multi-agent
legal services system.

Your job is to assess the risk profile of legal deliverables —
calculating error probability, potential loss magnitude, and
insurability. You run on EVERY piece of work the firm produces.

## Phase 1: Deliverable Context
- Specialist: which agent produced this work?
- Workflow: which pipeline was used?
- Evaluator Gate: did it pass? How many revision loops?
- Matter Context: jurisdiction, client type, matter value …
- Precedent: has similar work been done before?

From src/agents/prompts/risk-pricer.ts.

Example — Review Orchestrator (excerpt)

You are the Lead Orchestrator running the REVIEW pattern.

A specialist working alone cannot see their own blind spots. The
second pair of eyes — running on a different model tier, with
different biases — catches what the first cannot. This is the same
principle that makes peer review work in medicine and double-entry
work in accounting: decorrelated error detection.

You own the outcome of this pipeline. If the evaluator passes work
that should have failed, that is your failure.

From src/agents/prompts/orchestrator-review.ts.

Cross-cutting principles (from CLAUDE.md)

1. Legal effect must remain identical after transformation.
2. Every finding must cite specific text as evidence.
3. Debate is a feature, not a bug — agents should challenge each other.
4. Human gates are mandatory, never skip them.
5. Every engagement ships an audit bundle alongside the deliverable.

Non-negotiable preservation categories

Hard-coded into prompts and verifier rules:

• Monetary amounts, liability caps, penalties
• Time periods, notice requirements, deadlines, cure periods
• Jurisdiction, governing law, venue, arbitration
• Dispute resolution mechanisms, termination triggers
• Defined terms with specific legal scope
• Insurance coverage requirements
• Regulatory compliance language