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CaseMagic — Federal Court Case Lookup & Monitor

Get what changed since last time

get_case_updates
Read-onlyIdempotent

Return what is new in the user's connected cases: docket entries and CaseMail correspondence added since a given time. Use for "what changed", "what happened this week", "anything new since Friday", or "what changed across all my cases today" — for a relative period, work out the date yourself and pass it as since. With no matter_id, an account holding several cases gets a digest naming which of them moved, and an account holding one gets that one. Each entry carries the court's own wording, which is what you should read and explain when the user asks what a filing or order means.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
limitNoHow many items to return. Defaults to 50.
sinceNoAn ISO-8601 timestamp. Everything added after it is returned. Omit it to get the most recent activity rather than the whole docket.
matter_idNoThe CaseMagic matter id, as returned by create_case_passport or shown in an earlier result. Omit it when the account follows exactly one case and that is the one meant.

Output Schema

TableJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
errorNoPresent only when the call failed: a code, a message and, where there is one, an action such as a link to give the user.
scopeNoall_matters for an answer across every saved case.
sinceNoThe since filter applied.
mattersNoPer-case changes, for an answer across cases.
case_mailNoCaseMail messages included in the answer, when the account allows it.
matter_idNoThe case, for a single-case answer.

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

  1. Changed1 schema field changed
    • changedOutput schema / (root)
      Previous value: -nullNew value: +{
      +  "additionalProperties": true,
      +  "properties": {
      +    "case_mail": {
      +      "additionalProperties": true,
      +      "description": "CaseMail messages included in the answer, when the account allows it.",
      +      "properties": {},
      +      "type": "object"
      +    },
      +    "error": {
      +      "additionalProperties": true,
      +      "description": "Present only when the call failed: a code, a message and, where there is one, an action such as a link to give the user.",
      +      "properties": {
      +        "code": {
      +          "description": "Machine-readable error code, for example CASE_NOT_FOUND or MULTIPLE_CASES_FOUND.",
      +          "type": "string"
      +        },
      +        "message": {
      +          "description": "What went wrong, in a sentence.",
      +          "type": "string"
      +        }
      +      },
      +      "type": "object"
      +    },
      +    "matter_id": {
      +      "description": "The case, for a single-case answer."
      +    },
      +    "matters": {
      +      "description": "Per-case changes, for an answer across cases.",
      +      "items": {
      +        "type": "object"
      +      },
      +      "type": "array"
      +    },
      +    "scope": {
      +      "description": "all_matters for an answer across every saved case.",
      +      "type": "string"
      +    },
      +    "since": {
      +      "description": "The since filter applied."
      +    }
      +  },
      +  "type": "object"
      +}
  2. First observed

TDQS

A4/5.0
Behavior4/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Annotations already establish the safe, idempotent read profile, and the description adds genuinely new behavior: without matter_id a multi-case account gets a digest naming which cases moved while a single-case account returns that case. It also notes entries carry the court's own wording. Pagination/ordering behavior is left to the schema.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness4/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

Front-loaded with the core behavior, then usage triggers, then matter_id semantics. The quoted example phrases are somewhat repetitive but serve query matching, so nearly every sentence earns its place.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness4/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

With an output schema present, return-shape detail is not needed, and the description covers the non-obvious conditional behavior around matter_id. It leaves the digest's pagination/limit interaction and any rate or volume limits unstated, a minor gap given the annotations and output schema.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters4/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema coverage is 100%, so the baseline is 3, and the description adds real meaning on top: it tells the agent to compute relative periods itself and pass them as `since`, and it explains the multi-case vs single-case effect of omitting matter_id. It does not address how `limit` interacts with the digest case.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose4/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

States a specific verb and resource: 'Return what is new in the user's connected cases: docket entries and CaseMail correspondence added since a given time.' The scope (docket + CaseMail, filtered by time) is concrete, but it never names the closely overlapping sibling get_recent_case_activity, so the agent must infer which to pick.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines4/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

Gives explicit triggering phrases ('what changed', 'what happened this week', 'anything new since Friday') and an actionable instruction to compute relative dates yourself and pass them as `since`. It stops short of naming alternatives or stating when NOT to use it (e.g., vs. get_case_docket for a full docket read).

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

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