How to Write a Law Memo

The ability to compose an effective law memo, also called a legal memorandum, is an indispensable skill for all attorneys and paralegals. To successfully present the main points of a legal issue clearly and convincingly in the detailed yet concise documents, the writer must conduct extensive research and possess strong general knowledge of the law. Even if the skill doesn't come easily at first, however, practice and a good understanding of the requirements of each individual section can help most legal professionals learn to write law memos adeptly.

Things You'll Need

• Standard legal reference materials

Instructions

1. Conduct sufficient research on the assigned matter to ensure you understand all of the relevant issues.

2. Begin the memorandum with a Header Section that identifies the author, the client, the recipient, the date and the subject of the following discussion.

3. List the central legal questions and related factual issues in a separate Question Section, ordering the questions in the same manner they are discussed in subsequent parts of the memo.

4. Provide a brief response in the Answer Section to each of the questions presented in the previous section.

5. Construct a comprehensive Statement of Facts that includes only the important details, in addition to clarifying the main legal questions and how they arose.

6. Analyze pertinent legal issues in a thorough, objective Discussion Section that refers to related statutes and precedents, concentrating on recent or particularly applicable cases rather than a complete historical overview. The most essential component of the memo, the discussion should resemble what a court might say if the legal issue were presented to it for ruling.

7. Summarize both the law and the facts mentioned during the discussion in a succinct Conclusion Section of no more than 10 sentences that augments the responses given in the answer section. Include predictions about how the law applies to the current case, as well.

8. Close the memo with a Recommendation Section that suggests the best legal approach to follow for the client.

Tips & Warnings

• A law memo requires diligent editing to make sure it is as well written and clear as possible. Avoid long, complicated sentences and fancy or superfluous language in law memos to help readers understand the covered issues quickly and accurately.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• Sample Legal Memorandum