How to Organize and Write a Legal Memorandum

How to Organize and Write a Legal Memorandum
Author: Paul H. Falon
Publisher: Aspen Publishing
Total Pages: 272
Release: 2020-06-09
Genre: Law
ISBN: 1543821162

Legal memoranda are business documents, in which the writer communicates information to help the reader make a decision about one or more aspects of a legal matter they are addressing. This book explains how to organize and write legal memoranda that will communicate information to the reader clearly and effectively. It is written primarily for first-year law students, but upper-class law students and practicing attorneys can also use it, to produce more effective legal memoranda or written legal analyses generally. Professors and students will benefit from: The book’s emphasis on the basic rule for organizing business documents effectively—to state the most important information first—which applies to the legal memorandum as a whole, to its parts and subparts, and even to most of its paragraphs and individual sentences. The book’s reader-focused orientation, which anticipates information that a reader will find helpful in a memorandum and explains how, and where, the writer should include it. The individual chapters on the different parts of a legal memorandum, which provide concise but specific instruction about the purpose, format, organization, and effective presentation of each one. The separate chapter on informal and e-mail memoranda, which adapts the skills and strategies for organizing and writing formal legal memoranda to the shorter and less formal memoranda that attorneys frequently write. The chapter on How to Write Clearly, which contains specific guidelines for writing clear sentences and paragraphs, presenting related information clearly, and using correct grammar, precise word choice, and a clear, professional style. The extensive, annotated examples throughout the book, which illustrate how to organize and write the different parts of a memorandum—and how not to organize and write them.

The Elements of Legal Style

The Elements of Legal Style
Author: Bryan A. Garner
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2002
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 9780195141627

Focusing on the argumentative, narrative, and descriptive style found in legal briefs and judicial opinions, this text should be a thought provoking examination of effective argumentation in law.

Maximizing Law Firm Profitability

Maximizing Law Firm Profitability
Author: Susan G. Manch
Publisher: Law Journal Press
Total Pages: 552
Release: 2018-01-28
Genre: Law
ISBN: 9781588520531

Maximizing Law Firm Profitability: Hiring, Training and Developing Productive Lawyers shows you how to manage your own practice and how to develop the potential of the people reporting to you.

Guide to Legal Writing Style

Guide to Legal Writing Style
Author: Terri LeClercq
Publisher: Aspen Publishing
Total Pages: 178
Release: 2011-02-11
Genre: Law
ISBN: 1454860243

This concise paperback focuses on the nuances of legal writing style and provides novice legal writers with the skills they need to polish their writing. Guide to Legal Writing Style, Fourth Edition, intended as an ancillary to any basic legal writing text, expands what students learn in their first-year courses by providing additional techniques and style tips that will help make their writing more precise, readable and elegant. This highly regarded paperback, specifically directed at legal writers, offers crisp, pointed advice written in a personal and humorous style lucid organization that helps students find the information they need most, including practice with basic skills and helpful advice on organization, sentence structure, word choice, punctuation, and formatting an emphasis on legal ethics throughout, with most of the examples and exercises focusing on ethical issues a chapter on organization that compares and contrasts undergraduate terms and goals with those expected by a legal audience a guide that helps students guard against plagiarism short, end-of-chapter exercises, with the answers at the back of the book, that strengthen skills and provide opportunities for self-testing Special features in the Fourth Edition include: an updated interactive CD-ROM with multiple exercises to reinforce the materials in the book, which includes updated and expanded tests of basic skills and click-on answers and explanations a new chapter testing common errors in professional writing, with explanations as well as succinct answers new checklists that reinforce essential advice of each chapter

Legal Writing Handbook

Legal Writing Handbook
Author: Laurel Currie Oates
Publisher: Aspen Publishing
Total Pages: 1165
Release: 2021-01-31
Genre: Law
ISBN: 1543830420

With the authors’ effective step-by-step approach, The Legal Writing Handbook:Analysis, Research, and Writing walks students through each of the stages of the writing process from pre-writing, drafting, and editing, to the final draft. A leading text for generations of law students, the Eighth Edition gives students a head start as they move into practice. The Legal Writing Handbook offers a complete resource on legal writing. Part I provides students with an introduction to the U.S. Legal System; Part II gives an overview of legal research, with both an introduction to sources and to research strategies; Part III introduces students to predictive memos, e-memos, and client letters; Part IV covers motion briefs; Part V offers an overview of appellate briefs; Part VI introduces oral advocacy; Part VII is a guide to effective writing; Part VIII is a guide to correct writing; and Part IX focuses on the needs of ESL writers. With a new streamlined organization and completely updated content, this is the only book on legal writing students will ever need. New to the Eighth Edition: Streamlined organization with chapters focused on key topics New appendix with easy reference to all the Quick Tips to improve legal writing Updated and added discussion throughout the book on the role of bias in legal language and argumentation A new chapter introducing rhetoric and bias Professors and student will benefit from: Given the breadth of coverage, the book can be easily adapted for two-, three-, or four-semester programs. Multiple examples and sample documents—­this text demystifies legal writing. Helpful overview of the American legal system Step-by-step instruction on how to write formal memos, e-memos, and opinion letters Step-by-step instruction on how to write motion and appellate briefs In-depth instruction on how to write and edit effectively and correctly Resources for ESL law students With online Connected Coursebook access, students receive additional exercises with sample answers and other helpful resources.

Practical Guide to Legal Writing and Legal Method

Practical Guide to Legal Writing and Legal Method
Author: John C. Dernbach
Publisher: Aspen Publishing
Total Pages: 573
Release: 2021-02-25
Genre: Law
ISBN: 1543825249

A Practical Guide to Legal Writing and Legal Method provides complete coverage and analysis with the clarity and precision that has made it a classic in the field. Discussion, examples, and practice exercises teach students how to apply the concepts of legal writing and legal method to a written analysis or oral argument. The text not only provides a complete foundation for classroom instruction, but also supports independent study and review. Graduates will want to keep this text within reach as they enter legal practice. New to the Seventh Edition: Restructured format to emphasize common themes Consolidated and streamlined chapters that are even more accessible to both professor and students Expanded appendix on email communications Professors and student will benefit from: Accessible introductions that outline and explain legal method Examples of both effective and ineffective approaches to all of the topics covered Focused exercises to develop and practice the skills addressed in each chapter In-depth instruction on reading and understandingboth statutes and caselaw synthesizing cases and statutes applying the law to specific facts organizing and drafting a legal analysis the principles of objective writing for memoranda, client communications, and judicial opinion writing the principles of persuasive writing, including structuring an effective argument and writing for the court drafting traditional and shorter “summary of the law” memoranda drafting opinion letters drafting both trial and appellate court briefs Guidelines for using electronic communicationfor legal memoranda and correspondence—when it is appropriate, and strategies for effective communication in legal writing and practice Integrated treatment of ethics and professional conduct A sample case file in the appendices with memos in both traditional and email format, client letters, and trial and appellate court briefs

Model Rules of Professional Conduct

Model Rules of Professional Conduct
Author: American Bar Association. House of Delegates
Publisher: American Bar Association
Total Pages: 216
Release: 2007
Genre: Law
ISBN: 9781590318737

The Model Rules of Professional Conduct provides an up-to-date resource for information on legal ethics. Federal, state and local courts in all jurisdictions look to the Rules for guidance in solving lawyer malpractice cases, disciplinary actions, disqualification issues, sanctions questions and much more. In this volume, black-letter Rules of Professional Conduct are followed by numbered Comments that explain each Rule's purpose and provide suggestions for its practical application. The Rules will help you identify proper conduct in a variety of given situations, review those instances where discretionary action is possible, and define the nature of the relationship between you and your clients, colleagues and the courts.

Legal Reasoning, Research, and Writing for International Graduate Students

Legal Reasoning, Research, and Writing for International Graduate Students
Author: Nadia E. Nedzel
Publisher: Aspen Publishing
Total Pages: 494
Release: 2021-01-31
Genre: Law
ISBN: 1543831184

Legal Reasoning, Research, and Writing for International Graduate Students, Fifth Edition, helps international students understand and approach legal reasoning and writing the way law students and attorneys do in the United States. With concise and clear text, Professor Nedzel introduces the unique and important features of the American legal system and American law schools. Using clear instruction, examples, visual aids, and practice exercises, she teaches practical lawyering skills with sensitivity to the challenges of ESL students. New to the Fifth Edition: Streamlined presentation makes the material even more accessible. Chapters are short, direct, and to the point. Five chapters on reasoning and writing, including exam skills, office memos, and rewriting. Full chapters on contract drafting and scholarly writing. New flowcharts provide a concise, visual overview for each chapter. Citation coverage updated to new 21st edition of The Bluebook. Simplified examples and exercises. Three thoroughly revised chapters on legal research, including non-fee legal research and technological changes in the practice of U.S. law. Professors and student will benefit from: Comparative perspective informs readers about the unique features of American law as compared to civil law, Islamic law, and Asian traditions. Explanations of practical skills assume no former knowledge of the American legal system. U.S. law school necessary skills explained immediately: case briefing, creating a course outline, time management, reading citations, and writing answers to hypothetical exam questions. Short, lucid chapters that reiterate major points to aid comprehension. Clear introductions to writing hypothetical-based exams, legal memoranda, contract drafting and scholarly writing. An integrated approach to proper citation format, with explanation and instruction provided in context. Discussion of plagiarism and U.S. law school honor codes. Practical skill-building exercises in each chapter. Research exercises are primarily Internet-based Charts and summaries that are useful learning aids and reference tools

Experiential Legal Writing

Experiential Legal Writing
Author: Diana Donahoe
Publisher: Aspen Publishing
Total Pages: 600
Release: 2011-08-10
Genre: Law
ISBN: 1454831669

Experiential Legal Writing: Analysis, Process, and Documents discusses the documents first-year law students are introduced to, including memos, briefs, and client letters, as well as documents that are used in upper-class courses, such as scholarly writing and pleadings. Based on the online legal writing materials available at TeachingLaw, this straightforward text is designed to be used either as an aid to instructors and students working in the electronic environment of TeachingLaw or on its own as a primary or supplementary textbook. Covering the entirety of the writing process, from analysis to citation form, this text Offers a clear instructional approach to legal analysis, legal documents, and the writing process, as well as to legal grammar and usage and to citation style for both ALWD and the Bluebook. Breaks down the analytical and writing processes into manageable tasks and provides students with strategies, examples, and exercises. Introduces each type of legal document with "Purpose, Audience, Scope, and View" bullet points, providing an at-a-glance overview. Employs maps, diagrams, text boxes, and tables to summarize material and provide visual interest. Includes multiple documents annotated with in-depth commentary to help students identify key parts, understand the arguments being made, and understand the strengths of each document. Provides abundant, thorough study aid materials Quick References and Checklists that reinforce and test students' understanding of the material Quizzes and Self-Assessments that allow students and teachers to test students' understanding of the material