FAQ: How do I format a legal memo?

Please check your rubric for specific requirements and ask your professor if you have any questions. For general information, please consult the below sources.

Books

The library has books and eBooks in our collection which can help you with legal writing. To find books and eBooks on legal writing, please use the Multi-Search or the Online Library Catalog.  Online students may place a hold on print books and they will be mailed to your address within 1-3 business days.  Sample titles in our collection include:

• Strategic Legal Writing (ebook)
• The Lawyer’s Guide to Writing Well (ebook)
• The Elements of Legal Style (book)
• Legal Research and Writing (book)
• Legal Writing: Process, Analysis, and Organization (book)
• Legal Research, Writing, and Analysis (book)

Articles

You can also find articles about legal writing by using the search box on the library home page, multi-search.   A sample search might look like this:  legal writing AND memorand*
Once you run your search, look over on the left side of the search results for the “limit by subject term” section and check the box for memorandums or memoranda to further refine your results.

Here are a few articles in our collection:

• “How to Prepare a Powerful Memo”
• “Legal writing as good writing: tips from the trenches”
• “Writing memoranda requires care at each stage”

Web Resources

• How to Write Good Legal Stuff by UCLA law professor Eugene Volokh and Indiana University law professor J. Alexander Tanford
• Writing a Legal Memo infographic by the Law Library of Monash University
• CUNY School of Law Legal Writing Center
  • Drafting a Law Office Memorandum
  • Drafting a Case Status Memo

Content authored by: GS