Define your research questions with specificity, and state your main conclusions upfront. In order to facilitate this, you shouldn’t hide your arguments. Your goal is to simply persuade your readers. But remember that everything you know does not need to go into your memo. ClarityĪfter you’ve done hours of reading and thinking about your paper, you may feel like a subject matter expert ready to pour your heart out on the page. I like to divide the writing process roughly into research, outlining, writing, revising, getting a second opinion, and proofreading, repeating stages as needed. Giving yourself a rough timeline with built-in flexibility will keep you motivated and on track. Try to organize the writing process as well. Taken together, do the topic sentences make sense? Individually, do they connect the paragraph to the big picture of the memo and introduce the contents of the paragraph? Consider how you can strengthen the topic sentences to create smooth transitions. Do the headings make sense when read together? Also, read the topic sentences of each paragraph. One way to test your headings and topic sentences is to isolate them from the rest of the prose. These will help your readers follow your argument and be able to engage with your work deeply. Then, as you put pen to paper, generously use headings, subheadings, roadmap, point headings, topic sentences, and signposting. Before you write, construct a detailed outline to capture and order the points you want to make. It is crucial to stay organized when creating a long piece of writing on a complex subject matter. Below, I share some of the key things to keep in mind while working on a legal memo.

I’ve found immense value in having a checklist or guide to help me stay on track and ensure clarity in my written work. It’s the result of a long process of research, writing, and revising. Every law student knows that producing a legal memorandum is no small feat.

Legal memo