How to Write Legal Research & Memo

One of the most important tasks that attorneys and paralegals have is to perform legal research. This can be necessary to determine legal precedents and research facts for a case. Once the research is performed, the attorney or paralegal has the important task of writing up a memorandum to share their findings.

1. Determine the contents of your memo. The purpose of a memorandum is to share information in a short, simple and concise format. Legal memos are no different. Therefore, it is important that you determine exactly what information you wish to share. When you are writing about legal research, it is important that you include the purpose of your research, the methods that you used when performing your research, as well as the important legal precedents that your research brought to light. You might also need to include a discussion section in which you apply your research findings to the case at hand.


2. Type your memo in the proper style. The heading of your memo should include the addressee, your name and title, the date of the memorandum and the subject that it is regarding. Break your memo down into manageable sections and give each section a short title. Write the title in bold font so that it stands out from the rest of the document.


3. Check your format and spelling. Write in a 12-point, Times New Roman font. Align your text to the left margin and use single spacing when typing your paragraphs. Use a double space between paragraphs and titles. Once your memo is typed, use a spell-checking program to verify that you do not have any spelling errors. Read the document carefully to check for grammatical errors. Print your document and sign your initials next to your name in the heading section of the memo.