Drafting a Law Office Memorandum

Structure for A Working Draft

1. Caption

2. Question Presented

3. Brief Answer

4. Facts

(list legally significant facts and important background facts)

5. Discussion

- Thesis / introductory paragraph

(list cases that set out general framework for analyzing issue)

- Identify subissues, using headings

(under each subissue write out the CRRACC formula in a vertical column):

C (briefly state your conclusion to the subissue)

R (list cases that are most useful in analyzing the subissue)

R (begin in-depth explanation of these cases: holding-facts-reasoning)

A (list facts of the case that are most relevant to analyzing the subissue)

C (address and resolve likely counterarguments)

C (restate conclusion for the subissue)

6. Conclusion (answer the question as a whole)