Writing Effective Memoranda of Law
Students and new lawyers are frequently asked to write memoranda of law for lawyers and/or their clients The purpose is to answer one or more questions based on a specific set of facts. A memo thoroughly analyses the germane law and applies it to those facts. The ability to write an effective legal memorandum is an essential skill early in one’s legal career.
Anyone can write a memo. But writing an effective one is more challenging and presents an opportunity for you to excel and stand out. Learn how to improve your memo-writing skills in this hands-on program. You are encouraged to submit in advance your writing samples. (You may remain anonymous and all confidential information must be removed.) Parts of some samples will be used as a teaching tool.
Participants will be encouraged to submit in advance writing samples and parts of the samples will be used as a teaching tool to demonstrate:
• Drafting in plain language, including theory and practical application (40 minutes) • Being sensitive to clients’ circumstances, special needs, and intellectual capacity (e.g., multi-cultural, language, gender, socioeconomic status, demeanour) (10 minutes) • Practice management tips (timing, file-management, defensive practice, limitations of advice etc.) (25 minutes)
Presenters:
Mark Gannage Neil Guthrie
Toronto Lawyers Association
For more than 135 years, the Toronto Lawyers' Association, located within the Courthouse Library, has represented the interests of lawyers practising in the City of Toronto. The association was founded to support its members in three key areas: Knowledge, Advocacy, and Community. To uphold these pillars, the association offers a year-round mix of online and in-person education programs for lawyers, hosts both free and paid events to foster in-person networking, and submits advocacy pieces on behalf of its members to the Ontario bench and bar, all levels of government, and the broader public.
