NFPA Paralegal Core Competency Exam (PCCE)Legal Writing and CommunicationEasy
A paralegal is drafting a legal memorandum to a supervising attorney regarding a client's potential claim. Which of the following elements is typically found at the beginning of a legal memorandum to clearly state the document's purpose and scope?
- AConclusion
- BAnalysis and Discussion
- CStatement of Facts
- DQuestion Presented
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: D. Question Presented
The Question Presented section is a standard component at the beginning of a legal memorandum. It concisely states the legal question the memorandum aims to answer, guiding the reader toward the document's central purpose.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. The Conclusion summarizes the answer to the Question Presented and is typically found at the end of the memorandum.
- B. This section comes later in the memorandum, after the Question Presented and Brief Answer.
- C. The Statement of Facts provides the factual background relevant to the legal question and usually follows the Question Presented and Brief Answer.
Question Presented
The section of a legal memorandum that concisely states the specific legal question the memorandum seeks to answer.
- Typically appears after the 'To,' 'From,' 'Date,' and 'Re' lines.
- Should be a clear, self-contained question.
- Guides the reader to the core issue of the memo.
Memory trick: Memo's first impression: 'Question' the 'Presented' issue.