Paralegal Certification PrepLegal Research and WritingMedium
A paralegal is drafting a legal memorandum for a supervising attorney regarding a client's potential claim for negligence. The attorney has requested a clear and concise 'Conclusion' section. Which of the following best describes the essential components of an effective Conclusion in a legal memorandum?
- AA restatement of the legal issue followed by a definitive answer and a brief explanation.
- BA summary of all facts presented in the 'Statement of Facts' section.
- CA new legal argument or theory not previously introduced in the memorandum.
- DA detailed re-argument of the entire legal analysis from the 'Discussion' section.
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: A. A restatement of the legal issue followed by a definitive answer and a brief explanation.
The Conclusion section of a legal memorandum should succinctly answer the legal question posed in the 'Issue' section, provide a definitive 'yes' or 'no' (or qualified) answer, and offer a brief, high-level explanation or summary of the reasoning without introducing new arguments or facts.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. Summarizing all facts is typically done in the 'Statement of Facts' or briefly reiterated in the 'Discussion', not the 'Conclusion'.
- C. Introducing new arguments or theories in the conclusion is inappropriate and undermines the memo's structure and clarity.
- D. The conclusion should summarize, not re-argue, the detailed analysis; that's the role of the 'Discussion' section.
Legal Memo Conclusion
The final section of a legal memorandum that succinctly answers the legal question presented in the 'Issue' section, often providing a brief summary of the key reasoning.
- Directly answers the legal question.
- Briefly summarizes the primary reasons for the answer.
- Should not introduce new facts or arguments.
Memory trick: Answer the question, briefly explain, then close the brain.