> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://jennyrice.gitbook.io/wrd-418-legal-writing/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://jennyrice.gitbook.io/wrd-418-legal-writing/chapter-8-templates/objective-memo-template.md).

# Objective Memo Template

### **HEADING**

<mark style="color:$primary;">To:</mark> \ <mark style="color:$primary;">From: \[Your Name]</mark>\ <mark style="color:$primary;">Date: \[Date]</mark>\ <mark style="color:$primary;">Re: \[Brief description of the issue—e.g., “Whether the warrantless search of a cell phone constitutes an unlawful seizure under the Fourth Amendment.”]</mark>

### I. BACKGROUND

<mark style="background-color:yellow;">\[Briefly explain what you’ve been asked to research and why. Example: “You have asked me to assess whether police officers may search a suspect’s cell phone during a lawful arrest without first obtaining a warrant.”]</mark>

### II. ISSUE STATEMENT(S)

<mark style="background-color:yellow;">\[Use the “Under / Does / When” format to state the legal question clearly.]</mark>\
\ <mark style="color:$primary;">**Issue I: Under \[law/statute/constitutional provision], does \[X] constitute \[Y] when \[Z]?**</mark>\ <mark style="color:$primary;">**Issue II: Under \[law/statute/constitutional provision], does \[X] constitute \[Y] when \[Z]?**</mark>

### III. BRIEF ANSWERS

<mark style="background-color:yellow;">\[Answer each issue with a concise conclusion and brief explanation referencing controlling law.]</mark>\
\ <mark style="color:$primary;">**Brief Answer – Issue I: \[Yes/No/Probably + rationale].**</mark> \
\ <mark style="color:$info;">**Brief Answer – Issue II: \[Yes/No/Probably + rationale].**</mark>&#x20;

### IV. STATEMENT OF FACTS

<mark style="background-color:yellow;">\[Summarize the facts relevant to your analysis. Be objective. Avoid repetition or irrelevant detail. Focus only on facts that matter to the legal issues at hand.]</mark>

### V. DISCUSSION

#### 1. FIRST ISSUE. <mark style="background-color:yellow;">\[Write your heading as a statement of the conclusion in all caps. Example</mark>: <mark style="background-color:yellow;">“A COURT WOULD LIKELY FIND THAT JONES BREACHED HIS DUTY OF CARE.”</mark> ]

#### <mark style="background-color:yellow;">Introductory “Umbrella” Overview</mark>

<mark style="background-color:yellow;">\[Begin your Discussion with an umbrella paragraph that orients the reader by identifying the legal issues, overall rule(s), and roadmap for your analysis.]</mark>\
\ <mark style="background-color:yellow;">Example: “This memorandum analyzes whether Officer Smith’s warrantless search of Defendant Jones’s cell phone during a lawful arrest violated the Fourth Amendment. Under Riley v. California (2014), a search of a cell phone’s contents generally requires a warrant, unless exigent circumstances exist. This discussion first considers whether Jones had a reasonable expectation of privacy in his phone, and second, whether any exception to the warrant requirement applies.”]</mark>

**A.&#x20;*****(Sub-Issue)***

* <mark style="background-color:yellow;">\[Begin with a</mark> <mark style="background-color:yellow;"></mark><mark style="background-color:yellow;">**mini-umbrella overview**</mark> <mark style="background-color:yellow;"></mark><mark style="background-color:yellow;">that orients the reader by explaining the</mark> <mark style="background-color:yellow;"></mark><mark style="background-color:yellow;">**rule/rule's elements (synthesized rule)**</mark> <mark style="background-color:yellow;"></mark><mark style="background-color:yellow;">and</mark> <mark style="background-color:yellow;"></mark><mark style="background-color:yellow;">**roadmap for the sub-issues**</mark> <mark style="background-color:yellow;"></mark><mark style="background-color:yellow;">you'll be addressing in this first issue/question.</mark> &#x20;
* <mark style="background-color:yellow;">\[</mark><mark style="background-color:yellow;">**State the relevant rule element that you'll be discussing in this sub-issue.**</mark> <mark style="background-color:yellow;"></mark><mark style="background-color:yellow;">Example: “To establish breach of duty, a plaintiff must show that the defendant failed to act as a reasonable person would under similar circumstances.”]</mark>
* <mark style="background-color:yellow;">**\[Explanation of how courts have applied/interpreted this rule's elements in other cases.**</mark>**&#x20;**<mark style="color:orange;background-color:yellow;">**If more than one case, repeat the steps below.**</mark><mark style="background-color:yellow;">**]**</mark>
  * [**Follow the three-part layout for explaining each case**](https://jennyrice.gitbook.io/wrd-418-legal-writing/chapter-6-writing-objective-legal-analyses/memo-discussion-section)**.**&#x20;
    * **In (**<mark style="color:orange;">**name of case**</mark>**), the court held that (**<mark style="color:orange;">**state their conclusion**</mark>**). In this case, (**<mark style="color:orange;">**show all relevant facts of case**</mark>**). The court reasoned that (**<mark style="color:orange;">**explain the  legal principle adopted by the court that applies to the sub-issue**</mark>**.)**
* <mark style="background-color:yellow;">**\[Apply the rule's elements to your client’s facts. Use case comparisons to reason analogically.]**</mark>
* <mark style="background-color:yellow;">**\[Provide a counteranalysis  to**</mark><mark style="background-color:yellow;">**&#x20;**</mark>*<mark style="background-color:yellow;">**this question**</mark>*<mark style="background-color:yellow;">**&#x20;**</mark><mark style="background-color:yellow;">**that may be raised by the other side. If possible, suggest a rebuttal to this argument.]**</mark>&#x20;

**B.&#x20;*****(Sub-Issue)***

* <mark style="background-color:yellow;">**(Follow the same steps above for any other elements related to this first issue.)**</mark>

<mark style="background-color:yellow;">**\[When you have addressed all sub-issues, conclude with**</mark> <mark style="background-color:yellow;">**a one- or two-sentence conclusion to this first question by summarizing your reasoning: “Because Jones knowingly drove while impaired, a court would likely find that he breached his duty of care.”]**</mark>

#### 2. SECOND ISSUE.&#x20;

Repeat the above steps for all other issue/questions

### VI. CONCLUSION&#x20;

<mark style="background-color:yellow;">\[Restate your overall conclusions from the Discussion section, summarizing the most significant findings for each issue in one or two sentences.]</mark>