61
Legal Memorandum Format Sample
On the following pages is a legal memorandum formatted the way your memos in this class
should be formatted. The substance of this memo comes from Appendix A of the Wellford text.
The formatting follows the “Visual Rhetoric” instructions on pages 57-59 of this Supplement.
We will refer to this memo frequently throughout the semester as an example of the various
components of legal analysis.
The purpose of including the memo in this supplement is only to demonstrate how your memos
should be formatted. Pay particular attention to the following features of this memo:
* the spacing and content of the heading (in particular, notice that the information in
each field – to, from, re, date – is tabbed so that each piece of information lines up
vertically with the other pieces)
* the Arial, bold typeface of the document heading as well as the headings of all
sections of the memo
* the page numbering at the bottom of each page after the first
* the single-spacing of the Question Presented and Short Answer and the double-
spacing of the rest of the memo (your open memos will have more than one
Question Presented and Short Answer – in that case, single space within each
Question and Answer, but double-space between each Question and Answer)
* the left justification rather than full justification (full justification alters the
spacing of citations)
If you are not familiar with formatting documents in WordPerfect or Word, you should consult
the formatting instructions at the back of this supplement. All formatting is designed to
maximize reader understanding of your work as described in “Visual Rhetoric: Enhancing
Reader Comprehension with Graphic Design.” As the issues and, therefore, the formatting of
your documents becomes more complex toward the end of the semester, we will return to this
issue of reader comprehension and graphic design again.