Master Your Closed Memo with Westlaw

Before embarking on your initial memo assignment, you should examine an example of the finished product. Explore our interactive memo below, which outlines the standard sections you can incorporate. Don't forget, you should consult your professor and any assigned guidelines to verify the specific content that must be included in your memo.

Retrieve Your Sources

You've been provided with a substantial collection of documents from your professor. The volume of pages can be overwhelming. Use Westlaw to retrieve the primary law sources from your closed universe. View this brief video to learn how to start navigating your materials.

Bring Context to Your Universe

Interpret your universe with easy-to-understand summaries written by actual attorneys

Headnotes are one-sentence, fact specific summaries of each point of law from a case written by Westlaw Attorney Editors. These concise statements provide a simpler explanation of the law than what the court may use. Referring to headnotes will enhance your comprehension of the law necessary to apply in your closed memo.

Outline Your Memo

Keep List

Say goodbye to repetitive review of cases. Save potentially useful cases by adding them to your Keep List for review later in your research journey.

Outline Builder

Start your draft while you research with a drag and drop from primary and secondary authority into your outline within Westlaw.

Workflow Tools

Leverage tools like Annotations, Copy with Reference, and Research Report to streamline your research workflow and improve your final product.

Begin Your Draft

Bring it all together with your first draft

You've finished your research and outline, now it's time to craft your first memo. The task of creating a cohesive and objective written product may seem daunting. But, worry not! This helpful video guides you through the entire memo process, starting from understanding your facts to drafting an impactful conclusion.

Continue building your skills with research certifications.

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Because neurodivergent people often need visual prompts or sensory tools, it is helpful to figure out what works best for you. Maybe you need a quiet fidget to use under your desk in class to help you focus. Maybe you need to incorporate the use of timers throughout your day. If you struggle with time blindness, you can use hourglasses to help you visualize time. Perhaps you struggle with extraneous sounds and need to use noise-cancelling headphones. More and more tools and gadgets are being made for neurodiverse individuals that can help you throughout law school.

Society can dictate when you are supposed to be most productive. See the traditional 9-5 work schedule. However, that model does not always work best for neurodiverse individuals. Some people are not morning people, and that is fine. Figure out when you have the most energy during your day to be your most productive self.

Find one system to use for organization and don’t change it. Trying too many organizational systems can become overwhelming. If your phone calendar works best, use that. If you are a list person, write all the lists. If you are a planner person, find the coolest one to use throughout the school year.

It would be nice to think that you can remember every task or deadline, but let’s be honest, that’s probably not true. Write down every deadline, every task, meeting, assignment, important date, etc. in the organizational system that you use.

Just like you can only put so much gasoline in a car, most neurodiverse individuals only have so much room in their focus tank. Figure out how long you can truly focus and apply yourself to a task before you need a break. That amount of time is typically shorter for neurodiverse individuals. If you can only truly focus for 20 minutes, study for 20 minutes, take a break, and then come back for another 20 minutes.

You may have started law school with your mind full of horror stories. Throw them out the window. Most of the people you attend law school with are genuinely kind and helpful people. Try to find a group or a couple of people that you can trust and lean on when necessary. Your law school friends can help you stay on task, body double, and even provide notes on the days you may be struggling. These friends can be one of your greatest assets throughout your law school journey.

Only discuss your neurodivergence with your professors to the extent that you are comfortable. If there are things you are concerned about related to your neurodivergence, it can be beneficial to make your professors aware at the beginning of the semester. Whether you are worried about cold calling or need a topic broken down, most professors love opportunities to discuss their area of law! They can’t know that you may need help if you don’t let them know. This is especially important if you aren’t successful in getting accommodations from your school’s Disability Services.

As a neurodivergent student, you may not fit the traditional mold of all the things a law student is “supposed to do” in order to be successful. You have been in school for years, and now is the time to trust yourself and not be afraid to be an “outside of the box” law student. There is no harm in trying new study methods, but never fear going back to your personal basics. If you need help figuring those out, see if your law school has a learning center or faculty member that can assist you.

Outlining with Jury Instructions

If you’re not sure how to outline your memo, jury instructions can help by explaining a cause of action, outlining the essential elements of a claim and providing relevant primary law all in one spot.

1. On your Westlaw Precision home screen, click on Secondary Sources and then Jury Instructions.
   
2. On the Jury Instructions page, use the Jurisdiction filter to select your desired jurisdiction.
   
3. Search for your cause of action. (Ex. elements of libel in Federal Jury Practice & Instructions)
   
4. Open your relevant jury instruction and don't forget to check the related notes.
   
5. To see more instructions, check out the table of contents to your left or click on View Full TOC.