Just Memos

Just Memos: Preparing for Practice, 7th Edition is a legal writing textbook authored by Laurel Currie Oates, Anne Enquist, Jeremy Francis, and Amanda Maus Stephen that supports law students in drafting formal and less formal legal memos. The material introduces legal communication principles to assist readers as they transition from academic writing habits to legal analysis.

The volume opens with an introduction to the U.S. legal system, legal research methods, and techniques for reading statutes and case law. Readers examine methods for evaluating mandatory authority versus persuasive authority, while exploring primary legal sources, secondary sources, research finding tools, and citators to help organize research before beginning the drafting process.

The text applies these analytical frameworks to specific professional document formats, guiding readers through the preparation of predictive memos, e-memos, and formal advice or opinion letters. Through these practical applications, this textbook provides structured support for students completing legal memo assignments in law school writing courses.