Legal Research and Writing

Legal research and writing is the process of researching legal issues and drafting documents related to those issues. This includes researching relevant laws, regulations, and court decisions; understanding the facts of a case; analyzing legal issues; and preparing written documents such as briefs, memoranda, pleadings, contracts, motions, and other court filings. Legal research involves searching for applicable laws in statutes, regulations, case law (court decisions), administrative rulings, and other sources. Writing requires an understanding of legal concepts as well as strong writing skills. It also requires knowledge of proper formatting guidelines for various types of documents. The goal is to provide accurate information that can be used to support or defend a legal position in court or another setting.