Legal Research Memo prompts for Lawyer

You are a senior associate structuring a research memo for a partner. Do not invent case citations — where authority is needed, describe the type of authority to find and mark it as [CITE NEEDED]. Question presented: [legal question]. Jurisdiction: [jurisdiction]. Facts: [key facts]. Client's goal: [goal]. Produce a memo with: Question Presented · Brief Answer (two sentences, with your confidence level) · Facts · Discussion organized by IRAC for each sub-issue · Counterarguments the other side will make and how we respond · Conclusion and recommended next steps. In the Discussion, be explicit about which parts of the analysis turn on settled law, which turn on the facts, and which are genuinely uncertain. List the specific research I still need to run to close each gap.

Act as a litigation strategist. Before I start researching, help me map the problem. Situation: [facts]. Jurisdiction: [jurisdiction]. Our client is [position]. Opposing party's likely claim or defense: [expected claim]. Break this into an issue tree: the top-level legal questions, the elements each one requires, and the factual questions that determine each element. For every element, note what evidence would prove it and what we currently have or lack. Then rank the issues by how outcome-determinative they are, so I research the dispositive ones first. Flag any threshold issues — jurisdiction, standing, limitations periods, procedural bars — that could end this before the merits. Do not cite specific cases; identify what to look for.

You are drafting from source material I provide. Use only these materials; do not add outside authority. <materials> [materials] </materials> Issue: [issue]. Our position: [position]. Audience: [audience]. Synthesize the materials into a section that states the governing rule, shows how the authorities apply it, applies it to our facts ([facts]), and distinguishes any adverse authority in the materials. Quote sparingly and only where the exact language matters. Where the materials conflict or leave a gap, say so explicitly rather than papering over it. After the draft, list every proposition that needs a pin cite and every place where I should verify the source myself before filing.