What is a brief answer in a legal memo?
Asked by: Dr. Ali Friesen | Last update: March 1, 2025Score: 4.5/5 (36 votes)
A solid brief answer should contain two things: (1) your answer to the question(s) presented; and (2) several sentences that provide legally significant facts in support of your answer.
What is a brief answer?
The Brief Answer concisely and precisely applies the rule to the key, determinative facts in summary of the larger application from the Discussion. The Brief Answer avoids a detailed rule application. The Brief Answer is no longer than a moderate length paragraph.
What is a brief response?
Answer: A Brief Constructed Response (BCR) is a short paragraph written in response to a reading selection or other content area prompt.
How long is a brief answer?
The exact length can vary depending on the complexity of the question and the context, but in general, a brief answer might be: A single, clear sentence for a very simple question. 2-3 sentences for a question that requires a bit more explanation.
What is a brief in legal writing?
A brief is a written argument submitted to the court. Lawyers often prepare briefs which highlight and clarify certain information or provide legal comparisons in an attempt to persuade the courtroom to rule in favor of that lawyer's client.
IRAC Explained
What is a brief answer in law?
The brief answer announces your bottom line and the legal rules and key facts that support it. You can almost bet that the first thing the assigning lawyer will do is flip to the brief answer before reading anything else. And it may be the only thing the lawyer reads.
What is considered a brief statement?
a short and concise statement or written item. an outline, the form of which is determined by set rules, of all the possible arguments and information on one side of a controversy: a debater's brief.
How to write a brief answer for a memo?
A solid brief answer should contain two things: (1) your answer to the question(s) presented; and (2) several sentences that provide legally significant facts in support of your answer.
What is the difference between brief and short answer?
Hello Brief refers to time. For example "I was there briefly" - means I was only there for a small amount of time. "I will give you a brief explanation" - means I will not take a long time giving you the explanation. Short really means the opposite of tall.
How long should a brief response be?
Reply briefs should be as concise as possible. For counsel who struggle with the concept that brevity is the soul of wit, the Appellate Division and Court of Appeals have a 7,000-word limit for reply briefs (see Rule 1250.8[f][2] and Rule 500.13[c][1])).
What is a reply brief in law?
The third and final brief in the appeal process is written by the appellant. It is called the appellant's reply brief. The appellant only files a reply brief if the respondent files a respondent's brief. The reply brief gives the appellant an opportunity to address the legal issues discussed in the respondent's brief.
How to format a legal answer?
On a separate page or pages, write a short and plain statement of the answer to the allegations in the complaint. Number the paragraphs. The answer should correspond to each paragraph in the complaint, with paragraph 1 of the answer corresponding to paragraph 1 of the complaint, etc.
What should be included in a short answer response?
- Clarity – you need to answer the question directly, preferably in the first sentence (Think of this as your topic sentence).
- Sufficiency – you need to explain your response, using examples or evidence to support your point.
What is considered a brief response?
In terms of length, a short response can range from a single paragraph composed of anywhere from 150 – 400 words to a couple of paragraphs with 250 – 500 words – even longer if you have a lot to say. These, of course, are estimates, but you get the idea.
What is the opposite of brief answer?
'Brief' can mean using a few words; its antonyms are long-winded, verbose, and lengthy, which mean using too many words (wordy).
How to write a brief response?
Use concise and short paragraphs to cover each topic, theme or reaction. Use a new paragraph for each new topic discussed. Go into detail on your findings and reactions related to the text and try to maintain consistency and a clear flow throughout the body of your response paper.
What do you mean by brief answer?
a condensed or short statement or written synopsis; abstract.
What is the difference between a memo and a brief?
As you know, the purpose of a memo is to answer a legal question, and your role as its writer is to objectively research and predict the answer. A brief, on the other hand, is written to persuade the reader that one position on the issue is the correct one.
What is an example of brief?
Examples from Collins dictionaries
She once made a brief appearance on television. This time their visit is brief. In a brief statement, he concentrated entirely on international affairs. Write a very brief description of a typical problem.
What is a brief answer in a legal memorandum?
The brief answer should clearly and fully respond to the question presented. Begin with your conclusion: yes, no, probably yes, etc., if the question can be answered that way. Then give a brief (usually no more than four or five sentences long) self-contained explanation of the reasons for your conclusion.
What are the 4 words used in the memo?
The four standard headings for memos are TO:, FROM:, DATE:, and SUBJECT: (or Re:, short for Regarding).
What should the very first sentence of a memo do?
Opening Segment
Before indulging the reader with details and the context, give the reader a brief overview of what the memo will be about. Choosing how specific your introduction will be depends on your memo plan style. The more direct the memo plan, the more explicit the introduction should be.
What is a brief in legal terms?
The word "brief" has two general meanings in legal parlance. As a noun it can be the written argument a lawyer files with a court in support of his or her client's case. As a verb (as used here), "briefing the decision" means to prepare a short summary of the court's written decision in a case.
How do you start a brief statement?
You need to engage the reader with your relevant thoughts and ideas, but not go overboard. Tutors said: 'The opening is your chance to introduce yourself, to explain your motivation for studying the course and to demonstrate your understanding of it. The best personal statements get to the point quickly.
What does a brief document look like?
Usually written in outline format, a briefing paper will seldom exceed two pages in length. Briefing papers provide a summary of an issue, explain a situation that needs correcting, identify any financial implications, and recommend a course of action including arguments for and against the suggested action.