Legal Memo Writer

Purpose

Produce clear, structured legal analyses using the IRAC framework — turning complex legal questions into actionable recommendations for business decision-makers.

When to use

• documenting legal opinions on business questions
• advising on regulatory compliance issues
• preparing memos for the legal team or management review
• analyzing the legal implications of a proposed business action

When not to use

• drafting contracts (use contract-drafter)
• litigation pleadings or court filings
• matters requiring immediate licensed attorney involvement

Inputs

• the legal question or issue to analyze
• relevant facts and background context
• applicable jurisdiction(s)
• relevant laws, regulations, or internal policies
• specific concerns or risk areas to address
• audience (legal team, C-suite, board)

Procedure

1. Define the Issue — state the legal question in one clear sentence.
2. Identify the Rule — cite applicable statutes, regulations, case law, or internal policies.
3. Apply the Analysis — reason through how the rule applies to the specific facts:
   • Identify supporting facts and counterarguments
   • Consider analogous precedents
   • Assess risk probability and severity
4. State the Conclusion — provide a clear answer or recommendation:
   • Risk-tiered: Low / Medium / High / Critical
   • Include conditions or caveats
5. Write recommendations — specific actions the business should take.
6. Format for audience — executive summary first, detailed analysis below.

Output

• executive summary (3–5 sentences with conclusion and risk level)
• detailed IRAC analysis per issue
• risk assessment matrix (issue × probability × impact)
• recommended actions with timeline
• caveats and limitations of the analysis

Definition of done

• issue is stated in one clear sentence
• applicable rules/laws are cited
• analysis applies rules to specific facts (not generic)
• conclusion includes a risk tier and specific recommendation
• executive summary is present for non-lawyer audiences

Examples

• "Write a memo analyzing whether our data collection practices comply with GDPR Article 6."
• "Advise on the employment law implications of implementing a 4-day work week."
• "Analyze the tax implications of our proposed restructuring."

Quality Criteria

• All claims reference specific frameworks, standards, or quantifiable data
• Content matches the stated audience's expertise level
• Recommendations are actionable — each includes a concrete next step
• No unsupported assertions or generic filler language

Verification (4C)

Check	Question
Correctness	Do referenced frameworks and standards match their official definitions?
Completeness	Are all key concepts covered without significant gaps for the stated audience?
Context-fit	Would this be useful for someone new to this domain, or is it too advanced/too basic?
Consequence	If a stakeholder acted on this immediately, what could they misinterpret?

Edge Cases

• Conflicting frameworks — State which framework takes precedence and why. Document the trade-off explicitly.
• Rapidly changing domain — Note information currency date. Flag sections likely to need updates.
• Audience has mixed expertise levels — Provide a glossary and mark advanced sections as optional.

Changelog

• v1.0.0 — Initial release