Getting Ready to Write

Hopper v Summervale – Organizing the Memo's First Draft

Everyone struggles with how to get the first words on the page.

Law student Anna Okoro just finished researching whether a court is likely to excuse the firm’s 15-year old client, Andrew Hopper, from an oral examination. Andrew and his parents are the plaintiffs in a personal injury case. Andrew has an anxiety disorder that became worse immediately after the accident. And his parents are now concerned that the stress of an oral examination will harm him and interfere with his recovery.

Anna needed advice on how to turn her research notes into a memo for the Hopper family’s lawyer, Jim Hendry.

Listen to Anna’s mentor explain three-tools; mapping, charting, and outlining and watch how Anna used these tools to organize her thinking and start the memo.

Mapping

Transcript

Duration: 3 minutes 57 seconds

Charting

Transcript

Duration: 3 minutes 2 seconds

Outlining

Transcript

Duration: 1 minutes 57 seconds