Dear 1L, 

When you refer to your own case in your Memo, follow this tip.

Stay away from phrases like:

➖ “in this case”
➖ “in the present case”
➖ “in the instant case”
➖ “in the case at bar”

TBS, writing those phrases is not “wrong,” per se.

But writing “here” is the better way.

EXAMPLES:

Ex. 1:

“Unlike the defendant in ‘ABC Co.,’ who brought a loaded machine gun and fired it into the air, here, the defendant brought only a dry water pistol that he kept in his pocket.”

Ex. 2:

“Like the defendant in ‘ABC Co.’ who brought a loaded machine gun and fired it into the air, the defendant here brought a loaded pistol and fired it at the floor.”

👉 Please also notice how SPECIFIC you need to be when comparing your case to the court cases you’re using for compare/contrast purposes.
——

🗳️ How is your Memo going? What questions might you have? On what topic might a future letter help?

Fondly,

💌 Amanda

#Dear1L
#DearLegalWriter
#lawstudents
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