Arellano Law Foundation

Taft Ave., Cor. Mento St., Pasay City

CLASSROOM PRAYER

Dios aming Ama, kami ay nagpupuri’t

nagpapasalamat sa iyo.
Sa patnubay ng mahal na Espiritu Santo
kami ay tulungan sa aming pag-aaral
dito sa Arellano Law Foundation.
At sa aming pakikisama sa aming
mga guro at kamag-aral.
Tulungan Mo po rin ang mga namamahala
ng Arellano Law Foundation.
At bigyan Mo po kami ng pagkakataon
na makapaglingkod sa aming mga kapwa,
sa aming mga magulang at sa Bayang Pilipinas.
Hinihingi po namin ito sa ngalan ng
iyong Anak na si Hesus. Amen.

OUTLINE ON LEGAL WRITING

FEBRUARY 2023 – JUNE 2023
10:00 - 11:00 AM
Reference: Fundamentals of Legal Writing
Roberto A. Abad & Blessilda B. Abad-Gamo

A. COVERAGE

 Legal Dispute
a) Exercise of one’s right
b) Violation of one’s right
c) Issue

 Put in writing

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B. STAGES IN WRITING

1. Establishing the legal dispute

2. Discovering its relevant facts (getting & gathering the facts)
3. Knowing the laws or rules that is applicable to it
4. Identifying the issue that you would address
5. Adopting and supporting the arguments

C. KNOWING THE APPLICABLE LAW OR RULE

 Sources
 Statute Law
 Case Law

D. GETTING INTO THE ISSUES

 Relevant and irrelevant issues

 List of all issues
 Factual issue when the contending parties cannot agree that a thing
exists or has actually happened
 Legal issue when the contending parties assume a thing exists or has
actually happened but disagree on its legal significance or effect on
their rights.

E. ARGUMENT – BALANCE PRESENTATION

 Argument raised is irrelevant

 Argument has little weight given the other considerations in the case
 Argument is baseless
 Argument is contrary to common experience
 Argument is inconsistent with undeniable facts
 Argument is inconsistent with prior claim

F. INTRODUCING THE ISSUE

 Statement of the Case

 Statement of Facts

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G. WRITING THE ARGUMENTS

 Statement of a rule that applies to a given fact or set of facts

 Statement of the fact of a particular case
 Conclusion that the law applies or does not apply

H. TIGHTENING YOUR WORK

 Tightening your work (language problem)

 Avoid needless words
 Block quotations

I. WRITING CLEARLY

 Right connectives (grammar)

 Abstract vs. concrete writing
 Substitute names

J. WRITING IN PECULIAR LEGAL USAGE

 Avoid sentence – lengthy variety

 Writing legal opinion
 Writing Trial Memoranda
 Writing Petitions for Review
 Writing Decision

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