Malbek

• Lead and manage the legal function.
• Serve as a strategic advisor to the CEO and COO with respect to all legal matters.
• Regularly contribute to Malbek’s product development efforts. 
• Provide structured and ad hoc legal support as needed across the enterprise.
• Recommend, design, and implement new processes and procedures to improve and better align  processes with strategic business and product development objectives.
• Regularly contribute to Malbek’s content marketing efforts by authoring long-form thought leadership pieces and participating in webinars and podcasts.
• Work cross-functionally with product marketing, content producers, designers, and sales leaders on lead demand generation strategy and marketing campaign development efforts.
• Lead and/or moderate webinars, podcast episodes, and in-person events with prospects, customers, partners, and other members of the legal and legal technology communities.

General Counsel

•	Lead the legal function with a focus on data privacy, contracting, and intellectual property. 
•	Serve as a strategic advisor to the CEO and COO with respect to all legal matters.
•	Provide ad hoc legal support as needed across the enterprise.
•	Recommend, design, and implement new processes and procedures to improve and better align contract templates and processes with strategic business and product development objectives.
•	Regularly contribute to Malbek’s content marketing efforts by authoring long-form thought leadership pieces and participating in webinars and podcasts.
•	Regularly contribute to and provide advice regarding ongoing product development initiatives.
•	Work cross-functionally with product marketing, content producers, designers, and sales leaders on lead demand generation strategy and marketing campaign development efforts.
•	Lead and/or moderate webinars, podcast episodes, and in-person events with prospects, customers, partners, and other members of the legal and technology communities.

Director of Legal and Evangelist

Albany Law School

I teach "Technology and Law Practice Management" - a course designed to be an introduction to the evolving world of legal technology and its transformative impact on modern legal practice. The course explores how technology is reshaping the legal profession. The course incorporates hands-on experience with tools alongside strategies for how to best use the tools that students in the class are asked to experiment with.

Adjunct Professor of Law

Proxy

Advisory Board Member

The Colleges of Law

I teach "Technology for Legal Professionals".  This course is a Masters-Level intensive course in legal technology. Students gain first-hand experience using a variety of technologies commonly used in the practice of law alongside learning best practices for using technology in an effective and productive way.

Adjunct Faculty

WordRake

-Key business leader and advocate for WordRake.
-Led market research efforts and engaged in discussions with legal leaders.  
-Responsible for leading various marketing, business development, and branding initiatives. 
-Designed and directed social media outreach and campaigns.
-Co-led competitive analysis and positioning efforts.
-Directly assisted in a number of product development efforts.

Director Of Marketing And Business Development

Lookout

Negotiated, drafted and closed a variety of agreements, including distributor agreements, reseller agreements, customer and sales agreements, technology licensing agreements, and services agreements.
Developed, improve and maintain policies and agreement templates.
Maintained contractual records and documentation.
Assisted with managing company's contract management system.
Facilitated the resolution of business / legal issues and formulating recommendations using analysis, creativity and the development of new approaches to enable contract execution while safeguarding the company and creating a positive customer experience.
Built and managed processes and workflows that can scale globally.
Kept abreast of U.S. and international law that may affect the business.
Advised on special projects as needed, including new product development and expansion into new international markets.
Contribute to cross-functional teams as a trusted advisor, creative problem-solver and strategic thinker.

Legal Counsel

Salary.com

Served as strategic advisor to the CFO and CEO with regards to data privacy, information security, strategic transactions, commercial transactions, employment law, and intellectual property matters.
Led and directed all legal operations, processes, and procedures for the company and provided general legal guidance and support to all departments across the company.
Closed deals worth $200K and more.
Supported sales teams and all other functions by managing, drafting, reviewing, redlining, and negotiating both standard and non-standard agreements including, but not limited to SaaS, data privacy, marketing, professional services, independent contractor, and distributor contracts.
Improved upon existing organizational contracting processes and templates to improve workflow.
Maintained contractual records and documentation, such as receipt and control of all contract correspondence, contractual changes, and other documents for all projects.
Worked with finance to ensure adherence to broader finance and risk requirements 
Reviewed and maintained the company’s internal policies and procedures to ensure compliance with the company’s legal obligations. 
Reviewed and developed as needed relevant processes, policies, and procedures relating to the company’s contracting and other internal practices.
Coordinated and managed outside counsel on an as-needed basis for various ad-hoc matters.
Facilitated the resolution of business / legal issues and formulating recommendations using analysis, creativity and the development of new approaches to enable contract execution while safeguarding the company and creating a positive customer experience all in accordance with company policies and procedures.
Provided the sales team (and any other teams as needed) with training, education, and documentation on any and all relevant legal matters.
Responded to ad hoc requests for legal assistance/legal research.

Corporate Counsel

Pearson

Supported global sales teams by reviewing, negotiating, redlining, drafting, and overseeing a variety of agreement and contracts with both domestic and global partners and customers and coordinating with  other legal and business functions as needed.
Frequently closed deals worth over $200K.
Provided Intellectual Property support and advice on a wide range of matters.
Recommended and implemented changes regarding improving deal processes and procedures and better alignment of deal terms and alignment with business strategic objectives.
Implemented, oversaw, and managed key contract policies, procedures, and processes.
Assisted with ad hoc Intellectual Property queries.
Managed content partner relationships on behalf of Rights & Permissions and Pearson with content suppliers.
Reviewed Intellectual Property and related inquiries and provided related counseling and support pertaining to countless contract matters including but not limited to licensing, partnership, consulting, non-disclosure, and  termination.
Assisted Rights & Permissions teams and business units in the execution and implementation of agreements from planning through approval to post-execution matters.
Coordinated and collaborated with Rights & Permissions Rights Management teams and Royalty Accounting Department to ensure accuracy in payment.
Assisted Rights & Permissions teams and business units in the execution of agreements from planning through approval to post-execution matters.
Maintained contractual records and documentation.
Assisted in maintaining contract database and maintaining key information on all contracts.
Improved upon existing organizational contracting processes to improve workflow efficiency.
Served as Pearson's Boston-area Global Diversity and Inclusion Advocate where I led development of an online student-focused tool focused on combating cyber-bullying.

Manager, Contract Negotiations

C&W Services

Provided direct support and counseling to sales teams by managing, drafting, reviewing, redlining, and negotiating both standard and non-standard agreements including, but not limited to, non-disclosure, master service, master license, independent contractor, consulting, professional service, supplier, and vendor contracts.
Maintained contractual records and documentation, such as receipt and control of all contract correspondence, customer contact information sheets, contractual changes, and other documents for all projects.
Assisted in maintaining contract database and maintaining key information on all contracts.
Worked with risk management department to coordinate contractual insurance requirements.
Worked with finance department to insure adherence to broader finance and risk requirements such as pricing and discounting policies, and other relevant requirements.
Communicated signed contracts to all relevant parties to provide contract visibility and awareness.
Responded to ad hoc requests for legal assistance/legal research.

Temporary Contracts Counsel

Velcro Group Corporation

Provided support to global sales offices by managing, drafting, reviewing, redlining, and negotiating both standard and non-standard agreements including, but not limited to non-disclosure, marketing, marketing affiliate, sweepstakes, professional services, independent contractor, manufacturing, software licensing (both on-premise and SaaS), customer/sales, supplier, joint development, and distributor contracts.
Closed deals worth $300K and more.
Improved upon existing organizational contracting processes to improve workflow efficiency.
Developed/revised contractual templates.
Maintained contractual records and documentation, such as receipt and control of all contract correspondence, customer contact information sheets, contractual changes, and other documents for all projects.
Worked with risk management department to coordinate contractual insurance requirements.
Worked with finance department to ensure adherence to broader finance and risk requirements such as revenue recognition, pricing and discounting policies, and other relevant requirements.
Worked with relevant sales and business team and advised regarding legal issues and risks related to various business transactions.
Served as the point of contact on contract database matters on behalf of the Legal Department.
Assisted with managing, developing, and implementing contract management system.
Maintained contractual records, documentation, and corporate governance materials.
Advised regarding company’s corporate structure.
Drafted and analyzed corporate bylaws, board of directors, and shareholder resolutions. 
Assisted with corporate re-structuring matters arising from mergers and acquisitions and other related transactions.
Provided training to employees.
Communicated signed contracts to all relevant parties to provide contract visibility and awareness.
Responded to ad hoc requests for legal assistance/legal research.

Contracts Counsel

Provided support to global sales offices by managing, drafting, reviewing, redlining, and negotiating both standard and non-standard agreements including nondisclosure, marketing, marketing affiliate, professional services, independent contractor, manufacturing, software licensing (both on premise and SaaS), customer/sales, supplier, joint development, and distributor contracts.
Maintained contractual records and documentation, such as receipt and control of all contract correspondence, customer contact information sheets, contractual changes, and other documents for all projects.
Developed/revised contractual templates.
Worked with risk management department to coordinate contractual insurance requirements.
Worked with finance department to insure adherence to broader finance and risk requirements such as revenue recognition, pricing and discounting policies and other relevant requirements.
Worked with relevant sales and business team and advise regarding legal issues and risks related to various business transactions.
Ensured proper completion of a wide variety of agreements.
Monitored compliance by company employees with established procedures.
Ensured that signed contracts are communicated to all relevant parties to provide contract visibility and awareness.

Contracts Administrator

Director of Legal @ Malbek | Legal Tech Author and Commentator | Fastcase 50 2022 Honoree | Legal Tech Startup Advisor and Investor

Hey. I’m Colin. I am the General Counsel of Malbek, CLM for the Enterprise. I am a man on a mission. 

My mission is helping people make sense of legal tech—where technology and the law intersect to drive real change. 

As an educator, writer, and advocate, I explore how innovation is reshaping the legal landscape and share insights to help you navigate this dynamic space.

I actively work to grow and support the legal tech community. 

I authored The Legal Tech Ecosystem, a foundational guide to understanding the industry, co-wrote CLM for Dummies to make Contract Lifecycle Management accessible, and edited the comprehensive Handbook of Legal Tech. 

Additionally, I’ve contributed articles, spoken on podcasts, and hosted webinars to unpack the role of technology in law.

I aim to empower legal professionals to embrace technology and realize its potential to improve the legal industry. 

Change and innovation are not just buzzwords to me—they’re the driving forces behind my work.

As Director of Legal and Evangelist for Malbek, a leading Contract Lifecycle Management platform, I stay on the frontlines of legal tech innovation. I also advise startups, invest in emerging technology, and look for ways to propel the industry forward.

Here are a few specific highlights of my work:

1) Author of The Legal Tech Ecosystem – An essential guide for understanding the foundations of legal tech and its key players.

2) Editor of the Handbook of Legal Tech – A comprehensive exploration of the distinct sectors shaping the legal tech landscape.

3) Co-author of CLM for Dummies – Breaking down Contract Lifecycle Management into practical, approachable concepts for legal professionals at every stage.

4) Judge for the American Legal Technology Awards – Highlighting and celebrating groundbreaking advancements in legal innovation.

5)  Columnist for Today’s General Counsel – Delivering in-depth analysis and actionable strategies on the intersection of technology and legal operations.

Every role I take on reflects my dedication to advancing the legal tech community and showing what’s possible when technology and the law work together.

My journey started with candid conversations with pioneers in legal tech. I continue to share those experiences and what I’ve learned on my website, colinslevy.com.

For updates, follow me here, on my website, or on platforms like Threads, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter).

Whether you’re curious about legal tech, just starting out, or building something new, I’d love to connect. 

Please reach out!

Colin Levy

Paralegals.

Often the smartest and most engaging people I've met in my life have been paralegals. 

They tend to be the most tech-savvy, the most innovative, and the most collaborative individuals within a legal organization.

They are at the forefront of innovation and process improvement in many cases.

They also often go on to become legal operations managers and directors.

Listen to them. Treat them well. Learn from them.

#legaltech #innovation #law #business #learning

Colin S. Levy

General Counsel @ Malbek - CLM for Enterprise | Adjunct Professor and Author of The Legal Tech Ecosystem | Legal Tech Speaker, Advisor, and Investor | Named to the Fastcase 50 (2022)

Don't be an asshole.

There, I said it. 

Look, I get it. The world is not always a nice place. You're not going to like everyone you meet. People will do things that frustrate or annoy you.

Especially during hectic times, like now, as another year wraps up.

But, by being a jerk you are only contributing to the problem.

This doesn't mean you need to be sweet as sugar to everyone, but it does mean to keep your feelings in check and to be respectful whenever possible.

So, let me repeat.

Don't be an asshole. 

Happy Halloween. 

#legaltech #innovation #law #business #learning

Too much legal tech content is performance, not analysis.

It circulates because it requires no sustained thought: a tool announcement, a vague efficiency claim, a prediction divorced from mechanism. This serves the person posting. It does not serve the profession.

Legal professionals considering technology adoption face concrete structural questions that popular commentary systematically avoids.

When you implement document automation, you are making explicit decisions about knowledge transfer. Which analytical patterns will your newer lawyers never learn through repetition? How does competency develop when the formative tasks disappear?

For legal professionals sharing knowledge about technology: your obligation is to examine mechanisms and tradeoffs, not to amplify adoption narratives.

The profession needs people who can think clearly about these tools, not people who just promote them. 

#legaltech #innovation #law #business #learning

Lawyers and law students, here is some advice.

Don’t compromise your ethics, your values, those things that make you, you. 

Find work at places aligned to to you.

Ask questions during the interview process to ensure this is the case. 

Interviewing is a two-way street.

No job is worth giving up who you are and how you want to be seen by others.

There is only one you.

I’m Colin, General Counsel of Malbek - CLM for the Enterprise and author of The Legal Tech Ecosystem.

#legaltech #innovation #law #business #learning

Law schools need to teach technology skills. It's not optional anymore.

I see new lawyers struggling with basic legal tech that firms use every day. Document review platforms, contract analysis software, AI research tools. 

These aren't coming someday. They're here now.

What should law students actually learn?

Some essential tech topics for law students and new lawyers:

-IP questions when AI creates content
-How and when to use AI for legal work and examples of tools that can help
-Liability issues with automated systems
-Using tech to help clients including underserved clients access legal services
-Ethics rules around AI in legal practice

The reality: Clients expect those they hire to know how to use and when to use the tools of their trade. 

Lawyers who combine legal knowledge with tech skills are winning cases and building practices. Those who don't are falling behind.

Law schools that skip this preparation are failing their students. The market has already decided that tech literacy matters.

I’m Colin, General Counsel of Malbek - CLM for the Enterprise and author of The Legal Tech Ecosystem.

#legaltech #innovation #law #business #learning

Working as a lawyer in-house:

1) Skip the legal history lesson. Start with "We can do this by..." not "We can't because..." 

Show you understand risk in context. 

2) Never say "that's not legal's problem." 

Own problems together with your business partners.

3) Relationships matter more than you think. 

Build your network before you need it.

4) Not every question needs the same response. 

Learn when to give what type of response. 

#legaltech #innovation #law #business #learning

Too often it seems that salespeople view lawyers as roadblocks and lawyers view salespeople as careless. 

The way forward?

Recognizing that this relationship works best when both sides understand what the other is actually trying to accomplish. 

When sales takes responsibility for learning the basics instead of treating legal like a helpdesk. When legal approaches questions as a coach instead of a gatekeeper.

And when executives actually prioritize this relationship instead of assuming it will fix itself.

The question worth asking isn't "how do we eliminate tension between sales and legal?" It's "how do we channel that tension in ways that serve our customers better?"

Because at the end of the day, that's the only metric that matters.

Check out the latest guest-authored blog post by Alex Boyd on this topic on my blog. The link is in the comments.

#legaltech #innovation #law #business #learning

Writing Law Tutors LLC

🔷 For individual attorneys & law firms:

-Conduct 1:1 legal-writing instruction for practicing attorneys to improve the clarity, conciseness, readability, and persuasiveness of their legal and other professional writing. 
-Devise lesson plans to teach fundamental writing skills based on review of past writing samples. 
-Prepare suggestions and feedback to improve current writing projects, including briefs, memos, business letters, and thought-leadership/marketing publications. 
-Publish LinkedIn columns to provide legal-writing tips under #DearLegalWriter.

🔷 For law students:  

Provide law-school academic, career, and legal writing coaching for law students. Services include: (1) 1:1 coaching; (2) resume & cover-letter reviews; (3) detailed suggestions on legal writing samples for submission with job applications; (4) interview preparation; (5) career counseling; (6) LinkedIn profile reviews & networking support.  Publish content for law students in 💌 Dear 1L column under #Dear1L.

Founder | Legal Writing Coach & Trainer

Legal Writing Coach | Law School Tutor & Career Consultant

University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School

Conduct mock interviews for law students preparing for law-firm, on-campus job interviews (OCI).  Review law-student resumes and writing samples in advance of submission for OCI and judicial clerkships.

Career Consultant

Reed Smith LLP

Counsel

Proskauer Rose LLP

Special Employment Law Counsel

The Hershey Company

Senior Counsel

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP

Senior Associate

Associate

Goodwin Procter LLP

Summer Associate

Testa, Hurwitz & Thibeault, LLP

Paralegal

The Princeton Review

Course Instructor

Legal Writing Coach | Teacher | Writer | Creator, Dear 1L® & Dear Legal Writer | Former BigLaw Litigator (L&E) | Law-Mom

Hi. I’m Amanda. I work with lawyers who want to improve their legal writing—whether that’s drafting more persuasive briefs, sending clearer emails to clients, writing thought-leadership articles, or just saving time on revisions. 

I also have a broader mission: to improve how lawyers and law students learn legal writing. We need more up-front teaching and less after-the-fact criticizing. Most of the time an associate makes a mistake, it’s because no one ever taught them otherwise. I aim to fill that gap.

I am a teacher at my core, and I adore nurturing both new and not-so-new legal writers. I’d love to help you make legal writing a superpower that propels your career forward the way it did mine.

Before doing what I do now, I spent 20 years as a BigLaw litigator writing for demanding partners in high-stakes, complex, motion-heavy litigation. I did briefs, blogs, letters, client alerts, long-form articles, appeals, and everything in between. I also served as co-editor for two law department blogs and supervised associates in their drafting work. In the process, I got trained by some of the best legal writers in the business.

In 2021, I branched out on my own & formed Writing Law Tutors LLC. Since then, my focus has been on improving the legal writing experience of lawyers & law students everywhere. 

📕 To that end, I have an Amazon best-seller, “Dear 1L: Notes to Nurture a New Legal Writer.” I recommend it for all as the best place to start!

▪️ For litigators: I provide the tools, training, feedback you need to become a confident legal writer. Let me be a “Secret Senior Counsel” who helps you improve your drafts before you turn them in. That will mean less red ink and a lot better reviews.

▪️ For law students: You know me from my Dear 1L letters and my book. I bring the same passion to my coaching sessions. I’d love to help you on your journey to becoming a super-powered legal writer. 

▪️ For pre-law students: Work with me on your law school personal statement and prepare for law school writing the summer before you start. 

⚓️  My anchor is my family. I am a mother of three girls who are in their 20s. I am fortunate to have an amazing husband, Matt, a managing partner at Kleinbard in Philadelphia, who helps support my journey. 

CONTACT:  You can best reach me through Dear1L.com, or by email at Amanda@Dear1L.com. 

I will be psyched to hear from you!

💌 Amanda

Amanda Haverstick

When I was 24, I was single, broke, and childless. 

—All I said to myself was, ‘I can’t wait to finish law school and start making money,’ and ‘I long to get married + have children.’

When I was 34, I was married with 3 girls under age 5. 

We paid for 1 full-time nanny & 2 full-time daycares at an after-tax cost of ~80K annually. I worked 2700 hours in BigLaw. 

—All I said to myself was, ‘I can’t wait for the girls to go start kindergarten,’ and ‘I long to stop working so hard.’

When I was 44, we had 3 busy tweens who couldn’t drive themselves to anything. 

We’d amassed 10 years of childcare debt and still lived with a full-time nanny. I was still grinding it out in BigLaw, albeit less so.  

—All I said to myself was, ‘I can’t wait for the girls to be old enough to drive themselves,’ and ‘I long to retire.’

This year, I turned 56. We’ve long-since turned debt into savings, I work for myself (much, much less), and we live in an empty nest. 

Although I might say to myself, ‘I can’t wait for grandchildren,’ and ‘I long for Matt to retire,” (indeed, both are true), that isn’t the full truth.

The full truth is that there were wonderful things at 24, 34, and 44, and I didn’t take enough time to live in the moment and soak those things in. I was too busy looking for that next, so-called “better” stage. 

But today, I’m soaking in all the good things that DO come with this age. There’s no sense waiting or longing for the next stage. It will come, soon enough.

And so, if you’re like me, at 24, 34, 44, waiting and longing for what’s next, please pause and reflect. Soak in the good things of this stage—all of them—fully. 

Your next stage will come, soon enough.

💌 Amanda

Creative Legal Writing Coach & Pre-Law Advisor. Amazon Bestselling Author, “Dear 1L: Notes to Nurture a New Legal Writer.” Big Law Alum. Law Mom.

Dear Legal Writer, I turn to these five books so often that I need them no matter where I am.

So as I head home today to Philly and leave these copies behind in Rhode Island, it’s not because I can do without them—it’s because they’re so essential to me, I keep a set in each place.

📘 Bryan A. Garner’s “Legal Writing in Plain English”: 

This is the book that, two decades ago, first energized me to try to become an excellent legal writer. It remains gold today. Every legal writer NEEDS this book.

📘 Simon & Cooney’s “The Case for Effective Legal Writing”: 

This 2024 release immediately grabbed my attention. It’s full of compelling examples showing how poor legal writing led to actual legal consequences. A must-read for legal-writing professors and coaches.

📘 Ryan McCarl’s “Elegant Legal Writing”: 

Also new in 2024, this book offers a clear, organized discussion of everything you need to write well. Whenever I’m unsure about a writing principle, I check to see what Ryan says.

📘 Ross Guberman’s “Point Made”: 

Every time I return to this book, I find something new and insightful. Ross walks you through each section of a legal brief, sharing the best examples from top appellate writers. It’s gold—worthy of being savored by all appellate writers everywhere.

📕 Amanda Haverstick’s “Dear 1L”:

My own book for incoming law students, but it’s proved its value as a reference for all stages. Inside, you’ll not only find practical writing strategies from my 20 years in Big Law, but also answers to legal-writing questions that arise all the time (“which v. that” and how to use “However,” to name a few). 

I use it myself, often, and every legal writer will find it a welcome addition to their library.

**
As I leave these copies behind, I realize again how vital good books are to our growth as legal writers. 

📬 What book has most transformed your writing? I’d love to hear what tops your list.

📬 Anyone like me leave a copy of a book in two places?

💌 Amanda

#DearLegalWriter

Legal Writing Coach & Pre-Law Advisor. Amazon Bestselling Author, “Dear 1L: Notes to Nurture a New Legal Writer.” Big Law Alum. Law Mom.

No alternative text description for this image

Dear 1L, I got a 35 on my Contracts midterm.

(35 out of 100.)

It was Oct 1993.
It was my first & only feedback.
I thought the world was going to end.
And it forced some intense soul-searching.

To be sure, like most 1L midterms, mine was merely a “practice” exam. But to me, it was devastating.

My initial, angry disbelief quickly became embarrassment. I also didn’t know what I’d done wrong.

I had done all the reading.
I had attended every class. 
And I had studied SO much.

I knew the material by heart. I really did. 

Really!

⬇️

Some takeaways:

I failed because the point was to apply the material I knew to brand new situations. I had no idea how to do this. Most 1Ls do not either—in early October.

You can learn. It just takes practice. 

So, do your soul-searching. Kick and scream, get mad, cry. But get it out of your system and MOVE ON.

Plan to learn how to write an IRAC essay and start practicing.

A poor midterm grade should not matter. 

I ended up with a flat A in Contracts. 

You can, too!

Let’s GO!!!

💌 Amanda

#Dear1L

Dear 1L, Pretend your professor knows NOTHING about your Memo.

—She doesn’t know any of the facts in the hypothetical.
—He doesn’t know any of the cases you’ve found in your research.
—They don’t know any of the legal principles you’ve found for your analysis.

NOTHING.

Your professor is just some random lawyer who happens to pick up your memo to read.

Could that random lawyer follow your memo?

The answer needs to be “yes.”

So you need to spell things out.

Here’s what I mean by that:

👉 In terms of FACTS, put every single fact that matters in your Facts section. Don’t paraphrase. Describe what happened. 

—Remember, your reader knows nothing about your case. 

Can they follow your facts? Can they visualize what happened as well as you can now do? Those are the questions you want to be answering “yes” to.

(Also, you aren’t allowed to bring up a fact in your Discussion section if it wasn’t in the Facts section, so this rule is important for multiple reasons.)

👉 In terms of the “E” in CREAC, describe each of the example cases completely, including every fact that matters.

—Remember, your reader has read none of the example cases. 

Can they visualize what happened in the example case as well as you can? Can they feel confident in your description so they don’t have to go read the case on their own to understand it? Answer “yes” to those questions.

(Also, you can’t later argue about a fact from an example case unless you’ve already told the reader what that fact is earlier.)

👉 In terms of the “A” in CREAC, you need to compare or contrast the specific facts of your hypo with the specific facts of the example cases you have already described. Don’t generalize; compare hypo facts directly to case facts.

Spell out how each example case is similar to or different from your hypo.

RECAP:

Your professor is just a random lawyer who picks up your memo to read.

Spell it out so they can follow you.

Sending you good luck and godspeed. This legal-writing process is long and agonizingly hard, I know. Stay the course. You can do this.

💌 Amanda

#Dear1L

📣 Get your SAMPLE 1L MEMO here—with NO shenanigans

(—even though I said I’d never do this again.)

Dear 1L, If I were savvy at sales, I’d make you give me an email address to get this attachment. But you have no time for that, so here it is, no strings.

👉 This is what 1L professors are looking for in the fall memo.

(My first sample memo is in Appendix C to my book; the attached new memo is longer and addresses a different, more complex topic). 

I base it on:
—the hundreds of past memos I’ve seen after-the-fact,
—what hundreds of students have explained to me, and 
—what I’ve learned about how professors make you write in 1L
	 (—it is a bit different from what I did in practice).

I have endeavored to prepare a composite style that is largely compatible with all the various acronyms (IRAC/CREAC, etc.) that different professors teach.

🔷 Caveats: 

1. The facts in the sample are entirely fictional. 

2. Please use the sample for illustrative purposes as to structure and writing style only. Ignore my legal citations, which are neither accurate nor updated, much less in underlined form. There also may be sentences that need cites but lack them.

3. In reality, litigators do not often write formal, objective memoranda, and they do less so today than in the past. 

—When we conduct a legal analysis, we also usually focus on procedural posture and standard of review. You will focus on those things more in the spring.

4. It needs to be shortened w/o losing substance, but I didn’t want to delay in getting to you.

5. MOST IMPORTANT: If my model is incompatible in any way with what YOUR specific professor instructs, follow what your professor instructs. (This rule goes for everything I say.)

I am confident that seeing this will help you a LOT, though.

Finally: please don’t beat yourself up if it’s taking you an absurdly long time to write the memo. Legal writing ALWAYS takes longer than you think it should.

I am sending you so much positive energy— 

💌 Amanda

#Dear1L

🙏🏻 Please SAVE this post for future reference. 

♻️ Please share to help more 1Ls!

👉 Tomorrow I will post a new self-editing checklist for you, so stay tuned!

1L SAMPLE MEMO - New for 2025

Dear 1L, Commas + periods go INSIDE the quotes in legal writing. Here’s a way to remember: “𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐤𝐢𝐝𝐬 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲 𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐈𝐃𝐄 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞.”

🩳 “Little kids” are short. 
Periods and commas [.,] are little kids. 
They sit on or below the line.
They’re too short for cars to see. 
They must play safely INSIDE the fence (the quotes).

👖 “Big kids” are tall. 
Question marks, exclamation points & semi-colons [?!;] are big.
They sit above the line.
They’re tall enough for cars to see.
They can play safely OUTSIDE the fence (the quotes).

TWO IMPORTANT NOTES:

1️⃣ Commas and periods ALWAYS go inside the quotes. This is true even if they didn’t appear in the original that you’re quoting. 

Let me demonstrate that last part:

🔷 𝔼𝕩𝕒𝕞𝕡𝕝𝕖 𝟙:

Original by court: “The complaint lacked sufficient facts to survive summary dismissal, but we granted leave to amend.”

Your sentence: The court dismissed the complaint because it “lacked sufficient facts,” but plaintiff got leave to amend. ✅

	NOTE:  The comma after “facts” goes inside the quote marks, even though no comma was there in the original.

🔷 𝔼𝕩𝕒𝕞𝕡𝕝𝕖 𝟚:

Original by court: “We vacate and remand for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.”

Your sentence: The court “remand[ed] for further proceedings.” ✅

	NOTE: The period after “proceedings” goes inside the quote marks, even though no period was there in the original.

2️⃣ Ending question marks, exclamation points, and semi-colons go outside the quotes if they weren’t present in the original. But if they did appear in the original, we put them inside the quote marks.

To illustrate:

◾️ Did she ask, “What time is it?”
◾️ Did she assert, “I’ll leave at 9:00”?

***
Please ask me any questions you might have. These punctuation/quote rules trip up lots of folks, and they are DIFFERENT outside the US.

💌 Amanda

#DearLegalWriter

Dear 1L, YOU MUST IGNORE what you learned about varying word choice. Your middle-school teacher only gave you half the story. 

Replace her rule with this new, refined rule for legal writing, and get your words right in your memo:

🔷 1: Do NOT vary the substantive words of your case.

Examples:

a/ If you write that the parties’ contract was “terminated,” don’t later write that that contract was “cancelled” or “voided.”

 b/ If you initially say that the disputed property was a “warehouse,” don’t later call it a “distribution center.”

 c/ And if you initially say the contested item was a “laptop,” don’t later call it a “computer.”
 
The problem with varying these types of substantive words is that your reader may think it means you are talking about two, distinct terms. And if your reader is confused, they will not find you credible. 

In fact, if your reader gets too confused, they may bag your brief altogether and turn to your opponent’s brief for guidance. 

		  —> That’s the WORST possible outcome.

So always be consistent with your substantive words.
 
🔷 2: DO vary your “glue” words.

 “Glue words” are transitional phrases, adjectives, and verbs that hold sentences together. You can and SHOULD vary your glue words.

 Examples: 
Moreover
However
Therefore
Thus
also
and
but
for
yet

🔷 3: DO vary “garden variety” words.

 “Garden variety” words are those that come up again and again in legal writing.

 Examples: 
allege
argue
assertion
contention
requirement
allegation

⬇️

And so, vary your “Therefores” and “Thuses,” your “Moreovers,” and your “arguments” and “contentions.”

 But don’t vary the substantive words that make your case unique and distinguishable from other cases.

 Never risk confusing your reader.

💌 Amanda

#Dear1L
#DearLegalWriter

P.S. The above is taken from a tip in my monthly legal-writing newsletter. If you’d like to access past editions and sign up for future, I’ll drop a link for you in a comment.

P.P.S. Please ask any questions you may have. Learning the difference between glue words, garden variety words, and substantive words is HARD when you’re just starting out.

Dear 1L, This is “memo hell week” for many.  

Here’s a checklist of common errors I see in memos every year (so you can avoid them).

Save + put on your wall!

Please save this checklist—and share to help more 1Ls ♻️ 

💌 Amanda

#Dear1L

P.S. 📍  Also: do not try to get away with skirting the formatting rules:

—If your font is too small, or your margins too narrow, your professor will notice, and you will lose points. 

(Note that IRL, if you violate a judge’s individual rules, the court may refuse to accept your document.)

1L Memo Proofreading Checklist — New in 2025

Dear 1L, Be careful not to fall into a dicta trap on your memo. 

I did my 1L fall, and it was fatal. 

I focused on what the courts SAID instead of how the courts RULED. 😯 

In other words, I chased rhetoric, strong language, and “important statements” in the opinions, thinking those words controlled the outcome. 

They didn’t.

I had fallen straight into a DICTA TRAP.

🔷 “Dicta” (from the Latin “obiter dictum”) just means an “aside”

—something said in a judge’s opinion that isn’t essential to deciding the case. 

Dicta may sound elegant. 
Dicta may even be persuasive.
But dicta is not the binding law. 

So PLEASE make sure when reading the cases for your own memo that you steer clear of all dicta!

⬇️
 
Here’s the 3-KEY secret to avoiding a dicta trap:

🔑 Choose cases for your memo that have facts most like yours. 

🔑 Compare the specific facts in those cases with the specific facts in your hypo. Get granular—down to the smallest details that might flip a result. 

🔑 Don’t rely on what the courts say. Courts say a lot of things that don’t matter to the outcome. Stick to how the case actually came out (i.e., who won).

***
I didn’t learn these keys until months later, thanks to a kind 1L friend who let me into the secret.

I’ve never forgotten it—or her generosity.

Learn from my blunder early. Dicta can fascinate you, distract you, and destroy your analysis all at once. 

Please don’t let my mistake happen to you.  

💌 Amanda

#Dear1L

Dear Legal Writer, Every associate should learn how to read and write the formal proofreading marks.

Before we had redlines, that’s how partners communicated their edits on our drafts—

(often with little notes scribbled in the margins, up on the side, and over onto the back page (and sometimes on to a side rider)).

Many lawyers still do things by hand.

💌 Amanda

#DearLegalWriter 

P.S. When you edit, which team are you: red pen or redline? 

Drop your answer below! 👇

***

🩷💚  Personlly, I’m on Team pink-and-green-pencil. 

It makes my edits less obnoxious and more pleasant for the writer to receive. 

Maybe you should switch teams, too?

***
Photo: 

Four proofreading marks every junior lawyer should know—

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