Client Letter Writing Lab Text
The following text has been extracted from the Request for Admissions Writing Lab.

READ THIS FIRST!

Welcome to the Legal Writing Labs! These labs take you step-by-step through the creation of various legal documents. The document you are creating should be based upon the client you were assigned (or chose). Since you would normally be able to contact your client and ask questions about the case, you may expand or change the facts if it helps. Note that you do not have to provide answers to any of the documents you are creating. 

After opening a Template using the above tabs, you should do the following:

1. In the Select a Document drop down box on the right, choose the document you are wanting to work on.

2. The drop down Instructions box will provide you with links to help for every element of the document. Those instructions are presented in the order in which the relevant material appears within the document itself. Simply refer to the instructions as you work on your assignment.  When you have completed all the steps, you should have a virtually completed document!

3. It is important to remember that the Writing Lab Template will allow you to modify the document, but does not save those changes. If your browser leaves the web page you are working on, your modifications to the document will be lost. It is therefore recommended that you copy and paste your work into Microsoft Word every 5 or 10 minutes to back up your work.

4. Copy and Paste the modified Template to create a new Microsoft Word document.

WRITING THE LETTER

THE CLIENT LETTER is a very important and frequently created document, but often not frequently enough.

Attorneys, and paralegals, sometimes forget that the client wants to know what is going on in the case. Even something as simple as a letter telling the client that a document has been sent (such as this one) or received or even anticipated can help the client feel more in touch, and even more in control.

A paralegal can help the attorney provide better communication with the client by suggesting client letters when anything tangible has been created or received by the firm related to the client's case. While the paralegal should NEVER send a client letter without a) the attorney's permission, and b) the attorney's review of the final document to be sent, the paralegal may be helpful in increasing the communication between the client and the law firm.

THE CONTENT
A great rule of thumb is "The less you say, the less you will have to take back later." Another great legal adage is, "Never put something in writing that you don't have to." Keep these in mind as you communicate with your client.

While you want to keep the client informed, be brief, state only facts, and never express opinions or impressions. Simply tell the client what steps have taken place or what event has transpired that is the reason for the letter.

THE SIGNATURE
An attorney may want to be the author of the letter to the client, but a paralegal may also author the letter. In fact, it is to the attorney's advantage to allow the paralegal to sign the document. That is because if the client has questions or wants to communicate information to the firm, by having previous formal communication with the paralegal the client will feel more confident and comfortable contacting that paralegal instead of always insisting on speaking or meeting with the attorney.

If a paralegal does sign the document, it must be made very clear that the paralegal is, in fact, a paralegal. Such as:

Sincerely,

Susan Cortez, Paralegal

 

COPY AND PASTE

Now that you have finished your new document, using the above template, you will need to COPY AND PASTE the text from the template to create a new document. Use the following steps to Copy and Paste.

COPY
First, click anywhere in the Template (this is important). You are going to SELECT ALL of the text in the document to copy the contents.

Second, press the "CTRL" key and the "A" key at the same time. You will see that all the text is highlighted. This is a good thing!

Third, press the "CTRL" key and the "C" key at the same time, or click on the "Copy" icon in the Template tool bar.

PASTE
Open up Microsoft Word and create a new document. Select EDIT and PASTE from the Menu Bar. Then save your document, using a name such as "Discovery01".

And that's it. We hope this LAB has helped. If it has, you can use this template in the future for other memos you create as a paralegal!