9. Adapting IRAC for professional practice

This chapter explains how the IRAC method of legal essay writing can be adapted for professional practice, with particular reference to drafting original documents (letters, attendance notes, memoranda, briefs (instructions) and opinions) that do not rely on precedents. While the discussion does not go into the same amount of detail as a professional legal training course, it does outline the forms of documents that every law student will encounter in legal practice and demonstrate how the IRAC method can be used to create those types of documents. The chapter also provides a brief overview of various formatting issues that may arise in professional practice. Writing tips are provided throughout the chapter.