Legal Research and Writing for Paralegals

Legal Research and Writing for Paralegals is a comprehensive and practice-oriented introduction to legal research and writing techniques, tailored to the scope of paralegal practice in Ontario. This text begins with the analysis of a fact situation and the development of a research strategy before guiding students through the process of legal research and writing.

Building on this foundation, it introduces students to the effective use of secondary sources before progressing to primary sources, demonstrating how to locate and interpret relevant cases and legislation, properly cite legal authorities, and note up cases and statutes. The final part of this text focuses on legal writing essential to paralegal practice, providing in-depth guidance on drafting key legal documents such as a memo of law and a factum.

A running fact scenario connects each stage of the research and writing process illustrating how to approach a legal research problem from start to finish. Aligned with Law Society of Ontario (LSO) paralegal competencies, this essential resource teaches both foundational and advanced skills in legal synthesis, analysis, and writing—using an approach that mirrors real-world practice—to foster the development of confident, methodical legal researchers and writers.