Lesson 1: Legal Opinion Writing

Important lesson your lecturer was emphasizing:

• Do not underestimate your client.
• Speak confidently and clearly.
• Give practical legal solutions immediately so the client trusts your expertise.

In legal opinion writing (LLM level), both the Summary of Facts and the Summary of Conclusion serve important but different purposes. They help make the legal opinion clear, organized, and easy for the client or reader to understand.

Purpose of the Summary of Facts

The Summary of Facts is a brief statement of the important facts of the case.

Main Purposes Provide background information It explains the situation that led to the legal issue.

Identify relevant facts Only the facts that are legally important are included.

Help the reader understand the legal problem The lawyer uses these facts later when applying the law.

Ensure objectivity The facts are presented without argument or opinion.

Example On 5 January 2024, the client entered into an agreement to purchase land from Mr. X. The client paid a deposit, but later discovered that Mr. X had already sold the same land to another buyer.

Here, the writer is only stating what happened, not analyzing the law yet.

Purpose of the Summary of Conclusion

The Summary of Conclusion gives a brief statement of the lawyer's final opinion or advice after analyzing the law.

Main Purposes Present the final legal position It tells the reader the likely legal outcome.

Provide clear advice to the client It may recommend what the client should do.

Summarize the legal analysis It briefly restates the result of the detailed discussion.

Save time for decision-makers Busy clients or executives can quickly understand the outcome.

Example Based on the legal analysis, the client has a valid claim for breach of contract and may institute legal proceedings to recover damages.

Key Difference

• Summary of Facts
• Summary of Conclusion

Describes what happened States the final legal opinion Appears before legal analysis Appears after legal analysis Contains objective facts only Contains legal advice or outcome In simple terms Summary of Facts → explains the situation.

Summary of Conclusion → explains the final legal answer or advice.

The lecturer explained how to structure a legal opinion or problem answer, especially how to move from paragraph 1 (summary) to paragraph 3 (detailed facts and issues). The key point is: do not guess the law—state the facts clearly and then analyze them.

Here is what your lecturer means.

Paragraph One – Introduction / Summary of the Facts

In the first paragraph, you briefly summarize the situation without discussing details.

Example:

An American business company intends to acquire 50 acres of land in Sierra

Leone for long-term investment.

The land is owned by several families, including the Kamara, Sankoh, Bangura, Sillah and Cole families.

The company seeks legal advice on whether it can buy or lease the land and the legal implications involved.

This paragraph is just a short overview of the case.

Paragraph Two – Identification of the Law In the second paragraph, you identify the relevant law governing the issue.

Example:

• Land ownership in Sierra Leone is governed by different legal regimes depending on location.

Land in the Western Area is regulated by general property law, while land in the provinces is governed by customary land tenure.

In addition, foreign ownership of land is regulated by the Non-Citizens (Interest in Land) Act 1966, which restricts non-citizens to leasehold interests rather than freehold ownership.

Here you identify the legal framework.

Paragraph Three – Detailed Discussion of the Facts

This is the paragraph your lecturer is emphasizing.

Here you expand the factual issues in detail.

Things you must discuss include:

• Location of the land (Western Area or Provinces).
• Ownership structure (family or communal ownership).
• Size of the land (50 acres total).

Different families owning portions:

• Kamara, Sankoh, and Bangura families
• Sillah family
• Cole family of Freetown

You also explain that:

Because the land is owned by multiple families, consent from the family heads and principal members will be required.

The ownership must be verified through investigation and title search.

This paragraph analyzes the factual issues affecting the transaction.

Key Lesson the Lecturer Is Teaching The lecturer’s main warning is:

• Do not pretend to know the law if you are unsure.
• Do not mislead the client.
• If something is uncertain, say you will investigate and confirm.