1. F.I.R.A.C. Method of Legal Writing
Belleville High School Law Related Education
F.I.R.A.C. Method of Legal Writing
FIRAC is an acronym for Facts, Issue, Rule, Analysis, Conclusion.
It is a method for organizing legal writing tasks, such as case briefs, and creating a concise evaluation of the case at hand.
The case brief should be formatted the same as a memorandum of law, with the following heading;
TO:
FROM:
DATE:
RE:

2. F.I.R.A.C. Method of Legal Writing
Belleville High School Law Related Education
F.I.R.A.C. Method of Legal Writing
I. FACTS:
The first step in the FIRAC method of legal writing is a summary of the facts of the case. This summary should be a concise statement of those facts relevant to the issue at hand.
II. ISSUE:
The next step is to identify the legal issue or issues raised by the facts of the case. The issue is the precise question of law raised by the specific facts of the case. The issue should be stated in an objective manner. Stating the issue objectively means to write the issue in a manner that fairly and completely presents all the key facts and not to construct it in a manner that favors an outcome.

3. F.I.R.A.C. Method of Legal Writing
Belleville High School Law Related Education
F.I.R.A.C. Method of Legal Writing
III. RULE
The next step is to identify the rule of law that governs the issue. The legal writer will need to research the law to determine the rule of law that governs the issue. The rule of law that applies to the issue may be statutory law (statute, ordinance or regulation) or it may be case law (legal precedent set forth in court opinions)
IV. ANALYSIS
The fourth step of the FIRAC method legal writing is your analysis. In this step, you will determine how the rule of law applies to the issue based on the specific facts of the case. Proper analysis requires you to:
Identify the elements of the rule of law;
Apply each of the elements of the rule of law to the specific facts of the case.
Consider any potential counter-arguments that might be made to the analysis.

4. F.I.R.A.C. Method of Legal Writing
Belleville High School Law Related Education
F.I.R.A.C. Method of Legal Writing
V. CONCLUSION:
The fifth and final step of the FIRAC method is the conclusion. In the conclusion you answer the question originally raised by the legal issue. Only by going through the process of formulating a well-stated issue, researching the applicable rule of law, and analyzing the law as applied to the facts, can you reach a viable conclusion.
If the issue, rule and analysis sections of one’s legal writing project are well developed, the conclusion will be logically supported.