A bench memorandum (pl. ''bench memoranda'') (also known as a ''bench memo'') is a short and neutral

memorandum A memorandum ( : memoranda; abbr: memo; from the Latin ''memorandum'', "(that) which is to be remembered") is a written message that is typically used in a professional setting. Commonly abbreviated "memo," these messages are usually brief and ...

that summarizes the facts, issues, and arguments of a

court case A legal case is in a general sense a dispute between opposing parties which may be resolved by a court, or by some equivalent legal process. A legal case is typically based on either civil or criminal law. In most legal cases there are one or mor ...

. Bench memos are used by the judge as a reference during preparation for trial, the hearing of lawyers' arguments, and the drafting of a decision and also to give the judge an idea of the arguments given by each side in the court case. Bench memos are generally written by the judge's law clerk.

References

Law of the United States Legal documents Law clerks {{Law-stub