Sentencing Mitigation Memorandum Outline From the Client's Records
Outlines a sentencing memorandum for the defense from the records, treatment letters and character letters you paste. Each mitigating fact carries its source, the sentence requested is yours, and the sentencing factors appear only as the pasted text states them.
The Prompt
Variables (8)
| Variable | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| {{client_name}} | Client Name | Luis Ortega |
| {{case_caption}} | Case Caption and Court | State v. Ortega, No. 25-CR-3391, Superior Court |
| {{requested_sentence}} | Requested Sentence | We ask the court to impose probation with treatment conditions. |
| {{outline_instructions}} | Outline Instructions | Lead with his work history. Do not discuss the prior 2019 matter. |
| {{conviction_record}} | Conviction or Plea Record | Plea colloquy, Aug. 5, 2026, p. 6: "I plead guilty to Count 2, possession of a controlled substance." |
| {{client_records}} | Client Records | Employer record: employed at Alder Freight, March 2021 to July 2026; Medical record, Dr. Hale, Mar. 3, 2026: diagnosed with depression. |
| {{letters}} | Letters | Letter from Sunrise Recovery Center, Sept. 1, 2026: "Mr. Ortega has been accepted into our 90-day residential program." |
| {{sentencing_text}} | Sentencing Statute or Guideline Text | Sec. 18-1.3-401 (paste the verbatim factors text here) |
Expected Output
Part 1 attorney-only notes (source register, conflicts, arithmetic, strategy cautions, declined requests, missing information) and Part 2, the memorandum outline with the requested sentence, the factors as pasted, the client's history with dated sources and program acceptances, then a verification list.
Usage Notes
Use it after a plea or conviction when you are assembling the sentencing memorandum. Paste the plea or conviction record, the client's records, each letter, the sentencing statute or guideline text you rely on, and the sentence you will request in your own words. Failure mode to watch: a fact about the offense beyond the record of conviction or plea, a guideline computation, or a comparison to other cases nobody supplied. Check that every history fact matches the quoted record. Read the document part line by line before it leaves the office. Not legal advice. The attorney remains responsible for verifying every fact, figure and authority before use.
Double-check before use
- Where two records disagree on a date or a count, check that neither appears in the outline. In testing, both were once set side by side in the court document.
These are the places where this prompt was seen to slip when tested on sample cases with a small AI model.
Originally featured in: Prompt Engineering for Lawyers: The Complete 2026 Guide
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