A group of 26 legal professionals participated in a workshop on Drafting Legal Opinions, organised by the JuSTICE Project on 12–13 May 2025. This training is part of a broader capacity-building series aimed at strengthening foundational skills in legal reasoning and drafting. The workshop’s ultimate objective was enhanced the capacity of relevant Lao officials of the Ministry of Justice and legal practitioners, including lawyers, in more effectively structuring and drafting legal opinions articulated around legal arguments.
The participants were professionals tasked with interpreting complex legal issues, advising on legislative proposals, and providing legal services from the Lao Bar Association, the Department of Legislation (Ministry of Justice), the National Institute of Justice, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The workshop was led by the international legal expert, Mr. Dino Santaniello, who previously worked in Laos for almost a decade and had run in-house training within his law firm. The workshop covered both methodological aspects of legal writing and legal reasoning. On the first day, the focus was on structuring clear legal arguments as a basis for effective writing. Participants examined common challenges in legal drafting, the importance of audience awareness, and practiced structuring legal memoranda by identifying legal issues, analysing applicable laws, and proposing well-reasoned recommendations. The sessions emphasized the need for clarity and accessibility in any legal writing.
On the second day, the training turned to organising legal memos. Participants learned how to structure their memoranda using an opener-middle-closer format, a road-map, and using informative headings to enhance readability. These skills were reinforced through a practical case study on labour disputes, giving participants hands-on experience in applying legal logic and drafting techniques in realistic scenarios.
By the end of the workshop, participants walked away with practical frameworks, writing strategies, and drafting tools they can apply in their daily legal work. These skills directly support the drafting of legislation, legal opinions, and institutional policies—contributing to a stronger, more responsive legal environment in Lao PDR.
