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| examples of good legal writing: The Elements of Legal Style Bryan A. Garner, 2002 Focusing on the argumentative, narrative, and descriptive style found in legal briefs and judicial opinions, this text should be a thought provoking examination of effective argumentation in law. |
| examples of good legal writing: Legal Writing in Plain English Bryan A. Garner, 2013-08-26 “This easy-to-follow guide is useful both as a general course of instruction and as a targeted aid in solving particular legal writing problems.” —Harvard Law Review Clear, concise, down-to-earth, and powerful—all too often, legal writing embodies none of these qualities. Its reputation for obscurity and needless legalese is widespread. For more than twenty years, Bryan A. Garner’s Legal Writing in Plain English has helped address this problem by providing lawyers, judges, paralegals, law students, and legal scholars with sound advice and practical tools for improving their written work. The leading guide to clear writing in the field, this indispensable volume encourages legal writers to challenge conventions and offers valuable insights into the writing process that will appeal to other professionals: how to organize ideas, create and refine prose, and improve editing skills. Accessible and witty, Legal Writing in Plain English draws on real-life writing samples that Garner has gathered through decades of teaching. Trenchant advice covers all types of legal materials, from analytical and persuasive writing to legal drafting, and the book’s principles are reinforced by sets of basic, intermediate, and advanced exercises in each section. In this new edition, Garner preserves the successful structure of the original while adjusting the content to make it even more classroom-friendly. He includes case examples from the past decade and addresses the widespread use of legal documents in electronic formats. His book remains the standard guide for producing the jargon-free language that clients demand and courts reward. “Those who are willing to approach the book systematically and to complete the exercises will see dramatic improvements in their writing.” —Law Library Journal |
| examples of good legal writing: Legal Writing for Legal Readers Mary Beth Beazley, Monte Smith, 2022-01-31 Legal Writing for Legal Readers: Predictive Writing for First-Year Students, now in its Third Edition, teaches students how to use their objective reading skills to assess examples of both effective and ineffective legal writing. Sidebars and annotated examples highlight the key elements of a well-structured predictive analysis. As writers, students learn to make better and more informed choices by learning to view their own work with greater objectivity—from the reader’s point of view. New to the Third Edition: Recall and Review exercises at the end of each chapter that promote memory retention Expanded coverage of email correspondence in legal practice More examples of good and bad legal writing that, by reading them, clearly demonstrate the effectiveness of one and the pitfalls of the other New and complete sample documents that provide fresh material for class discussion A self-grading exercise by which students identify analytical elements in their own writing Additional resources on Casebook Connect Professors and students will benefit from: The book’s approach that uses students’ reading skills to teach them to view their own and others’ writing with greater objectivity--by looking at it from the reader’s point of view. Examples of both effective and ineffective legal writing for students to read and assess, and to exemplify and highlight the techniques and elements of writing that make one succeed where the other fails. Clear and lucid explanations of the concepts and techniques behind effective legal writing. The authors’ popular marginal notes and annotations that provide additional insights, commentary, and points/notes related to the topic of discussion or the elements of a sample document. |
| examples of good legal writing: Art of Advocacy Noah Messing, 2013-06-28 The Art of Advocacy: Briefs, Motions, and Writing Strategies of America’s Best Lawyers presents more than 150 examples of masterful advocacy to show lawyers how to write winning motions and briefs. The book focuses on the strategic and substantive choices that top litigators make, drawing examples from important, timely, and controversial cases. Detailed annotations give readers insight into what makes each document so effective. In addition to presenting a host of storytelling, stylistic, and organizational strategies, the book's examples demonstrate how to build and rebut different types of arguments. The Appendices provide a wealth of additional resources, including Karl Llewellyn’s previously unpublished advice from 1957 about the art of advocacy, which one top law professor described as the “best advice on legal writing I’ve ever seen.” Features Compiles more than 150 examples of masterfully written legal advocacy and analysis Succinct introductory text presents the facts of each case Detailed annotations by the author highlight How to tell your client’s story How to build and counter six types of legal argument How to organize your arguments How to develop a theme Excerpts from high-interest cases, such as The battle over “Obamacare” A massive copyright suit involving YouTube BP’s oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico Facebook’s infamous feud with the Winklevoss twins Apple’s billion-dollar patent dispute with Samsung Lance Armstrong’s attempt to retain his Tour de France titles Major cases involving gay rights and affirmative action For year-long courses, a stellar option for second-semester students Perfect for practicing litigators who want to see a playbook of moves and strategies from top lawyers and from major cases Stresses strategic choices and the art of building compelling substantive arguments Focuses on briefs and motions Developing a theme Framing issues Isolates examples of specific arguments—doctrinal, textual, legislative history policy, and so on Innovative layout |
| examples of good legal writing: Clear and Effective Legal Writing Veda Charrow, Myra K. Erhardt, Robert P. Charrow, 2014-10-30 In its Fourth Edition, Clear and Effective Legal Writing continues to give students a classic introduction to legal analysis and legal writing. Concise and accessible, the text focuses on memo and brief writing while reinforcing key writing skills. This proven teaching tool provides the student with excellent examples and numerous skill-honing exercises. Offering comprehensive coverage from case synthesis and case briefing to preparing Supreme Court briefs, this text: starts with an overview of legal analysis, and then walks students through the writing process: understanding context, organizing effectively, writing clearly and effectively, and reviewing and editing describes differences between legal language and ordinary discourse, and the linguistic theory underlying the origins of legal language seamlessly combines legal reasoning with legal writing and helps the student understand the relationship between the two provides straightforward rules for writing effective legal documents, with scores of examples of the good, the bad, and the humorous includes numerous exercises throughout the book to help students reinforce their skills dissects and annotates actual trial court memoranda and Supreme Court briefs highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of each example provides an insightful interview with the Clerk of the Supreme Court of the United States on what the Court expects to see in brief and the assistance that his office provides to all litigants appearing before the Court shows how to transform a memorandum into an advocacy document provides guidance for writing well in an appendix with overview of English sentence structure New to the Fourth Edition: updated examples throughout an updated legal process portion taking into account changes in law and updating examples a new set of Supreme Court briefs with annotations additional material addressing how the Internet is affecting court filings and formatting |
| examples of good legal writing: Clear and Effective Legal Writing Veda Charrow, Myra K. Erhardt, Robert Charrow, 1995 With examples drawn from legal writing and student papers, this guide walks students through the writing process and helps them refine their skills in exercises throughout the book. The Second Edition features a reorganized Part I, including three new chapters that help students gain proficiency in reading and analyzing legal materials so they can write more effectively. Part II includes a systematic approach to legal writing; understanding your context; getting organized; writing clearly; writing effectively; and reviewing and editing. Part III covers the process of writing a legal memorandum and an appellate court brief. This Second Edition includes two examples of memoranda, An interoffice memo and a memo of points and authority; a streamlined appendix that provides an overview of English sentence structure; and many enhanced writing exercises. |
| examples of good legal writing: Examples & Explanations for Legal Writing Terrill Pollman, Judith M. Stinson, 2023-12-11 The Fourth Edition of Examples & Explanations: Legal Writing explains what many professors consider to be effective writing, following the organization of typical first-year legal writing courses, and provides concrete examples for students to test their understanding of key legal writing concepts. Each chapter includes a checklist that can be easily transformed into a grading grid as well as chapter-by-chapter vocabulary that integrates your classroom instruction with these examples. This book--whether the entire book, selected chapters, or subsets of chapters--can accompany any legal writing textbook or materials you provide for your students. A favorite classroom prep tool of successful students that is often recommended by professors, the Examples& Explanations series has been ranked the most popular study aid among law students because it is equally as helpful from the first day of class through the final exam. New to the Fourth Edition: New chapters on common law and on writing conclusion sections in persuasive documents Revised and updated with legal writing professors in mind, including revisions that work whether assigning single chapters or the entire book New common law assignments with many added examples and explanations throughout the book Professors and students will benefit from: Understanding how the writing students do in law school (and law practice) differs from what they did in college Professors knowing the right way to use examples, although they may hesitate to give examples Learning how to practice revising and rewriting--skills that are necessary to all good writing Demonstrations of how to self-evaluate, self-explain, and self-test Having the tools to continue to learn about legal writing after formal instruction ends |
| examples of good legal writing: Point Made Ross Guberman, 2014-04 In Point Made, Ross Guberman uses the work of great advocates as the basis of a valuable, step-by-step brief-writing and motion-writing strategy for practitioners. The author takes an empirical approach, drawing heavily on the writings of the nation's 50 most influential lawyers. |
| examples of good legal writing: Writing Essay Exams to Succeed in Law School John C. Dernbach, 2014-10-30 Ancillary purchase book appropriate for incoming and first - year law students, law students in academic support programs, pre - law students, and graduates studying for the bar exam. Features: The student answer to the Hayakawa problem in Chapter 4 is now annotated to show key features, such as explanations of rules, explanation of elements, application of sub-elements to facts, and conclusions An all-new Chapter 8 explains how exams are like the real practice of law |
| examples of good legal writing: Writing for the Legal Audience Wayne Schiess, 2014 First published in 2003, Writing for the Legal Audience guides lawyers, paralegals, and law students through sensible, practical advice for writing to a dozen legal audiences, from supervisors to appellate judges and from clients to opposing counsel. Each chapter focuses on a different audience for legal writing and presents three concrete recommendations for satisfying that audience. The recommendations are amply supported with explanations, references to the leading experts, and numerous before-and-after examples. The second edition is thoroughly revised, with new tips, new examples, and up-to-date advice for producing clear, readable, effective legal writing. In addition, Schiess has added a new chapter, Writing for the Screen Reader, that offers advice for preparing legal documents aimed at readers who will encounter the text electronically on a computer, tablet, or handheld device. |
| examples of good legal writing: Legal Writing by Design Teresa J. Reid Rambo, Leanne J. Pflaum, 2013 The second edition of Legal Writing by Design remains unique in demonstrating how to transform thoughts into writing by explaining the link between thinking and writing. It doesn't just tell the reader to argue by analogy or to apply the rule -- it explains the design of the thinking involved in those processes and shows how to transform that design into writing. Through easily understandable hypotheticals, outlines, graphics, exercises, and writing samples, many garnered during the authors' combined forty-plus years of teaching legal writing and appellate advocacy to law students, Legal Writing by Design comprehensively demonstrates how to transform ideas into exceptional writing. It demystifies the writing process by explaining the design of (1) deductive and inductive reasoning, (2) analogical thinking, and (3) relevancy. Once that design is understood, writing becomes easy. Writing with liberal doses of humor, the authors provide clearly readable charts, examples, and templates throughout this second edition. All chapters include a chapter review, and many also provide writing prompts. In addition to chapters explaining the fundamentals of writing legal memos and briefs, Legal Writing by Design contains sections on (1) clear and effective writing; (2) the appellate process, including an easily understandable explanation of standards of review; (3) oral argument techniques and practice; (4) the writing and editing process; (5) case briefing; and (6) professionalism in the practice of law. Exercises corresponding to the principles explained are included throughout most chapters, with answers provided in a separate Teacher's Manual. Successfully used for over ten years by thousands of law school students, Legal Writing by Design is the perfect tool for anyone -- attorneys, legal assistants, pro se litigants, undergraduate students, or the public -- who seeks the ideal way to analyze issues, to write clearly, and to write persuasively. |
| examples of good legal writing: Advanced Legal Writing Michael R. Smith, 2002 Advanced Legal Writing: Theories and Strategies in Persuasive Writing is exceptionally well suited for use in upper level Legal Writing courses that focus on strategy.The author's distinctive approach: - emphasizes persuasive writing strategies and explores specific techniques for legal writers - combines theory with practicality by taking an interdisciplinary approach - avoids a documents-based approach, going beyond the trial or appellate brief to identify effective strategies for a broad range of documents and settings - follows a consistent format, offering for each writing strategy: - an explanation of its nature and characteristics - an account of the theoretical principles that explain their effectiveness - detailed how-to guidelines for students to use in their own writing - numerous examples of proper use of the strategy and exercises - consideration of ethical implications - a thorough Teacher's ManualThe book is divided into five main parts that cover: - literary references and their value in persuasive writing - the three basic processes of persuasion: logic and rational argument, emotional argument, and establishing credibility - rhetorical style - persuasive writing strategies based on psychology theory - the ethics and morality of persuasionBe sure to review Advanced Legal Writing: Theories and Strategies in Persuasive Writing before you make an adoption decision for your course. |
| examples of good legal writing: Legal Writing Terrill Pollman, 2011 Examples & Explanations Series, Legal Writing uses a methodologybased on the E&E pedagogy to teach students how to analyze and assess theeffectiveness of their writing. |
| examples of good legal writing: A Lawyer Writes Christine Nero Coughlin, Joan Malmud Rocklin, Sandy Patrick, 2024 Like the popular earlier editions, the fourth edition of A Lawyer Writes puts the reader in the place of a first-year attorney faced with real-life assignments. In doing so, it teaches law students not only how to succeed in law school, but also how to succeed in the practice of law. Using graphics and visual samples that demonstrate both effective and ineffective analytical techniques, this updated edition illustrates best practices for objective legal analysis and provides an overview of the transition from objective to persuasive writing. The content and examples in the fourth edition have been supplemented, updated, and reorganized to provide an easy-to-use, step-by-step approach for learning legal analysis and objective writing. A Lawyer Writes aims to provide clear and concrete instruction about each facet of legal analysis, using the same order students will follow when performing the tasks in legal practice. The textbook also provides the relevant theory and background behind the choices attorneys make in their legal writing, enabling students to transfer those techniques to future settings. Speaking to its readers in a straightforward manner, A Lawyer Writes communicates essential skills and theories students can use throughout a lifetime of legal practice-- |
| examples of good legal writing: Legal Writing--getting it Right and Getting it Written Mary Barnard Ray, Jill J. Ramsfield, 1993 |
| examples of good legal writing: Legal Writing Robert Edwin Bacharach, 2020 A magnificent book on writing. Drawing on the lessons from psycholinguistics and rhetoric, Judge Bacharach has written a remarkably practical book on how to write effectively. Judge Bacharach illustrates his points with very specific suggestions and countless examples from briefs from top lawyers and opinions of judges. I learned so much from this wonderful book. -- Erwin Chemerinsky, Dean, Berkeley School of Law |
| examples of good legal writing: Writing a Legal Memo John Bronsteen, 2006 This legal writing book is designed to help students learn the basic elements of writing a legal memo. |
| examples of good legal writing: Point Taken Ross Guberman, 2015-08-03 In Point Taken, Ross Guberman delves into the work of the best judicial opinion-writers and offers a step-by-step method based on practical and provocative examples. Featuring numerous cases and opinions from 34 esteemed judges - from Learned Hand to Antonin Scalia - Point Taken, explores what it takes to turn great judicial writing into great writing. Guberman provides a system for crafting effective and efficient openings to set the stage, covering the pros and cons of whether to resolve legal issues up front and whether to sacrifice taut syllogistic openings in the name of richness and nuance. Guberman offers strategies for pruning clutter, adding background, emphasizing key points, adopting a narrative voice, and guiding the reader through visual cues. The structure and flow of the legal analysis is targeted through a host of techniques for organizing the discussion at the macro level, using headings, marshaling authorities, including or avoiding footnotes, and finessing transitions. Guberman shares his style Must Haves, a bounty of edits at the word and sentence level that add punch and interest, and that make opinions more vivid, varied, confident, and enjoyable. He also outlines his style Nice to Haves, metaphors, similes, examples, analogies, allusions, and rhetorical figures. Finally, he addresses the thorny problem of dissents, extracting the best practices for dissents based on facts, doctrine, or policy. The appendix provides a helpful checklist of practice pointers along with biographies of the 34 featured judges. |
| examples of good legal writing: A Dictionary of Modern Legal Usage Bryan A. Garner, 2001 A comprehensive guide to legal style and usage, with practical advice on how to write clear, jargon-free legal prose. Includes style tips as well as definitions. |
| examples of good legal writing: Elements of Legal Writing Martha Faulk, Irving M. Mehler, 1996-05 This easy-to-use primer lays out 135 principles of clear writing, dictation, tone, grammar, syntax, organization, and format. Filled with before-and-after examples and illustrations from the legal world, the book is both a welcome refresher for the practicing lawyer and an indispensable reference for anyone in the legal profession. |
| examples of good legal writing: The Winning Brief: 100 Tips for Persuasive Briefing in Trial and Appellate Courts Bryan A. Garner, 2004-02-13 Good legal writing wins court cases. It its first edition, The Winning Brief proved that the key to writing well is understanding the judicial readership. Now, in a revised and updated version of this modern classic, Bryan A. Garner explains the art of effective writing in 100 concise, practical, and easy-to-use sections. Covering everything from the rules for planning and organizing a brief to openers that can capture a judge's attention from the first few words, these tips add up to the most compelling, orderly, and visually appealing brief that an advocate can present. In Garner's view, good writing is good thinking put to paper. Never write a sentence that you couldn't easily speak, he warns-and demonstrates how to do just that. Beginning each tip with a set of quotable quotes from experts, he then gives masterly advice on building sound paragraphs, drafting crisp sentences, choosing the best words (Strike pursuant to from your vocabulary.), quoting authority, citing sources, and designing a document that looks as impressive as it reads. Throughout, he shows how to edit for maximal impact, using vivid before-and-after examples that apply the basics of rhetoric to persuasive writing. Filled with examples of good and bad writing from actual briefs filed in courts of all types, The Winning Brief also covers the new appellate rules for preparing federal briefs. Constantly collecting material from his seminars and polling judges for their preferences, the second edition delivers the same solid guidelines with even more supporting evidence. Including for the first time sections on the ever-changing rules of acceptable legal writing, Garner's new edition keeps even the most seasoned lawyers on their toes and writing briefs that win cases. An invaluable resource for attorneys, law clerks, judges, paralegals, law students and their teachers, The Winning Brief has the qualities that make all of Garner's books so popular: authority, accessibility, and page after page of techniques that work. If you're writing to win a case, this book shouldn't merely be on your shelf--it should be open on your desk. |
| examples of good legal writing: Legal Writing Style Henry Weihofen, 1980 Topics in this law school text include a section on writing law school and bar examinations, amplified material on sentence structure and organization, and drafting principles. The book is equally suited for use in courses that concentrate on brief-writing, emphasize formal legal documents, or concentrate on the writing of memoranda or papers similar to law review comments. Also includes chapters on forcefulness, arranging words for emphasis, Opinions, and The Jurisdictional statement. |
| examples of good legal writing: Plain English for Lawyers Richard C. Wydick, 1998 |
| examples of good legal writing: Thinking Like a Writer Stephen V. Armstrong, Timothy P. Terrell, Jarrod F. Reich, 2021 |
| examples of good legal writing: Successful Legal Writing Edwina Higgins, Laura Tatham, 2015 Focusing on improving writing skills in both assignments and exams, this text uses worked examples and exercises to provide students with the skills needed for successful legal writing. |
| examples of good legal writing: The Redbook Bryan A. Garner, 2006 This book provides a comprehensive guide to the essential rules of legal writing. Unlike most style or grammar guides, it focuses on the special needs of legal writers, answering a wide spectrum of questions about grammar and style -- both rules and exceptions. It also gives detailed, authoritative advice on punctuation, capitalization, spelling, footnotes, and citations, with illustrations in legal context. Designed for law students, law professors, practicing lawyers, and judges, the work emphasizes the ways in which legal writing differs from other styles of technical writing. Its how-to sections deal with editing and proofreading, numbers and symbols, and overall document design. Features: * Cautions on use of 500 stuffy phrases and needless legalisms, along with their everyday English translations * Details rules for 800 words with required prepositions in certain contexts * Explains the correct usage of more than 1,000 words that are often troublesome to legal writers * Gives tips on preparing briefs and other court documents, opinion letters and demand letters, research memos, and contracts * Provides model documents of all types of legal documents and pleadings Reviews 200 terms of art that take on new meanings in legal contexts |
| examples of good legal writing: The Journey to Excellence in Legal Writing Pamela Newell, Timothy Peterkin, 2010-08 Professors Newell and Peterkin deal thoroughly with fundamental grammar skills often overlooked in legal writing textbooks. The chapters in this text cover everything that students should learn in legal writing from spotting issues, to finding and interpreting the law, to writing either an objective or persuasive document for their client or the court. Each chapter provides exhaustive treatment of the topic. The text also provides useful examples and exercises for the reader to test his or her understanding of the topic. The Journey to Excellence in Legal Writing not only contains a thorough explication of legal writing for first-year law students. Upper-level students, practitioners, and judges will also benefit from the instruction contained in these pages. Therefore, this book is the perfect tool for all who wish to learn and improve their legal writing skills. |
| examples of good legal writing: The Legal Writer Mark P. Painter, 2005 |
| examples of good legal writing: Academic Legal Writing Eugene Volokh, 2003 Resource added for the Paralegal program 101101. |
| examples of good legal writing: Legal Writing from the Ground Up Tracy Turner, 2015-01-30 Legal Writing from the Ground Up: Process, Principles, and Possibilities breaks down legal writing into a step-by-step process but avoids a one-size-fits-all approach. This book helps legal writing professors balance the need to encourage original and strategic thinking while providing guidance for students as they develop their legal writing skills. Tracy Turner writes with today s generation of students in mind, and helps to arm student with specific and powerful tools without shackling their creativity. Key Features Multiple adaptations of the Issue, Rule, Application, and Conclusion (IRAC) paradigm that reflect a different approaches to problem solving Different strategic considerations in selecting the right analytical model for a particular case Consistent emphasis on the foundations of legal analysis Proven-effective techniques for continuing skill development Visual aids that are transferable learning tools, such as charts and diagrams Critical reading techniques, clearly explained Visually navigable pages and the author s direct and engaging writing style An intuitively logical organization of content, that easily adapts to myriad approaches to teaching and study |
| examples of good legal writing: Briefs and Beyond Mary Beth Beazley, Monte Smith, 2021-01-31 This book hits the sweet spot between books that focus only on briefs and books that try to do too much. Expertly written and constructed by Mary Beth Beazley and Monte Smith, Briefs and Beyond: Persuasive Legal Writing gives law professors options to supplement a persuasive writing course with complaints, demand letters, and other persuasive documents while not overwhelming their students. Professors and student will benefit from: A behavioral approach to legal writing A focus on how documents look as well as what they say Sidebars that answer students’ common questions as they go along Effective formulas for legal writing that ease the writing process Many examples of both good and bad writing throughout that illustrate concepts covered in the text |
| examples of good legal writing: Legal Reasoning and Legal Writing Richard K. Neumann, 1994 |
| examples of good legal writing: Sketches on Legal Style Mark Cooney, 2013 Who says legal writing is a dull subject? This collection of lively, offbeat short pieces explores legal style like no book you''ve read before. But be warned: you just might learn something while you''re smiling. Through a colorful cast of characters, learn how legal writers can use plain language and careful syntax to produce clearer, stronger, and more persuasive documents. Will legalese devotee Ebenezer Scribe change his ways after receiving visits from four clarity-minded ghosts? Will Colonel Ketchup''s passive-voice phrasing obscure whodunit? Will Editor Man defeat his most formidable foe yet: a dense block of statutory text containing, among other things, a 142-word sentence? And much more . . . But this book isn''t all fun and games. It weaves in real-world examples and commentary from judges and writing experts, giving fresh insight into how readers--especially judges--view the rote style choices that many legal writers never question. You''ll also find helpful tips and before-and-after comparisons. In short, whether a legal professional, a law student, or a writing fan of any kind, a reader will learn concrete lessons--backed by authority--on the best practices for legal writing. And although this book isn''t intended to replace a traditional textbook, teachers can use these vignettes and essays to reinforce classroom lessons and make challenging concepts more accessible to students. This is a clever little book. It is a perfect bedtime read; each chapter is just the right length to improve your writing by a single increment between retiring to bed and sleep''s arrival. But it won''t put you to sleep, as most books with ''style'' in the title tend to do. With its whimsical tone, it engages, amuses, and sneakily instructs. And it seems to have been written with the maxim in mind that one of my professors imparted to me when he learned I would be teaching law: ''You can only teach three things in an hour. And three are enough.'' Each chapter focuses on a particular rule or technique of good writing, clearly explaining how to incorporate it into one''s compositional arsenal. -- Frederick Baker Jr., Michigan Bar Journal I just finished reading Sketches on Legal Style by Mark Cooney, and I loved it. Lots of practical advice in a readable, engaging book. I recommend it. -- Wayne Schiess, Legalwriting.net Blog [Cooney''s] new book, Sketches on Legal Style, is fun, easy reading. It''s a collection of essays on legal writing, each delivered in a unique, humorous style. Two examples: ''A Legal-Writing Carol'' in the style of Charles Dickens''s A Christmas Carol; ''The Pleading,'' a poetic lament in the style of Edgar Allan Poe''s The Raven. Speaking of Dickens, this little book would be a great stocking stuffer for the law student or legal-writing geek in your life (including yourself!). -- the (new) legal writer blog Prof. Cooney''s mantra-like theme is that clarity equals persuasion. He also readily demonstrates the converse; that inflated writing is distracting and easily put down. This lesson in precision should strike a chord with litigators of all flavors. ...What makes Prof. Cooney''s book notable is his use of story to teach these points. As trial lawyers, we know that stories are compelling. Stories are absorbed and remembered. Stories are powerful. And Prof. Cooney is a master of the craft. -- Chad Engelhardt, Michigan State Bar''s Negligence Law Section E-News [T]hese short, funny pieces aren''t just for academics--they are for all lovers of good writing who just wanna have fun. ...In just 100 pages, Mark Cooney brings to life the world of words and clear sentences. He uses real-world examples (with footnotes!), coupled with witty stories and essays. Sketches on Legal Style makes the case for plain language, and if the medicine goes down with a laugh, so much the better. -- Clarity (Journal of the international association promoting plain legal language) A Legal-Writing Carol, the book''s first chapter, is a sure-to-be-classic legal-writing take on Dickens'' holiday favorite. -- Legal Writing Prof Blog |
| examples of good legal writing: Strategic Legal Writing Donald N. Zillman, Evan J. Roth, 2008-01-07 Many legal writing texts emphasize how one writes; this book is unique because it also focuses on why one writes. Every chapter challenges the reader to write to achieve a strategic objective. Each assignment has been carefully considered by the authors, and fully vetted to simulate the decision-making involved in the preparation of important legal writing, whether in a general counsel's office, a law office, a government attorney's office, or a judge's chambers. Simply put, the authors' approach is that effective legal writing does not exist in a vacuum. This book provides practical assignments that teach the student that the best legal writing is not an end in itself, but a means to a larger strategic objective. |
| examples of good legal writing: Legal Writing for Legal Readers Mary Beth Beazley, Monte G. Smith, Michael R. Smith, 2014 Applying the perspective of the reader to the craft of writing, Legal Writing for Legal Readers teaches the differences between strong and weak legal writing by letting students read examples of both. Students discover how productive it can be to read a well-articulated argument, as compared to one that is illogical and ill conceived. We aren t always able to identify our own faults as writers but as readers, we can see clearly the merits of both the argument and its presentation. The authors sidebars and annotations highlight why one writer fails while another succeeds. Students realize the significance of their own behavior as readers and how that behavior should dictate their writing decisions. As readers, students learn to recognize the specific elements of analysis and structure that make legal writing effective. As writers, they will make better and more informed choices, when they think about it from a reader s perspective. Using the student s own experience as a reader to shed light on what makes legal writing succeed or fail, Legal Writing for Leal Readers features: A range of both strong and weak legal documents, selected to illustrate legal writing concepts Broad coverage that includes memos and briefs, as well as complaints, correspondence, and criminal motions Sidebar comments from the authors that provide context and insight Annotations that incorporate cognitive and behavioral theories to explain why some approaches work better than others Authors with a wealth of experience, in both teaching and practice |
| examples of good legal writing: Scholarly Writing Jessica L. Clark, Kristen E. Murray, 2012 In addition to a standard first-year legal writing curriculum, most law schools now require upper-level students to write a sophisticated legal research paper on a topic of their choice. Students often struggle through the scholarly writing process, from finding a topic to polishing a final paper, and many never fully develop and defend a thesis. Scholarly Writing: Ideas, Examples, and Execution offers a lifeline to students, guiding them through the process of constructing their legal research papers from start to finish. With over 10 years combined experience teaching scholarly writing to J.D. and LL.M. students, the authors identify common roadblocks for student writers, and offer advice and techniques for how to successfully overcome these roadblocks. The book walks students through a five-step process for researching and writing scholarly papers and follows five published student papers from idea to final execution as a method of illustrating the principles advocated in the text. This example-based approach sets this book apart from others; the authors not only tell students how to approach their papers, but through annotated excerpts of example papers, they show students how to approach their papers. The book includes up-to-date information about legal research and organizational tools. It also includes bright ideas that supplement the text with ideas and examples for student writers. The text may be used as either a required text for a course in Scholarly Legal Writing or a companion guide for students working on scholarly legal writing projects independently. |
| examples of good legal writing: Modern Legal Drafting Peter Butt, Richard Castle, 2006-10-23 In the second edition of this highly regarded text, the authors show how and why traditional legal language has developed the peculiar characteristics that make legal documents inaccessible to the end users. Incorporating recent research and case law, the book provides a critical examination of case law and the rules of interpretation. Detailed case studies illustrate how obtuse or outdated words, phrases and concepts can be rewritten, reworked or removed altogether. Particularly useful is the step-by-step guide to drafting in the modern style, using examples from four types of common legal documents: leases, company constitutions, wills and conveyances. Readers will gain an appreciation of the historical influences on drafting practice and the use of legal terminology. They will learn about the current moves to reform legal language, and receive clear instruction on how to make their writing clearer and their legal documents more useful. |
| examples of good legal writing: The Language of the Law David Mellinkoff, 2004-05-13 This book tells what the language of the law is, how it got that way and how it works out in the practice. The emphasis is more historical than philosophical, more practical than pedantic. |
| examples of good legal writing: Beyond the First Draft Megan McAlpin, 2014 Beyond the First Draft helps law students and lawyers approach the often difficult task of editing their own writing. The book starts with the fundamental idea that good writing is organized, vigorous, clear, and polished. Its ultimate goal is to help students and practitioners understand that good writing cannot be accomplished in a single draft; good writers must be good editors. Each chapter of the book is organized around one of the principles of good writing and begins with an editing checklist for accomplishing that principle of good writing. The book explains each item in the checklist, providing students and lawyers with the instruction and straightforward editing tips that they need to become effective editors. Beyond the First Draft was written with law students, practitioners, and legal writing professors in mind. Its straightforward approach makes even those difficult-to-understand grammatical concepts accessible to students and practitioners through frequent, easy-to-understand grammar reminders, explanations, and examples. Students will benefit from the realistic editing exercises at the end of each chapter, which require them to edit full sections of a memo rather than simply doing sentence level exercises. Finally, professors can use the numbered checklists in each chapter to comment on student work, which will make commenting on writing more efficient and will create clear connections between the text and the professor's feedback. |
| examples of good legal writing: Persuasive Writing Irving Younger, 1990 |
CLEAR AND ACTIVE LEGAL WRITING - Columbia Law School
CLEAR AND ACTIVE LEGAL WRITING Despite the many long, convoluted, and legalese-filled opinions you’re likely to read in law school (and perhaps beyond), legal writing has evolved to prioritize clarity and plain English. The following points will help you convey complex arguments and ideas in the simplest way possible. 1. Be Concise 2.
The Legal Writing Sample - Mitchell Hamline
The Legal Writing Sample. The legal writing sample is an integral part of the hiring process for lawyers. Here are tips for preparing the best sample of your legal writing skills. Mitchell Hamline Faculty Suggestions. Length of the Sample.
HOW TO WRITE GOOD LEGAL STUFF
HOW TO WRITE GOOD LEGAL STUFF. This is a guide to good legal writing. Good writing consists of avoiding common clunkers and using simpler replacements. The replacements aren't always perfect synonyms but 90% of the time they're better than the original.
What is "Good Legal Writing" and Why Does it Matter?
The Article then provides an analysis of the fundamental qualities that enable legal writing to do this, concluding that there are three such quali-ties: clarity, conciseness, and the ability to appropriately engage the reader.
ESSENTIALS OF A GOOD LEGAL WRITING - The Lex-Warrier: …
The paper argues that use of plain language, avoiding legalese, proper punctuation and grammar, clarity of thought, adequate and accurate research, proper organisation, brevity in expression and engaging with the audience is the key to good legal writing.
CHAPTER 8 General tips on legal writing - Blackwell's
(1) why it is important to have a good writing style; (2) why you need to learn the rules of good writing yourself; (3) why you should work to develop that style now; and (4) what constitutes good legal writing. The chapter will conclude with a series of self-tests and exercises to help you overcome any problem areas. 8.1 The importance of good ...
Legal Writing 101 - Tips & Tricks For Effective Legal Writing
The ability to write well—meaning, the ability to write plainly, precisely, and persuasively—is critical to any lawyer’s work. Many lawyers spend over 50% of their time writing, and attorneys in their first five years of practice can spend up to 75% percent of their working day writing.
Lord Burrows Speech - Judgment Writing September 2021
If we start off by treating a judgment as a type of legal writing that sits alongside other types of legal writing, such as a legal article or a law book or a doctorate or a law student’s essay, then we have to ask ourselves, what is it that makes any piece of legal writing good?
Legal Writing Guide - The University of Adelaide
Legal language includes the proper use of legal terms, such as the correct name of a court, and the correct usage of words like “equity”, “negligence”, “foreseeability”, or “action”.
WRITING IN PLAIN ENGLISH - Columbia Law School
Legal writing has a bad reputation as overly technical, verbose, and confusing. That is not the proper approach to legal writing. Writing in plain English and legal writing have the same goal: communicating complex ideas in a digestible and manageable form.
WRITING CASE NOTES AND CASE COMMENTS1 - Open University
I Introduction. This material provides a framework and guidance for writing case notes and case comments. The case note is the simplest, shortest, most descriptive account of a case, the comment sets it in context, explains its significance and critiques it.
Effective Legal Writing: Perspectives from Practitioners and the …
– Read good books about writing and, specifically, legal writing.1 – Read examples of good briefs. – Own a dictionary, thesaurus, and writing style manual.
Legal Writing Tips - Thurgood Marshall School of Law
Some tips on getting started with legal writing and analysis. Legal Writing Tips There are countless ways to style legal writing. In this blog, you will find various approaches to legal writing that I have found to be effective. Take it all with a grain of salt. I hope some of this helps. Good luck! Navigating this Blog Memo Outline To: From ...
Effective Legal Writing 1 - Emond
legal can develop a good writing style by (1) simplifying his or her writing, (2) organizing his or her writing in an effective manner, and (3) ensuring the tone of the text is courte- ous and appropriate for the intended audience.
Good legal writing - Stellenbosch University
This paper is general and addresses the writing of legal opinions, papers, affidavits, pleadings, heads of argument and any other written work. It is a plea for simplicity and clarity; for jettisoning jargon and legalese and above all, for brevity and clarity. Brevity is not the same as shortness.
Choosing a Writing Sample - Stanford Law School
A writing sample should demonstrate your legal reasoning and analytical skills, as well as your writing ability and communication style. Your writing sample should convey, not only that you have excellent writing skills, but that you are detail-oriented and take pride in your work product.
TEN TRANSITIONING TO LEGAL RITING - Georgetown Law
This handout provides ten tips for helping the transition to this new discipline go more smoothly. 1. Understand the Importance of Developing Legal Writing Skills. Before you begin the journey into legal writing, you may wonder why legal writing is so important and thus why ensuring a smooth transition to legal writing is so critical.
Legal Writing for the Real World: A Practical Guide to Success, 46 …
In the “real world,” writing matters because, whether it is a motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim, a motion for summary judgment, a trial or appellate brief, or an arbitration statement, writing is an important vehicle by which you advocate for your client.
ORGANIZING A LEGAL DISCUSSION (IRAC, CRAC, ETC.)
Most legal writing requires the writer to analyze a set of facts using legal rules gleaned from a myriad of sources, including cases, statutes, and secondary materials. Unlike the non-legal writing you’ve done in college and at work, legal writing has its own specific structure that lawyers
Legal Writing as Good Writing: Tips from the Trenches
Start by following the tips in this article, all of which focus on common shortcomings that we have observed as practicing attorneys and judicial law clerks. But these tips are just a starting point. Literature on good writing abounds, as does good writing itself, in novels, court opinions, briefs, and magazines.
CLEAR AND ACTIVE LE…
CLEAR AND ACTIVE LEGAL WRITING Despite the many long, …
The Legal Writing Sa…
The Legal Writing Sample. The legal writing sample is an integral part …
HOW TO WRITE GOO…
HOW TO WRITE GOOD LEGAL STUFF. This is a guide to good …
What is "Good Legal Writi…
The Article then provides an analysis of the fundamental …
ESSENTIALS OF A GOO…
The paper argues that use of plain language, avoiding legalese, …
CHAPTER 8 General tips …
(1) why it is important to have a good writing style; (2) why …
Legal Writing 101 - Tips …
The ability to write well—meaning, the ability to write plainly, …
Lord Burrows Speech - Ju…
If we start off by treating a judgment as a type of legal writing …
Legal Writing Guide - Th…
Legal language includes the proper use of legal terms, such as …
WRITING IN PLAIN ENG…
Legal writing has a bad reputation as overly technical, verbose, and …
WRITING CASE NOTE…
I Introduction. This material provides a framework and guidance for …
Effective Legal Writi…
– Read good books about writing and, specifically, …
Legal Writing Tips - Thurg…
Some tips on getting started with legal writing and analysis. …
Effective Legal Writi…
legal can develop a good writing style by (1) simplifying his …
Good legal writing - St…
This paper is general and addresses the writing of legal …
Choosing a Writing Sa…
A writing sample should demonstrate your legal reasoning …
TEN TRANSITIO…
This handout provides ten tips for helping the transition to …
Legal Writing for the Real …
In the “real world,” writing matters because, whether it is a motion to …
ORGANIZING A LEGAL DI…
Most legal writing requires the writer to analyze a set of facts using …
Legal Writing as Good Wr…
Start by following the tips in this article, all of which focus on …
