Lawyers['] Writing Wrongs is a relatively new blog that exposes humorously-bad legal writing. Author “Legal Literatus” lists the following subtitles:
- Your briefs are shitty.
- You get paid $200/hour for this?
- Displeasing the Court with Shitty Writing.
- Counsellor, why?
- Sometimes pro se is better.
I think the “pinata brief” is the best example of the brand of humor provided by Lawyers['] Writing Wrongs:
Defendant [prison guards] entered [plaintiff's] cell with plans for a party. And though [plaintiff] was invited to this party, his only purpose at this party was to be their personal pinata. Once Defendant[s] entered the cell they began putting a whooping on [plaintiff] like none he had ever experienced before. Each of the Defendant[s] took turns punching and kicking [plaintiff] in the head and torso of his body. Unfortunately, when the beating had ceased, no candy spilled out of [plaintiff], rather, he was left with three broken ribs from this brutal and savage attack.
(Emphasis added.) If that isn’t humorously-bad writing, maybe you need a copy of the Elements of Legal Style more than you thought.
[via Minnesota Lawyer Blog]
Sam Glover is a business and consumer rights lawyer and the creator of Lawyerist.
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