legal writing

The Elements of Style: Obsolete?

July 7, 2010

For years, I have kept Strunk & White’s The Elements of Style on my bookshelf. I tell my students to read it. I keep telling my associate to read the copy I put on his desk, although it looks suspiciously pristine. And I am not alone. Decades of college graduates consider The Elements of Style [...]

Read the full article →

Improve Your Legal Writing: Just Say It

June 10, 2010

Many consider legal writing to be an art form that takes years to master. That may be true, but lawyers and law students alike can improve their legal writing skills faster by focusing on one idea: get to the point.

Read the full article →

Stay Ahead of Deadlines

April 28, 2010

Lawyers are renowned for not doing something until ten minutes before it is due. I admit, for some people, the only way to write is under pressure. If you find that produces good results, then by all means, stick with what works. But if you constantly find yourself thinking “I wish I would have had [...]

Read the full article →

10 Legal Writing Tips From Bryan Garner

April 23, 2010

Bryan Garner—in true Bryan Garner fashion—just emailed his edits for this post, as noted below. I hope this note meets his legal writing approval… — Ed. I first heard of Bryan Garner while clerking for the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota. I was having a difficult time crafting an appellate brief [...]

Read the full article →

Is Speech Recognition Software Obsolete?

April 7, 2010

I am fortunate enough to have a great job, but I do not have a secretary, meaning I experience the pleasure of typing every single brief with my name on it. I have written fairly positive reviews about iPhone speech-recognition, but computer-based recognition is another story altogether. Until I read this review, I did not [...]

Read the full article →

Use Logic to Win Arguments: A Primer for Lawyers

March 1, 2010

Arguments are the primary tools of our trade and we cannot use them effectively unless we understand and obey the rules of logic. Despite their import, most students do not have an opportunity to study the principles of logic in law school. I find this tragic and believe that logic should be a required course for all law [...]

Read the full article →

← Previous Entries