A Plain Language Handbook for Legal Writers

A Plain Language Handbook for Legal Writers
Author: Christine Mowat
Publisher: Thomson Carswell
Total Pages: 400
Release: 1998
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN:

Provides 1) theory about plain language for legal writers, 2) models of legal documents such as wills, laws, agreements, etc, and 3) practice exercises on language.

Legal Writing in Plain English

Legal Writing in Plain English
Author: Bryan A. Garner
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Total Pages: 285
Release: 2013-08-26
Genre: Law
ISBN: 022603139X

“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

Aspen Handbook for Legal Writers

Aspen Handbook for Legal Writers
Author: Deborah E. Bouchoux
Publisher: Aspen Publishing
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2017-02-24
Genre: Law
ISBN: 9781454885184

Buy anew versionof this Connected Casebook and receiveaccessto theonline e-book,practice questionsfrom your favorite study aids, and anoutline toolon CasebookConnect, the all in one learning solution for law school students. CasebookConnect offers you what you need most to be successful in your law school classes – portability, meaningful feedback, and greater efficiency. The Aspen Handbook for Legal Writers, a brief and accessible reference on mechanics and style, is a useful companion to any legal writing text. Targetedat the needs of legal writers, the text initially focuses on the rules of grammar, style, and usage—with plenty of examples. A section on Legal Documentsoffers strategies to improve legal writing, with sample letters, memorandum, case brief, trial brief, and appellate brief. Numerous, helpful examples showcaseboth good and bad writing. This practical approach helps law students with common problems and dilemmas: substitutions for “legalese,” lists of commonly used legal idioms, spellingtips, advice on organization and the legal writing process, proofreading, and document design. Modeled after handbooks used at the undergraduate level,the Handbook features a small trim size, comb-binding, clear organization, two-color printing, and helpful design elements to highlight importantinformation. Distinctive features designed with the student in mind include Websites for each topic addressed, Tips and Strategies to highlight key topicssuch as breaking writers’ blocks, meeting deadlines, communicating by email and text messaging, ethics notes, and Challenge Exercises in each chapterto test mastery. A brief Table of Contents on the inside front cover and Style Sheet on the inside back cover offer quick reference. Key Features: For all writers, pragmatic and useful information is given on beginning the writing process, tips to meet deadlines, common legal conventions or traditions, common blunders made by legal writers, and proofreading and document design. The fundamental features of legal writing (accuracy, readability, clarity, and brevity) are covered in depth. Quiz or ‘Challenge’ questions test readers’ comprehension of the material and showcase methods to improve writing. Sample documents are provided for the most common types of legal writings, including: Sample demand letter Sample opinion letter Sample legal memorandum Sample trial court brief Sample appellate brief (which includes a table of authorities) Sample case brief Sample litigation document (a complaint for breach of contract) Sample transactional document (a joint venture agreement) Electronic communications are covered–twenty tips for using email in a professional setting are given, along with tips for web conferences, texting, and communicating through social media. The Handbook also includes an Appendix on English as a Second Language, which should be helpful to students and new attorneys whose language of origin is not English. CasebookConnectfeatures: ONLINE E-BOOK Law school comes with a lot of reading, so access your enhanced e-book anytime, anywhere to keep up with your coursework. Highlight, take notes in the margins, and search the full text to quickly find coverage of legal topics. PRACTICE QUESTIONS Quiz yourself before class and prep for your exam in the Study Center. Practice questions fromExamples & Explanations,Emanuel Law Outlines,Emanuel Law in a Flashflashcards, and other best-selling study aid series help you study for exams while tracking your strengths and weaknesses to help optimize your study time. OUTLINE TOOL Most professors will tell you that starting your outline early is key to being successful in your law school classes. The Outline Tool automatically populates your notes and highlights from the e-book into an editable format to accelerate your outline creation and increase study time later in the semester.

The Oxford Handbook of Language and Law

The Oxford Handbook of Language and Law
Author: Peter Meijes Tiersma
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 665
Release: 2012-03-08
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN: 0199572127

This book provides a state-of-the-art account of past and current research in the interface between linguistics and law. It outlines the range of legal areas in which linguistics plays an increasing role and describes the tools and approaches used by linguists and lawyers in this vibrant new field. Through a combination of overview chapters, case studies, and theoretical descriptions, the volume addresses areas such as the history and structure of legal languages, its meaning and interpretation, multilingualism and language rights, courtroom discourse, forensic identification, intellectual property and linguistics, and legal translation and interpretation. Encyclopedic in scope, the handbook includes chapters written by experts from every continent who are familiar with linguistic issues that arise in diverse legal systems, including both civil and common law jurisdictions, mixed systems like that of China, and the emerging law of the European Union.

Law and Authors

Law and Authors
Author: Jacqueline D. Lipton
Publisher: University of California Press
Total Pages: 272
Release: 2020-08-04
Genre: Law
ISBN: 0520301803

This accessible, reader-friendly handbook will be an invaluable resource for authors, agents, and editors in navigating the legal landscape of the contemporary publishing industry. Drawing on a wealth of experience in legal scholarship and publishing, Jacqueline D. Lipton provides a useful legal guide for writers whatever their levels of expertise or categories of work (fiction, nonfiction, or academic). Through case studies and hypothetical examples, Law and Authors addresses issues of copyright law, including explanations of fair use and the public domain; trademark and branding concerns for those embarking on a publishing career; laws that impact the ways that authors might use social media and marketing promotions; and privacy and defamation questions that writers may face. Although the book focuses on American law, it highlights key areas where laws in other countries differ from those in the United States. Law and Authors will prepare every writer for the inevitable and the unexpected.

Aspen Handbook for Legal Writers

Aspen Handbook for Legal Writers
Author: Deborah E. Bouchoux
Publisher: Aspen Publishing
Total Pages: 512
Release: 2021-02-21
Genre: Law
ISBN: 1543831052

The purchase of this ebook edition does not entitle you to receive access to the Connected eBook with Study Center on CasebookConnect. You will need to purchase a new print book to get access to the full experience, including: lifetime access to the online ebook with highlight, annotation, and search capabilities; practice questions from your favorite study aids; an outline tool and other helpful resources. The Aspen Handbook for Legal Writers is the concise reference students turn to again and again. Deborah E. Bouchoux’s straightforward exposition, examples, and exercises cover every stage of the writing process. Practical tips and strategies clarify gray areas and shed light on important details that are frequently overlooked. Numerous examples throughout the text highlight the differences between ineffective and effective legal writing. New to the Fifth Edition: New exercises and challenges to test mastery of topics discussed Updated websites Revised Appendix A on citation form in accord with the twenty-first edition of The Bluebook Entirely new section on the use of the singular they for indefinite and generic nouns and strategies to achieve gender-inclusive language New practical tips on timely and helpful topics such as using technology to improve writing and how to trim lengthy URLs New sections covering: a step-by-step approach to preparing an outline use of roadmaps in writing projects how to prepare an email letter Significantly enhanced discussion of informal or email memos Enhanced discussion of ethical issues, such as protecting confidential client information in marketing materials, the ethics of texting, and the ethical implications of using social media New sample documents, including a demand letter, an email letter, and an email memo Coverage of Zoom-type conferences, as part of electronic communications Professors and student will benefit from: Grammar, style, and usage, presented in a clear and concise format Numerous helpful examples that illustrate strong legal writing and common errors to avoid A special Legal Documents section with tips and strategies for writing letters, memoranda, briefs (both trial and appellate), and transactional documents Website resources for every topic Tips, Strategies, and Ethics Alerts that focus on key topics Challenge Exercises that test your knowledge A Quick-Reference Table of Contents A Quick-Reference Style Sheet Answer Keys to Challenge Exercises, Citation Form, section for English Language Learners, and Sample Appellate Brief in the appendices

Oxford Guide to Plain English

Oxford Guide to Plain English
Author: Martin Cutts
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2007
Genre: English language
ISBN: 9780199233458

Plain English is an essential tool for effective communication. Information transmitted in letters, documents, reports, contracts, and forms is clearer and more understandable when presented in straightforward terms. The Oxford Guide to Plain English provides authoritative guidance on how towrite plain English using easy-to-follow guidelines which cover straightforward language, sentence length, active and passive verbs, punctuation, grammar, planning, and good organization.This handy guide will be invaluable to writers of all levels. It provides essential guidelines that will allow readers to develop their writing style, grammar, and punctuation. The book also offers help in understanding official jargon and legalese giving the plain English alternatives.This guide gives hundreds of real examples and shows 'before and after' versions of texts of different kinds which will help readers to look critically at their own writing. Helpfully organized into 21 short chapters, each covering a different aspect of writing. Clearly laid out, and easy to use,the Oxford Guide to Plain English is the best guide to writing clear and helpful documents.