The Complete Legal Writer

The Complete Legal Writer
Author: Alexa Z. Chew
Publisher:
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2016
Genre: Law
ISBN: 9781611638127

Please note: The second edition of The Complete Legal Writer will be out in August. The Complete Legal Writer lives up to its name, providing everything legal research and writing professors and students need in a textbook, including citation literacy, research skills, writing process, a wide range of legal documents, and more. Using the cutting-edge Genre Discovery Approach, this book teaches students to guide themselves through the process of writing unfamiliar legal document types and thereby prepares students to write independently in upper-level classes and the workplace. To aid in teaching Genre Discovery, the authors provide three exacting samples of each document type covered in the book, a rhetorical analysis of each document type, and specific questions to guide students as they study the samples. The Complete Legal Writer covers document types that are traditionally taught in the first year, such as office memos and appellate briefs, as well as document types taught in upper-level and non-traditional first-year curricula, including trial briefs, demand letters, and employer blog posts. Furthermore, this book covers an essential skill for all legal writing classes: giving and receiving feedback. In addition to explaining how to give feedback to and receive feedback from peers, an important skill given the rise of peer-feedback practices in the LRW classroom, The Complete Legal Writer also covers how to receive and implement feedback from professors and workplace supervisors in order to improve both a particular document and future documents. "The Complete Legal Writer lives up to its name: it presents a comprehensive, fresh, and intuitive approach to teaching legal writing that invites students to confidently and enthusiastically cross the divide between their prior writing experiences and the world of legal writing. By giving students the tools they need to critically examine the documents that lawyers write, the authors'' genre-discovery approach empowers students to meet (and exceed) the expectations of their new reading audience, even when they are faced with the challenge of writing a document they may not have seen before. With the text''s warm tone, humorous touches, and vivid examples, the authors have hit a homerun that will engage faculty and students alike while arming students with skills they will use throughout their professional lives." -- Ruth Ann McKinney, Emerita Professor of Law, University of North Carolina School of Law "This uniquely reader-centered text indeed empowers students to grow into complete legal writers. The authors gently yet firmly guide students through "genre discovery": careful study of sample legal documents, by which students construct for themselves the conceptual frameworks that writers of such documents need. Students thus till the soil, plant seeds of understanding, and harvest their own insights--and thereby enjoy "ground-up" rather than "top-down" learning that is refreshingly autonomous and remarkably effective." -- Craig T. Smith, Assistant Dean for the Writing and Learning Resources Center and Clinical Professor of Law, University of North Carolina School of Law "The Complete Legal Writer promises much and delivers more. The text covers fundamental concepts including legal logic and analysis, research methodology, the writing process, and citation literacy. The overall tone is refreshingly readable and will undoubtedly resonate with students. What sets the text apart is not the wide variety of sample legal documents offered, but its potential to equip students with a method of evaluating all documents/genres using an approach that will prepare them to write and ultimately to practice more effectively. The rhetorical legal genre approach is quite a discovery, and no law library collection would be complete without this book." --Marie Summerlin Hamm, Law Library Journal

The Complete Bar Writer

The Complete Bar Writer
Author: Alexa Z. Chew
Publisher:
Total Pages:
Release: 2020
Genre: Bar examinations
ISBN: 9781531017873

"The Complete Bar Writer teaches readers how to prepare for the Multistate Performance Test and the Multistate Essay Exam (and similar bar performance tests and essay exams). Readers learn how to transfer the legal writing knowledge that they learned in law school to the bar exam, and how to build upon that foundation with skills specific to bar exam success. The book also fills gaps in readers' knowledge by teaching legal writing, analysis, and reading-and how to do all of those things under pressure. These skills are useful lawyering skills that readers can use after test day. As readers prepare for the bar exam, they will learn how to approach any MPT problem, no matter what kind of document they're assigned to write; how to evaluate their own practice exams and carry that knowledge forward to do better on their next ones; how to prepare for test day; and how to prepare for things that might go wrong. The Complete Bar Writer meets readers where they are with their legal writing knowledge and ensures they have the skills they need on bar exam day"--

Writing to Win

Writing to Win
Author: Steven D. Stark
Publisher: Crown
Total Pages: 322
Release: 2012-04-24
Genre: Law
ISBN: 0307888746

From a master teacher and writer, a fully revised and updated edition of the results-oriented approach to legal writing that is clear, that persuades—and that WINS. More than almost any profession, the law has a deserved reputation for opaque, jargon-clogged writing. Yet forceful writing is one of the most potent weapons of legal advocacy. In this new edition of Writing to Win, Steven D. Stark, a former lecturer on law at Harvard Law School, who has inspired thousands of aspiring and practicing lawyers, applies the universal principles of powerful, vigorous prose to the job of making a legal case—and winning it. Writing to Win focuses on the writing of lawyers, not judges, and includes dozens of examples of effective (and ineffective) real-life legal writing—as well as compelling models drawn from advertising, journalism, and fiction. It deals with the challenges lawyers face in writing, from organization to strengthening and editing prose; offers incisive ways of improving arguments; addresses litigation and technical writing in all its forms; and covers the writing attorneys must perform in their daily practice, from email memos to briefs and contracts. Each chapter opens with a succinct set of rules for easy reference. With new sections on client communication and drafting affidavits, as well as updated material throughout, Writing to Win is the most practical and efficacious legal-writing manual available.

Just Writing

Just Writing
Author: Anne Enquist
Publisher: Aspen Publishing
Total Pages: 465
Release: 2022-01-31
Genre: Law
ISBN: 1543839487

Just Writing: Grammar, Punctuation, and Style for the Legal Writer, Sixth Edition

Plain Language Legal Writing

Plain Language Legal Writing
Author: Cheryl Stephens
Publisher: Lulu.com
Total Pages: 154
Release: 2008-07
Genre: Law
ISBN: 0557014506

A complete guide to clean, precise and understandable legal writing So many books give you advice that turns out to be hollow: "know your audience," "structure your writing." The real strength in Plain Language Legal Writing is how, throughout, Stephens provides clear instructions on how to accomplish what she's recommending. Instead of just telling you to plan what you're going to write, she walks you step-by-step through the planning. Instead of telling you to consider your audience before writing, she describes in detail the sorts of audiences a legal document might have (more than you'd expect!) and how to best meet their needs. Plain Language Legal Writing will help you produce documents that people are willing to read and able to understand. More: PlainLanguageLegalWriting.comOther versions: e-book

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

Art of Advocacy

Art of Advocacy
Author: Noah Messing
Publisher: Aspen Publishing
Total Pages: 487
Release: 2013-06-28
Genre: Law
ISBN: 1454836288

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

Legal Scholar’s Guidebook

Legal Scholar’s Guidebook
Author: Elizabeth E. Berenguer
Publisher: Aspen Publishing
Total Pages: 288
Release: 2020-02-03
Genre: Law
ISBN: 1543820875

The Legal Scholar’s Guidebookdemystifies academic legal writing by providing concrete advice on topic selection, research strategies, and analytical frameworks. It is an essential resource for any serious legal scholar. Nascent scholars will find it a reassuring guide through a demanding process and experienced scholars will find it a source of encouragement. Wherever you are on your scholarly journey, the Guidebook is your compass. Scholars will benefit from: Chapter Brainstormsthat contain Questions guiding entry into stages of the research and writing process. Squelch the Impostor tips that include advice to manage stress inherent at each stage of the research and writing process. Specific assignments to methodically guide the scholar through each stage. Examples, Guides, and Checklists that provide samples to help the scholar understand expectations at each stage.

The Mindful Legal Writer

The Mindful Legal Writer
Author: Heidi K. Brown
Publisher: Aspen Publishing
Total Pages: 385
Release: 2016-02-09
Genre: Law
ISBN: 1454860723

The Mindful Legal Writer: Mastering Persuasive Writing is designed to provide practical real-life context for the role of persuasive legal writing in authentic law practice. Students need to understand WHY lawyers write the way they do, and HOW the students own work product will be useful in real life by a supervising attorney, client, or judge. This book encapsulates ways to inject passion into teaching and learning persuasive legal writing, with the goal of empowering students to take ownership of their writing craft. The Mindful Legal Writer: Mastering Persuasive Writing offers best practices for presenting a legal argument in a logical, engaging, and ethical manner no matter what the assignment. Once students have mastered these fundamentals, they can learn how to add their own artistic flair.