Writing for the Legal Audience

Writing for the Legal Audience
Author: Wayne Schiess
Publisher:
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2014
Genre: Legal composition
ISBN: 9781611633917

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.

Writing for the Legal Audience

Writing for the Legal Audience
Author: Wayne Schiess
Publisher:
Total Pages: 164
Release: 2003
Genre: Law
ISBN:

This book teaches lawyers how to adjust their writing to accommodate twelve different legal audiences. Each chapter addresses a different audience for legal writing, including consumers, supervisors, and trial judges. First, each chapter defines the needs of a specific audience. Next, the chapter offers tips designed to improve legal writing for that audience. Finally, Schiess cites examples of poor legal writing and includes explanations of why the poor examples should be fixed and how to do it. Readers will find sentence structure advice, as well as advice on organization, tone, format, and document design. Using a short, clear, and easy-to-read format, this book is ideal for practicing lawyers or law students who want to improve their writing. "Wayne Schiess knows his stuff, and it shows in this superb book. Any lawyer or paralegal who wants to write better - and therefore succeed more of the time - should keep this book close at hand." -- Bryan A. Garner, President, LawProse, Inc. "A fine book filled with sound, progressive advice about writing for many different legal audiences. Schiess is squarely on the side of plain English--bless him. He will show you the way to better legal writing." -- Joe Kimble, Thomas Cooley Law School "Wayne Schiess makes many superb suggestions for improving your writing by considering your audience's needs and sensibilities." -- Richard K. Neumann, Jr., Hofstra Law School "The writing tips in this book work... It is easy to read, easy to use, and -- especially considering the type of book it is -- surprisingly enjoyable." -- TRIAL, January 2004

Creating the Law

Creating the Law
Author: Michael K. Romano
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 184
Release: 2019-08-30
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 0429867867

Written opinions are the primary means by which judges communicate with external actors. These sentiments include the parties to the case itself, but also more broadly journalists, public officials, lawyers, other judges, and increasingly, the mass public. In Creating the Law, Michael K. Romano and Todd A. Curry examine the extent to which judges tailor their language in order to avoid retribution during their retention, and how institutional variations involving intra-chamber dynamics may influence the written word of a legal opinion. Using an extensive dataset that includes the text of all death penalty and education decisions issued by state supreme courts from 1995–2010, Romano and Curry are the first to examine the connection between retention incentives and language choices. They utilize text analysis techniques developed in the field of communications and apply them to the text of judicial decisions. In doing so, they find that judges write with their audience in mind, and emphasize duelling strategies of justification and persuasion in order to please diverse audiences that may be paying attention. Furthermore, the process of drafting a majority opinion is a team exercise, and when more individuals are involved in its crafting, the product will reflect this complexity. This book gives students the tools for understanding how institutional variation affects judicial outcomes and shows how language relates to decision-making in the judiciary more specifically.

Making Your Case

Making Your Case
Author: Antonin Scalia
Publisher: West Publishing Company
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2008
Genre: Appellate procedure
ISBN: 9780314184719

In their professional lives, courtroom lawyers must do these two things well: speak persuasively and write persuasively. In this noteworthy book, two noted legal writers systematically present every important idea about judicial persuasion in a fresh, entertaining way. The book covers the essentials of sound legal reasoning, including how to develop the syllogism that underlies any argument. From there the authors explain the art of brief writing, especially what to include and what to omit, so that you can induce the judge to focus closely on your arguments. Finally, they show what it takes to succeed in oral argument.

Writing for Dollars, Writing to Please

Writing for Dollars, Writing to Please
Author: Joseph Kimble
Publisher:
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2023
Genre: Government report writing
ISBN: 9781531024543

Writing for Dollars, Writing to Please seeks to change public and legal writing--by making the ultimate case for plain language. The book gathers a large body of evidence for two related truths: using plain language can save businesses and government agencies a ton of money, and plain language serves and satisfies readers in every possible way. It also debunks the ten biggest myths about plain writing and looks back on 50 highlights in plain-language history. The first edition was described by reviewers as "powerful," "compelling," "inspiring," and "astounding." This second edition has been updated and expanded throughout. Professor Joseph Kimble is a leading international expert on this subject. Here is the book that sums up his important work, with a message that is vital to every government writer, business writer, and attorney.

Michigan Legal Research

Michigan Legal Research
Author: Pamela Lysaght
Publisher:
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2016
Genre: Legal research
ISBN: 9781531000585

Michigan Legal Research, Third Edition, is a concise, yet thorough, guide to conducting legal research in Michigan. Importantly, it also includes references to federal legal resources. In addition to updating all sources discussed, this edition, more so than previous editions, focuses on free legal resources, including current commercial and government sources. For the free online sources, this edition includes directions on how to navigate the website to make it easy for the reader to find the relevant information. Where applicable, references to new and established subscription-based resources are juxtaposed against those resources that are available for free. The goal is to help the reader make an informed decision regarding when to use a fee-based service as opposed to a free legal resource. This edition continues to draw upon the authors' years of experience teaching legal writing and research by providing the tools for conducting efficient and effective legal research, as well as discussing the interplay between legal research and legal analysis. This book is part of the Legal Research Series, edited by Suzanne E. Rowe, Director of Legal Research and Writing, University of Oregon School of Law.

Unstuck

Unstuck
Author: Jane Anne Staw
Publisher: Macmillan + ORM
Total Pages: 227
Release: 2005-01-01
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN: 1466826037

None of us is immune to writer's block. From well-known novelists to students, associates in business and law firms, and even those who struggle to sit down to write personal correspondence or journal entries -- everyone who writes has experienced either brief moments or longer periods when the words simply won't come. In Unstuck, poet, author and writing coach Jane Anne Staw uncovers the reasons we get blocked - from practical to emotional, and many in between - and offers powerful ways to get writing again. Based on her experiences working with writers as well as her own struggle with writer's block, Staw provides comfort and encouragement, along with effective strategies for working through this common yet vexing problem. Topics include: understanding what's behind the block * handling anxiety and fear * carving out time and space to write * clearing out old beliefs and doubts * techniques to relax and begin * managing your expectations as well as those of family and friends * experimenting with genre, voice, and subject matter * defusing the emotional traps that sabotage progress and success * ending the struggle and regaining confidence and freedom by finding your true voice - and using it. Writers of all levels will find solace, support, and help in this book, leading them to an even deeper connection with their work and more productivity on the page.

Writing for Litigation

Writing for Litigation
Author: Kamela Bridges
Publisher: Aspen Publishing
Total Pages: 418
Release: 2020-02-02
Genre: Law
ISBN: 1543817076

Writing for Litigation, Second Edition, explains and shows students how to draft litigation documents like a lawyer. Because litigation practice can’t be boiled down to just a few forms, this text provides drafting instruction for the full range of documents used in litigation practice. Authors Kamela Bridges and Wayne Schiess systematically address how audience, purpose, strategy, and ethics factor into the content and tone of effective legal writing at every stage of a case—from client engagement letters to motions, discovery, affidavits, and jury instructions. Students will develop an understanding of the tone and content appropriate to their strategic objectives and their audience. The authors’ backgrounds in legal practice shed light on lawyering skills in Practice Tips throughout the text. New to the Second Edition: Discussion of the ethical principles that govern each type of document, tied to the Model Rules of Professional Responsibility Text and examples that reflect the trend toward electronic filing of documents Revised treatment of discovery issues that reflect changes to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure Sample e-mail letters to a client and opposing counsel How to communicate professionally with text messages Updated cover and page design that offer a new, modern look and more reader-friendly experience Professors and students will benefit from: Broad coverage of both common documents such as pleadings, discovery requests, and motions; and of ancillary documents such as demand letters, client communications, and affidavits Practical tips and advice on strategic legal drafting, writing unambiguously, and diversity sensitivity Clear guidance to the component parts of each type of document A complete set of sample documents in the Appendix

A Dictionary of Modern Legal Usage

A Dictionary of Modern Legal Usage
Author: Bryan A. Garner
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Total Pages: 990
Release: 2001
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 9780195142365

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.