8/17/2017 10 tips for better legal writing

10tipsforbetterlegalwriting
abajournal.com /magazine/article/10_tips_for_better_legal_writing/

BryanGarneronWords

PostedOctober1,2014,3:00amCDT

ByBryanA.Garner

inShare

PhotoofBryanA.GarnerbyTerriGlanger

Throughoutyourcareerasalawyer,you'llbejudgedprofessionally
ontwomainthings:yourinterpersonalskillsandyourwriting.
Althoughtherequirementsofwritingassignmentswillvary
dependingonyourorganization,yoursupervisorandyourclients,
hereare10pointersthatwillimproveyourworkproduct.

1)Besureyouunderstandtheclient'sproblem.Whengivenan
assignment,askplentyofquestions.Readtherelevantdocuments
andtakegoodnotes.Learnallyoucanabouttheclient'ssituation.If
you'reajunioraskedtowriteamemooramotionbutyouaren'ttold
anythingabouttheclient'sactualproblem,askwhatitisinsome
detail.Youmustbeadequatelybriefedandthat'spartlyyour
responsibility.There'salmostnowaytowriteagoodresearch
memointheabstract.Asyou'rereadingcasesandexamining
statutes,you'llbeinamuchbetterpositiontoapplyyourfindingsif
youknowtherelevantspecifics.

2)Don'trelyexclusivelyoncomputerresearch.Combinebook
researchwithcomputerresearch.Don'toverlooksuchobvious
resourcesasCorpusJurisSecundumandAmericanJurisprudence.Lookatindexes,digestsandtreatisestoroundout
yourunderstandingofthesubjectmatter.Andwhenitcomestocomputerresearch,don'tforgetGoogleBooks
(especiallytheadvancedsearchfunction):Itcanopenupagreatvarietyoffreshresourcesinadditiontowhatyoufind
withWestlaworLexis.

3)Neverturninapreliminaryversionofaworkinprogress.Acommonshortcomingofgreenorhurried
researchers,especiallywhenaprojectisslightlyoverdue,istoturninaninterimdraftinthehopeofgettingpreliminary
feedback.Thatcanberuinous.Whatbusysupervisorwantstoreadserialdrafts?Besides,youshouldneverturnin
tentativeworkit'sbettertobealittlelatethanwrong.Thatgoesforturninginprojectstoimpatientclientsaswell.But
keepyoursupervisor(and,ifwarranted,yourclient)updatedonthestatusofyourwork.

4)Summarizeyourconclusionsupfront.Whetheryou'rewritingaresearchmemo,anopinionletterorabrief,you'll
needanupfrontsummary.Thattypicallyconsistsofthreethings:theprincipalquestions,theanswerstothose
questionsandthereasonsforthoseanswers.Ifyou'redraftingamotionorbrief,trytostateonpageonethemainissue
andwhyyourclientshouldwinandputitinawaythatyourfriendsandrelativescouldunderstand.That'syourbiggest
challenge.
8/17/2017 10 tips for better legal writing

Ifyou'rewritingaresearchmemo,putthequestion,theanswerandthereasonupfront.Don'tdelaytheconclusionuntil
theend,asunthinkingwritersdo,naivelyassumingthatthereaderwillslogallthewaythroughthememoasifitwerea
mysterynovel.Andneveropenwithafullblownstatementoffactsdespitewhatyoumayhavelearnedelsewhere.
Why?Becausefactsareuselesstoareaderwhodoesn'tyetunderstandwhattheissueis.Instead,integrateafewkey
factsintoyourissuestatement.

5)Makeyoursummaryunderstandabletooutsiders.It'snotenoughtosummarize.Youmustsummarizeinaway
thateveryconceivablereadernotjusttheassigninglawyercanunderstand.Sodon'twriteyourissuethisway:
"WhetherGoliadcantakeataxdeductionontherentfreespacegrantedtoDavidoffunderI.R.C.170(f)(3)?"That's
incomprehensibletomostreadersbecauseit'stooabstractanditassumesinsiderknowledge.Also,itdoesn'tshowany
masteryoftheproblem.

You'dbebetteroffsettinguptheprobleminseparatesentencestotalingnomorethan75words:"GoliadEnterprises,a
forprofitcorporation,hasgrantedtheDavidoffFoundation,ataxexemptcharity,theuseofofficespaceinGoliad's
buildingfreeofcharge.WilltheInternalRevenueServiceallowGoliadtoclaimacharitabledeductionforthevalueof
therentfreelease?"

Thenprovidethebriefanswer:"No.Section170(f)(3)oftheInternalRevenueCodedisallowscharitabledeductionsfor
grantsofpartialinterestsinpropertysuchasleases."

Frontloadingtheinformation,withacomprehensiblequestionbeforetheanswer,ismorehelpfultoyoursenior
colleaguesbecauseitachievesgreaterclarity.Don'tpresumethatyourcolleagueswill(orcan)translateyourobscurity.

6)Don'tbetootentativeinyourconclusions,butdon'tbetoococksure,either.Lawschoolexamsencourage
studentstousetheonehandotherhandapproach:Theoutcomecouldbethis,oritcouldbethat.Evenexperienced
lawyerssometimeshedgeneedlessly.Thisapproachcanlookwishywashy.What'swantedisyourbestthoughtabout
howacourtwillcomedownonanissue.

7)Striketherightprofessionaltone:naturalbutnotchatty.Somelawyers,especiallylessexperiencedonesbeing
encouragedtoavoidlegalese,endupturningblithelyinformalandfloutingthenormsofstandardEnglish,especiallyin
emailmessages.Forexample,theymightwrite"u"insteadof"you"and"cd"insteadof"could."Someevenuse
emoticons.Evenifyoufindyourselfworkingforafirmwheresomepeopledothesethings,exerciserestraint.Use
conventionalpunctuationandcapitalizationinyouremailmessages.Yourcolleagueswon'tthinkanylessofyou,and
yoursupervisorswillappreciateyourprofessionalism.

8)Mastertheapprovedcitationform.Findoutwhatthestandardsareforcitingauthorityinyourjurisdiction.In
California,lawyersfollowtheCaliforniaStyleManual.InNewYork,theyshould(butfrequentlydon't)followtheNew
YorkLawReportsStyleManual.InTexas,everyknowledgeablepractitionerfollowstheTexasRulesofForm.Other
stateshavetheirownguides.And,ofcourse,TheBluebookandtheALWDGuidetoLegalCitationarewidelyusedas
defaults(andsometimesrequiredbycourtrules).Evenifyou'renotinclinedtocaremuchaboutthesethings,you'd
betterlearntoobsessoverthem.Otherwise,you'lllookunschooled.

9)Cuteveryunnecessarysentencethengobackthroughandcuteveryunnecessaryword.Verbositymakes
yourwritingseemclutteredandunderthought.Learntodeleteeverysurplusword.Forexample,generalconsensusof
opinionisdoublyredundant:Aconsensusrelatesonlytoopinions,andaconsensusisgeneralbyitsverynature.You
canreplacethephraseanumberofwithseveralormany.Andinordertotypicallyhastwowordstoomanytocando
theworkalone.Soinsteadofinordertodeterminedamages,writetodeterminedamages.

ThelateJudgeDavidBazelonoftheU.S.CourtofAppealsfortheDistrictofColumbiaCircuitwasasticklerforsuper
tightprose.Once,whenhisstudentclerk,EugeneGelernter(nowaNewYorkCitylitigator),broughthimadraftopinion,
thegreatjudgesaid:"Nicedraft,Gene.Nowgobackandreaditagain.Takeouteveryparagraphyoudon'tneed,then
everysentenceyoudon'tneed.Thengobackandtakeouteverywordyoudon'tneed.Then,whenyou'redonewith
that,gobackandstartthewholeprocessalloveragain."Weshouldallhavesuchamentor.
8/17/2017 10 tips for better legal writing

10)Proofreadonemoretimethanyouthinknecessary.Ifyoueverfindyourselfgettingsickoflookingatyourwork
productandstartingtodosomethingrashsuchasthrowingyourhandsupandjustturningitinatthatmoment,pull
yourselfupshort.Giveitagooddramaticreading.Outloud.You'llstillfindsomeslipsandroughpatchesandyou'llbe
gladyoudid.Betterthatyoufindtheproblemsthanyourreadersdo.Learnthelessonthatmutilatingandreworking
yourownfirstdraftsactuallybuildsyouregoasawriterandeditor.

Let'ssayyou'rea30yearlawyer,likemenotanewlawyer.Thesesamepointersholdtrue.It'sagoodreminder:Don't
takeshortcuts.

BryanA.GarneristhepresidentofLawProseInc.Heistheauthorofmanybooksandtheeditorinchiefofallcurrent
editionsofBlack'sLawDictionary.

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