Brief comments on recommended texts for legal writing courses

1. William Strunk and E.B. White, The Elements of Style (4th ed., Longman, 2000)

This short and accessible book provides succinct guidance on style, grammar and
punctuation. Strunk and White’s guidance will help students to write concisely, clearly
and confidently. See, in particular, White’s 21 rules on style at chapter V.

2. Jacques Barzun, Simple and Direct (4th ed., Harper, 2001)

Another excellent book containing many examples of how to improve your writing style.
Note in particular, Barzun’s call for “the very practice of self-criticism here advocated,
which alone leads to improved writing” (p. pxiv).

3. Nicholas J. McBride, Letters to a Law Student (2nd ed., Pearson, 2010)

This well written book contains, at Part 4, a very helpful chapter on writing essays and
answering problem questions. Students will find McBride’s comments on a sample essay
particularly helpful.

4. Emily Finch, Stefan Fafinski, Legal Skills (3rd ed., Oxford University Press, 2011)

This popular and comprehensive textbook on legal skills contains extensive guidance,
and many exercises, on writing skills. It includes chapters on essay and dissertation
writing.

5. James Holland, Julian Webb, Learning Legal Rules (7th ed., Oxford University Press,
2010)

Another popular textbook which offers a clear and though-provoking introduction to

legal method and reasoning. It also contains an excellent chapter on writing clearly and
in the appropriate style, and on using authority and citing sources (chapter 4).

6. Glanville Williams, Learning the Law (14th ed., Sweet & Maxwell, 2010)

Another very popular text which provides a comprehensive and clear overview of the
English legal system. It also includes chapters on answering legal problems and essay
questions which contain many helpful exercises and answers.

7. Richard C. Wydick, Plain English for Lawyers (5th ed., Carolina Academic Press, 2005)

This short and accessible book contains helpful principles on how to write in a plain and
clear manner. It also offers an excellent chapter on punctuation.

8. N.M.Gwynee, Gwynne’s Grammar (Ebury Press, 2013).

A – perhaps unlikely – recent bestseller in the U.K. which offers guidance on how to
write well, including practical and comprehensive guidance on grammar. This book
includes chapters I-IV (though not chapter V on style) of William Strunk and E.B. White’s
The Elements of Style (see above). Note, in particular, Mr Gwynne’s advice that
“Acquiring an effortless command of grammar, indispensable though it is as the
foundation of competent writing or better, is only part of the struggle in the process of
learning to write well consistently. Once that technical side is learnt, what then needs
careful study is how to apply it in order to produce whatever effect one is trying for at any
time. That is to say: how to make one’s writing crystal-clear, or attractive and enjoyable, or
persuasive, or compelling, or any or all of those. That is further to say: how to develop a
writing style capable of suiting any useful purpose.” (p. ix-x).

Anna Howard, January 2015.