Customer Reviews

Elements of Legal Writing: A Guide to the Principles of Writing Clear, Concise,

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I am a law professor and this is the one book about legal writing I recommend to my students. However, please note that this book is not a textbook. There are better textbooks to teach [and learn] analytical thinking, persuasive writing and legal research. What this book provides is a great quick reference guide to some of the most common problems in writing in general and legal writing in particular. The book is well organized and concise. The material is organized around short rules and for every rule there are good examples of poor writing and suggestions on how to improve it.

Go ahead and use this book as a reference. Skim it once in a while to refresh your memory about correct legal style. But don't sit down and read it straight through, as I did. I found it slow going and dry.

This book is one of many on legal writing. The information usually stays the same even though the titles change. It would be a good start for an attorney with little background in writing. But if you've read other books on legal writing, pass this one by.

It seems we all have to learn to read legal documents to some extent even if we can afford an attorney. After all, it's everywhere: case citations, endless references to precedent, citations to authoritative sources and a host of formalities to follow.

I found a way to learn to read legal documents - by learning the basics of legal writing. It's a direct path. Because of this book I easily recognize predictive analysis, persuasive analysis, legal drafts and academic legal writing. This has helped me navigate legalese, the standard abstruseness writing style. This is the basis for cell phone contracts and many other real-life situations where it's not necessary to call an attorney.

In summary, I got this book just to educate myself a little regarding legal documents. It helped me gain confidence in doing things we all have to do.

THE ELEMENTS OF LEGAL WRITING nowadays are clear, simple everyday language avoiding lawyerisms and following standard grammar and word order. Computer and word processing graphic design and typeface breakthroughs make how documents look important: text in attractively manageable chunks, such as paragraphs each generally running no longer than about 1/4-1/2 of the page, and with descriptive headings, footnotes and transitions prioritizing orderly presentation of ideas and respecting the visually balancing role of white space. Authors Martha Faulk and Irving M Mehler review effective format, grammar, organization, tone, and word order choices. Their book would interest readers of Clarice R Cox and Jerrold G Brown's REPORT WRITING FOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE PROFESSIONALS, THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND CRIMINOLOGY ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB, Barbara Frazee and Joseph N Davis' PAINLESS POLICE REPORT WRITING, and Don MacLeod's THE INTERNET GUIDE FOR THE LEGAL RESEARCHER