The Legal Writing Handbook: Analysis, Research And Writing [Paperback]

Laurel Currie Oates (Author), Anne Enquist (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2006 | ISBN-10: 0735555680 | ISBN-13: 978-0735555686 | Edition: 4th

Students and professors will welcome this new edition of the only text for legal writing and research that covers all three key components of the first-year course -- research, writing, and analysis. <p class="copymedium"> These distinctive features earned THE LEGAL WRITING HANDBOOK its popularity: </p> <ul> <li class="copymedium"> comprehensive coverage of analysis, writing, and research </li> <li class="copymedium"> teaches a state of the art approach to legal research, with an emphasis on electronic research </li> <li class="copymedium"> uses a process approach to lead students from pre-writing to drafting, editing, and the final draft </li> <li class="copymedium"> begins with the basics of the legal system, introducing students to how to read and analyze statutes and cases, then takes students through the process of writing an objective memorandum and trial and appellate briefs </li> <li class="copymedium"> offers resources to help students become more effective writers, including extensive guidance on effective legal style, grammar, and mechanics </li> <li class="copymedium"> demonstrates concepts through the use of examples </li> <li class="copymedium"> provides grammar and rhetorical/cultural information designed specifically for law students for whom English is a second language </li> <li class="copymedium"> broad coverage makes the book easy to adapt for two-, three-, or four-semester programs </li> <li class="copymedium"> provides numerous exercises in an accompanying Practice Book to help students master research and writing skills </li> <li class="copymedium"> the comprehensive Teacher¿s Manual and Teaching Materials website includes teaching guidance, handouts, and sample lessons and diagnostic test (also available online) for pinpointing writing problems </li> </ul> <p class="copymedium"> Through painstaking editing, the Fourth Edition incorporates new material without increasing the length of the book: </p> <ul> <li class="copymedium"> a reorganized and updated presentation of research reflects the changes in practice. Exhibits are now included on CD with the book, for easy reference. </li> <li class="copymedium"> a new section on legal reading </li> <li class="copymedium"> the section on writing memos includes new examples and an additional chapter on writing more sophisticated memos </li> <li class="copymedium"> the increased use of Practice Pointers and Questions reflects the latest research on active learning, while the emphasis on teaching underlying structures applies research on transfer of learning </li> <li class="copymedium"> new, short sections raise issues relating to professionalism and the role of lawyers </li> <li class="copymedium"> the chapter on effective paragraphs and the sections on Legal Writing for English-as-a-Second-Language Students and on bias-free and gender-neutral language are all thoroughly updated </li> <li class="copymedium"> new material offers advice on how to avoid procrastination and other writing obstacles </li> </ul> <p> An author website to support classroom instruction using this title is available at <a href="http://www.aspenlawschool.com/oates_enquist" target="_blank"> http://www.aspenlawschool.com/oates_enquist</a> </p>

Product Details

• Paperback: 960 pages
• Publisher: Aspen Publishers; 4th edition (May 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0735555680
• ISBN-13: 978-0735555686
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 6.9 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #395,581 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #53 in Books > Law > Law Practice > Research
  • #95 in Books > Law > One-L > Legal Writing

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Immense Help to Any Lawyer and Law Student!, July 9, 2002

By 

Jim Moran - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Legal Writing Handbook: Analysis, Research, and Writing (Legal Research and Writing) (Paperback)

Oates, Enquist, and Kunsch have published the third edition of The Legal Writing Handbook, one of the most comprehensive legal writing books available today. This book speaks powerfully about the entire legal writing process. There is a definite art and science to crafting legal documents and this book provides the detailed instruction necessary for legal professionals and law students to produce truly outstanding work.

Readers are briefly introduced to the American legal system in terms of government and court history, responsibilities, accountability, and the nature of both common and enacted laws. Then comes the real meat - performing legal research and analysis, making use of available printed and online resources, learning sound legal grammar, and instruction for crafting a variety of professional legal documents that lawyers write most often - legal advice memos, client letters, motion briefs, and appellate briefs.

The book is very helpful in terms of crafting legal documents. Readers will quickly pick up on how to select the right words and how to effectively structure their thoughts. Like the work of a sculptor or clay modeler, legal documents should be crafted in such a way as to convey the right message to the right people. Through a variety of gripping written examples the reader will learn just how important it is to devote quality time and to give serious thought to the legal writing process.

The book reveals in no uncertain terms that there are definite strategies involved in crafting legal documents. Whether one is an attorney for a plaintiff or defendant, a law enforcement officer, or prosecutor, the outcome of court cases can hinge on one's writing skills. One revelation from the book that will hit readers hard is that clever legal document writers can act unethically by crafting their legal documents in such a way as to distort the truth to get guilty people off. Likewise, there is the possibility of trying to convict totally innocent people. An innocent person can be made to appear quite guilty of a crime by cleverly crafting such documents. Certain facts can be emphasized or de-emphasized, mis-truths can be implied through the clever use of wording and structuring, and so on, to cast particular people in poor light. Readers will find utterly amazing - and perhaps a bit frightening - how opposing parties can take the same set of facts and circumstances and craft two entirely different perspectives involving the same case matter!

Readers are also introduced to the many types of helpful and essential legal research resources available to them - online court decisions and statues, online information brokering services, law dictionaries and encyclopedias, law reviews, and general practice books - all of which will greatly contribute to the legal writing process.

This book will be of immense help to any lawyer and law student desiring to develop their legal writing skills - or to polish up their existing ones. They will be introduced to a number of essential research and writing resources, they will be exposed to expert writing instruction and numerous legal documents, and they learn how to best represent their clients in legal matters. This is must reading for lawyers, law school students, and other legal professionals!

0 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars misrepresentation, July 30, 2009

By 

Thomas M. Walker - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Legal Writing Handbook: Analysis, Research And Writing (Paperback)

another false claim by amazon, since I clicked on the so-called one click option, today, september 11 and the delivery dates says sept 18-21. Is that a two day option? your company either cannot count or misleads the customer

0 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Never Received My Book, July 6, 2009

By 

Law Student - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Legal Writing Handbook: Analysis, Research And Writing (Paperback)

I ordered my Legal Writing Book for law school on June 2nd. It was suppose to ship from Auburn, WA on June 4th to a business in Tacoma, WA. I never received the book. I had to wait until June 25th, before they would do anything for me, since they did not use a tracking number and kept insisting it might still be in transit. I was very disappointed and hated that they couldn't help me until the 21 days mark. Luckily, I was able to use a friends book in the mean time. I was able to get my money back with no hassle. It took about 5 days to show up in my account.