The Winning Brief: 100 Tips for Persuasive Briefing in Trial and Appellate Courts (Hardcover)

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"All lawyers who rely upon written argument in their practices shoud have a copy of the book close at hand."--New York Law Journal

Product Description

Good legal writing wins court cases. In its first edition, The Winning Brief proved that the key to writing well is understanding the judicial readership. Now, in a revised and updated version of this modern classic, Bryan A. Garner explains the art of effective writing in 100 concise, practical, and easy-to-use sections. Covering everything from the rules for planning and organizing a brief to openers that can capture a judge's attention from the first few words, these tips add up to the most compelling, orderly, and visually appealing brief that an advocate can present. In Garner's view, good writing is good thinking put to paper. 'Never write a sentence that you couldn't easily speak,' he warns-and demonstrates how to do just that. Beginning each tip with a set of quotable quotes from experts, he then gives masterly advice on building sound paragraphs, drafting crisp sentences, choosing the best words ('Strike pursuant to from your vocabulary.'), quoting authority, citing sources, and designing a document that looks as impressive as it reads. Throughout, he shows how to edit for maximal impact, using vivid before-and-after examples that apply the basics of rhetoric to persuasive writing. Filled with examples of good and bad writing from actual briefs filed in courts of all types, The Winning Brief also covers the new appellate rules for preparing federal briefs. Constantly collecting material from his seminars and polling judges for their preferences, the second edition delivers the same solid guidelines with even more supporting evidence. Including for the first time sections on the ever-changing rules of acceptable legal writing, Garner's new edition keeps even the most seasoned lawyers on their toes and writing briefs that win cases. An invaluable resource for attorneys, law clerks, judges, paralegals, law students and their teachers, The Winning Brief has the qualities that make all of Garner's books so popular: authority, accessibility, and page after page of techniques that work. If you're writing to win a case, this book shouldn't merely be on your shelf--it should be open on your desk.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 528 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA; 2 edition (May 13, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 019517075X
• ISBN-13: 978-0195170757
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 7.9 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #16,706 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must-have for practitioners, November 18, 2004

By	S. L. Fabros (Salt Lake City, UT USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I became familiar with this book in law school and it has helped me tremendously. It debunks the myths about which practices are truly expected in briefs and which provide more latitude and freedom for legal writers.

The information is presented in 100 easy-to-understand "tips." Each tip provides quotes from judges, legal scholars, and other literary figures who help to explain why a particular facet of writing is important. Garner also includes examples, oftentimes what-to-do's and what-not-to-do's.

The format of the book makes it easy and helpful to use and the information is invaluable. It's like an advanced course in legal writing.

Highly recommended!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Clear Writing is Persuasive Writing, January 9, 2007

By	Jeffrey M. Pollock (Princeton, NJ) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The Winning Brief is essential reading for any lawyer who cares about writing clearly and persuasively. As a litigation partner and trial lawyer, I am always looking to improve my own skills and find that Bryan Garner's comments are clear and practical. I strongly recommend The Winning Brief because it goes well beyond many texts that discuss generalisms on trial and appellate briefs--Mr. Garner provides instead direct insight into how to move the trier of fact.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Helpful quick refernce, October 18, 2007

By	M. Ivancie (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I am currently a law student, this book provides some insightful ideas and is useful because it doesn't require an hour of reading to pick out helpful relevant tips. All the 100 tips are outlined in the front and back cover so you can skim for something specific and go to it and read it.

The author of this book is highly respected and provides many CLE classes, I recommend this book to anyone looking for ways to improve their brief writing.