Becoming A Legal Writer

From a master teacher and writer, a fully revised and updated edition of the results-oriented approach to legal writing that is clear, that persuades—and that WINS. More than almost any profession, the law has a deserved reputation for opaque, jargon-clogged writing. Yet forceful writing is one of the most potent weapons of legal advocacy. In this new edition of Writing to Win, Steven D. Stark, a former lecturer on law at Harvard Law School, who has inspired thousands of aspiring and practicing lawyers, applies the universal principles of powerful, vigorous prose to the job of making a legal case—and winning it. Writing to Win focuses on the writing of lawyers, not judges, and includes dozens of examples of effective (and ineffective) real-life legal writing—as well as compelling models drawn from advertising, journalism, and fiction. It deals with the challenges lawyers face in writing, from organization to strengthening and editing prose; offers incisive ways of improving arguments; addresses litigation and technical writing in all its forms; and covers the writing attorneys must perform in their daily practice, from email memos to briefs and contracts. Each chapter opens with a succinct set of rules for easy reference. With new sections on client communication and drafting affidavits, as well as updated material throughout, Writing to Win is the most practical and efficacious legal-writing manual available.

"This book aims to demystify the legal writing process by providing concrete formulas-both macro and micro formulas-for mastering the content required for objective and persuasive legal analysis. The "macro" formula we start with in this book is CRAC, which stands for Conclusion ("C"), Rule ("R"), Analysis ("A"), and Conclusion ("C"). Within this macro formula, we use "micro" formulas to help you draft the different parts of CRAC. This book also takes different parts of legal work product, such as the introduction to a motion or the question presented of an objective memo, and breaks those parts down into components so that you can see how they are put together and then can write your own by applying those basic constructs. At each juncture of your legal writing journey, this book will give you a roadmap to follow (and a step-by-step list of directions) such that you will never feel completely lost and never find yourself faced with an entirely blank page"--

Whether you're a novice in the field of law or a trained paralegal, "So you want to be a Michigan Legal Writer," is designed for you - a Michigan prisoner. As a law clerk for numerous years, a repetitive question was, "where can I find..." That question is answered here. Starting with its easy to read introduction to the Making of the Legal Writer, the author takes the reader on a brief history of American laws, Michigan Laws and the federal and state court system. This self-help legal manual offers chapters on judicial reviews, administrative and appellate exhaustions, and proven practical strategies for finding applicable law using the LexisNexis for preparing effective motions and briefs. There are also sample pleadings every prisoner will eventually need and a thorough post-conviction section. Within its 10 insightful chapters, and an Appendix filled with hard to find MiDOC pertinent information, federal and state addresses, and a glossary of selected terms, this single manual will answer that question the reader is asking.

The Handbook for the New Legal Writer teaches the concepts and skills covered in the first-year legal writing and research course in a way that meets the needs of today’s law students. The coursebook’s focus is on showing, not telling, students how to write effective legal documents using numerous examples and step-by-step instruction. The authors provide practical lessons on the basic writing and research tasks attorneys perform daily and include annotated samples written by judges, practitioners, and the authors. The text covers objective writing, persuasive writing, legal research, and citation using a “handbook” format, allowing easy access to key information. It also provides the option of using the book as a reference tool later in law practice. New to the Second Edition: Updated and expanded approaches to writing Questions Presented Expanded instruction on how to write shorter and less formal legal memos to reflect an increasingly modern approach Dozens of new examples from recently decided cases and additional examples of commonly prepared legal documents, including objective memos, emails, letters, and motions A new, short chapter on the IRAC organizational structure, guiding students on how to write law school exam answers and bar exam essays Updated guidance on writing style and grammar to reflect an increasingly modern approach in legal writing. For example, most Supreme Court justices now use contractions regularly and use "since" interchangeably with "because" even though the vast majority of legal writing textbooks advise otherwise. Professors and students will benefit from: Comprehensive coverage of all first-year legal writing topics (predictive and persuasive writing, grammar and writing style, professional correspondence, judicial writing, oral argument, research, and citation)—allowing students to use one book for all two (or three) semesters Concise and readable style that makes the book a “breath of fresh air” from other assigned law school reading Easy-to-grasp concept of “anchors” that move new law students from effective case reading and briefing to effective legal writing A multitude of annotated examples to show students how to put their legal writing skills into practice and to illustrate how to write commonly assigned documents, including objective memos, emails, letters, judicial opinions, persuasive motions, and appellate briefs

Rev. ed. of: Legal reasoning, writing, and persuasive argument. c2006.

Aimed at students of public relations, this second edition provides practical writing instruction for those preparing to enter the public relations profession. It uses a process approach to address a variety of writing formats and circumstances.

In Point Made, Ross Guberman uses the work of great advocates as the basis of a valuable, step-by-step brief-writing and motion-writing strategy for practitioners. The author takes an empirical approach, drawing heavily on the writings of the nation's 50 most influential lawyers.