The Mindful Legal Writer

Combining two groundbreaking texts for predictive and persuasive writing in one volume, The Mindful Legal Writer: Mastering Predictive and Persuasive Writing, raises awareness of important elements in the legal writing process—such as pacing, purpose, context, analysis, logic, and clarity. Progressing from a mastery of the basics to a professional level of legal communication in client representation and advocacy, Heidi K. Brown’s classroom-tested pedagogy illustrates the pivotal role of written communication for lawyers.

The Mindful Legal Writer: Mastering Persuasive Writing is designed to provide practical real-life context for the role of persuasive legal writing in authentic law practice. Students need to understand WHY lawyers write the way they do, and HOW the students own work product will be useful in real life by a supervising attorney, client, or judge. This book encapsulates ways to inject passion into teaching and learning persuasive legal writing, with the goal of empowering students to take ownership of their writing craft. The Mindful Legal Writer: Mastering Persuasive Writing offers best practices for presenting a legal argument in a logical, engaging, and ethical manner no matter what the assignment. Once students have mastered these fundamentals, they can learn how to add their own artistic flair.

This Legal Writing textbook guides first year law students and those new to legal writing through the thinking and writing process used in the legal profession. It builds skills gradually and introduces students to reading and briefing cases, gathering facts using various methods, drafting memoranda and client communications, and writing for the court. This book covers both predictive and persuasive writing in a way that is accessible to students. Students will also learn to edit their work and the work of others for style and substance. The text gives examples for students to use as models and has many interactive exercises through which students can test their newly acquired skills. The online text has links to the cases that students will need, definitions, videos, and exercises to help them hone their writing skills. In addition to learning about written documents and how to communicate in the U.S. common law system, the authors provide an international perspective. Students will learn about civil law traditions through the comparative exercises included in this text. The text also addresses ways to stay focused and reduce stress during law school and in legal careers through the concept of mindful lawyering. Examples in writing and on video showing how judges and lawyers stay focused and mindful are linked in the text. The second edition utilizes the CasebookPlus(tm) platform, providing your students with digital access to faculty authored self-assessments that provide helpful explanations and digital access to additional study resources, including Gilbert Law Dictionary. Students should enjoy working with this material and the online components of the text and will benefit from the unique features this interactive casebook offers.

Mindful Lawyering introduces students to creative problem-solving and mindfulness in the context of law school and beyond, presenting checklists, scenarios, and hypotheticals that invite student engagement. This concise text, written in an accessible and entertaining manner, can be used in first-year legal methods courses, for law school orientation, or in an academic support setting.

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

Find inspiration and insight on writing as a spiritual practice through astute quotes, thoughtful advice, and productive excercises on both mindfulness and craft. This isn't your typical “how to write” book. Author Dinty W. Moore, a well-respected writing coach and teacher, thoughtfully illuminates the creative process: where writing and creativity originate, how mindfulness plays into work, how to cultivate good writing habits and grow as a person, and what it means to live a life dedicated to writing. The Mindful Writer features bite-sized essays that will delight and inform not only writers, but also other artists, mediators and mindfulness practitioners. Built around heartening quotes from famous writers and thinkers, it is a resource that readers will turn to again and again for guidance and encouragement. This edition includes a new introduction exploring the centrality of mindfulness in a writer's practice and craft as well as a selection of writing prompts to get you started on writing mindfully right away.

This new Legal Writing textbook guides first year law students and those new to legal writing through the thinking and writing process used in the legal profession. It builds skills gradually and introduces students to reading and briefing cases, gathering facts using various methods, drafting memoranda and client communications, and writing for the court. This book covers both predictive and persuasive writing in a way that is accessible to students. Students will also learn to edit their work and the work of others for style and substance. The text gives examples for students to use as models and has many interactive exercises through which students can test their newly acquired skills. The online text has links to the cases that students will need, definitions, videos, and exercises to help them hone their writing skills. In addition to learning about written documents and how to communicate in the U.S. common law system, the authors provide an international perspective. Students will learn about civil law traditions through the comparative exercises included in this text. The text also addresses ways to stay focused and reduce stress during law school and in legal careers through the concept of mindful lawyering. Examples in writing and on video showing how judges and lawyers stay focused and mindful are linked in the text. Students should enjoy working with this material and the online components of the text and will benefit from the unique features this interactive casebook offers.

The Mindful Law Student is an innovative guide to learning about mindfulness and integrating mindfulness practices into the law school experience. Through the use of metaphor, insight, mindfulness practices, and relaxation and self-care exercises, students are reminded of the tools they have long carried with them to navigate the exciting and challenging environment of law school and the practice of law. Scott Rogers brings readers on a journey through the law school experience with seven hypothetical students who experience situations not unlike their own that make tangible the challenges, benefits, and promise of mindfulness. He provides real-world examples of applying mindfulness in law school using language of the law to impart mindfulness insights and practices. This novel guide is an approachable and valuable resource for any law student.