“Use parallel structure here, for greater readability.” I don’t know how many times I’ve written that comment on students’ memo and brief drafts. I do know that the majority of those times, I’ve gotten this follow-up question: “Can you explain exactly what you mean by parallel structure?” It’s a hard writing technique to explain, which is why I thought this…
I’m not a fan of neologisms—newly developed or coined words that fall into mainstream usage and gain a foothold. (Think “mansplain” or “staycation” or “bromance.”) As someone whose bread and butter comes from teaching students to use words thoughtfully and precisely, I find neologisms distracting and annoying, especially when I see them in writing. But sometimes, there is simply no…
In recent Writing That Works columns, I focused on precision and clarity, two of the hallmarks of good legal writing. Today’s column is devoted to the third hallmark—conciseness. I deliberately chose to address conciseness last, because I think it’s subordinate to the other two hallmarks; in other words, we shouldn’t sacrifice precision and clarity in the name of conciseness. Nonetheless,…
This year, I’ve had the privilege of speaking about effective legal writing in a number of live presentations and webinars. In the Q&A portion of each one, attendees asked about the propriety of starting sentences with conjunctions and ending sentences with prepositions. They sensed, and I agree, that some of the rules of writing that have been passed down for…
Over twenty-three years of teaching legal writing, I have read many student briefs. Many, many student briefs. Each year, as I grade my students’ final briefs, I find myself reflecting on the same question: what really distinguishes a great brief from a good brief? It’s not usually the content; all of the students are working with the same body of…
Recognition is a regular feature of NC Lawyer. To submit notices, email Russell Rawlings. Courtney M. Achee of Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP in Charlotte has been appointed to a two-year term as chair of the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) KnowledgeNet Charlotte Chapter. IAPP KnowledgeNet Chapters bring local privacy communities together through educational meetings and networking activities. Suzanne…
The Education Law Section presented the Ann L. Majestic Distinguished Service Award to Janine Murphy on April 12.
No matter how often you write there is always room for improvement. Correct word choice, sentence structure, and impeccable grammar are requirements. Structure, flow, meaning, and intent are vital to cognition. Your writing should be clear and unambiguous. There are tips and tools to help you write more effectively. Writing for the Reader A recent MIT study examined why legal…
I often draw inspiration for my columns from my legal writing students; such is the case with this column. A recent assignment provided a perfect opportunity for my class to discuss the effective use of quotations in legal writing, and I recognized that my students’ questions were probably common to many practicing attorneys. So I offer the following suggestions for…
For decades, attorneys have struggled with many of the citation rules mandated by The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation. Even when the rules are clear, following them to the letter often results in long, clunky citations that detract from the readability of opinions, briefs, and other legal documents. One Bluebook rule that, when followed to the letter, results in…