Legal writing exercises : a practical guide to clear and persuasive writing for lawyers

Legal writing is specialized writing that has its own terminology, techniques, and forms. However, legal writing adheres to the same fundamentals as other types of writing. This book's purpose is to develop the reader's legal writing skills so that he or she can effectively communicate with others in the language of the law. Each major section starts with an explanation of a core concept of good writing and is followed by exercises. By working through the exercises the reader will learn how to write concise, powerful sentences; eliminate unneeded words: and structure and combine sentences and paragraphs to create clear and persuasive documents, letters, and other types of written communication. Specific areas of coverage include: Using active and passive sentences and writing with verbs, Editing for wordiness, Writing with emphasis, clarity, and specificity, Combining sentences and editing paragraphs, Organizing paragraphs and creating coherence, Advocating a writing approach similar to the classic book Elements of Style, the interactive approach of Legal Writing exercises will help readers to master and make their own the key principles of effective written communication. Book jacket.

• Preface p. xi
• Chapter 1 Introduction: General Principles of Writing and Editing p. 1
• Chapter Goals p. 1
• The Three Stages of Writing p. 2
• The Pre-writing Stage p. 2
• The Editing Stage p. 5
• A Holistic Approach to Writing p. 7
• Retrieval Exercises p. 10
• Conclusion p. 10
• Chapter 2 Active and Passive Sentences and Writing with Verbs p. 11
• Chapter Goals p. 11
• Use the Active Voice p. 12
• Write with Verbs p. 18
• Don't Overuse the Verbs "To Be" or "To Have" p. 23
• Avoid Complex Verb Constructions p. 25
• Chapter 3 Editing for Wordiness p. 29
• Chapter Goals p. 29
• Edit Wordy Expressions p. 29
• Eliminate Unnecessary Repetitions p. 37
• Eliminate "There" or "It" Constructions p. 40
• Eliminate Long Descriptive Phrases p. 42
• Eliminate Wordy Negative Expressions p. 44
• Shorten Introductory Phrases p. 46
• Conclusion p. 49
• Chapter 4 Emphasis, Clarity, and Specificity p. 51
• Chapter Goals p. 51
• Emphasis p. 51
• Make Lists Clear p. 59
• Avoid Clichés and Legal Jargon p. 61
• Be Specific p. 64
• Conclusion p. 73
• Chapter 5 Combining Sentences and Editing Paragraphs p. 75
• Chapter Goals p. 75
• Recognizing Sentence Patterns and Combining Sentences p. 76
• Eliminate Redundant Sentences p. 89
• Don't Tread Water p. 90
• Paragraph Editing Exercises p. 92
• Do Not Overuse Particular Words within a Paragraph p. 95
• Avoid Abrupt Verb Tense Changes p. 98
• Conclusion p. 101
• Chapter 6 Organizing Paragraphs and Creating Coherence p. 103
• Chapter Goals p. 103
• Introduction p. 103
• Paragraph Unity p. 105
• Organizing Paragraphs p. 112
• Creating Coherence and Flow p. 119
• Conclusion p. 127
• Chapter 7 The Small-Scale Paradigm p. 129
• Chapter Goals p. 129
• Small-Scale Paradigm Defined p. 129
• Small-Scale Paradigm Outline p. 130
• Conclusion p. 130
• Law p. 131
• Application p. 133
• Small-Scale Paradigm and Paragraphing Outline p. 138
• More Complex Paradigm Outline p. 139
• Finding Problems in the Small-Scale Paradigm p. 141
• Counterargument and the Small-Scale Paradigm p. 149
• Conclusion p. 151
• Chapter 8 Large- and Medium-Scale Organization p. 153
• Chapter Goals p. 153
• Organization of a Discussion or Argument Section p. 154
• Example: Negligence p. 155
• Example: Intentional Infliction of Emotional Harm p. 155
• Example: Intentional Infliction of Emotional Harm p. 156
• Example: Fair Use Statute (Copyright) p. 157
• Example: Fair Use p. 159
• Articulating the Organization p. 160
• Introduction p. 160
• Headings and Subheadings p. 163
• Thesis Paragraphs p. 166
• Closure p. 168
• Conclusion p. 169
• Bringing It Together p. 170
• Other Types of Medium- and Large-Scale Organization p. 172
• Creating Continuity and Flow Between Paragraphs, Subsections, and Sections p. 176
• Chapter 9 Review p. 181
• The Keys to Clear Legal Writing p. 181
• Wrap Up p. 201
• Glossary p. 203