We use contractions all the time in our conversations, text messages, and emails: "I'm gonna stop by the store," "She's picking up the food;" "We'll see you tonight," "That won't be a problem." But lawyers and judges traditionally viewed contractions as too casual for an opinion, motion, or letter.' Fortunately, in recent years, as the Plain Language movement picked up steam, the "taboo" around using contractions has slowly eroded. As we'll see below, even some justices on the United States Supreme Court have started slipping the occasional contraction into their opinions. In my view, the acceptance of contractions in legal writing is a good thing, as contractions can create a more conversational tone that "shows confidence" and improves readability. So I hope that lawyers and judges will consider using them more frequently in the years ahead. That said, there are basic ground rules for deciding when to use contractions-and when to avoid them.