In my last column, we looked at editing tools built into a piece of software you’re probably already using: Microsoft Word. But many other editing programs integrate with Word—and offer much greater functionality. These tools automate much of the writing advice that I try to share in this column, so I’ll just come out and say it: you should download and use one or more of these programs. Indeed, to the extent that these programs can help us produce better writing in less time—which, of course, benefits clients—I’d suggest that lawyers might have an obligation to use them. No, these programs aren’t perfect. No, they can’t do the writing for you— that’s still up to you. And, yes, you’ll still have to review the suggested edits and make judgment calls. But these tools do speed the editing process, and they’ll point out things that you might have missed or might not have considered at all.

There are many editing programs out there, but here are three that are worth checking out.

Citation
Joe Fore, Leveraging Tech Tools to Improve Your Writing, Part 2, 70 Virginia Lawyer 62 (October, 2021).