Three Neglected (Keyboard) Keys in Effective Legal Writing
Publisher
Lady (Legal) Writer
Date
2016-6-14
UPDATE: 7.8.16: This article won the LitigationWorld Pick of the Week award, given to one article every week that the editors of LitigationWorld feel is a must-read for litigators, corporate counsel, and others working in litigation.
Several weeks back, Above the Law’s David Lat wrote a post about his trip to the Fifth Circuit’s 2016 Judicial Conference. Lat gave a great recap of Bryan Garner’s presentation on “3 Neglected Keys to Effective Advocacy,” which, very briefly, were:
- Avoid the awkward single-sentence structure for questions/issues presented. Instead, use the multi-sentence “deep issue” structure.
- Use headings that read like regular, full sentences.
- Skip the traditional fluff and make your introductions and conclusions powerful.
These are certainly helpful ideas. But the title of Lat’s piece got me thinking a bit more literally about neglected keys. What are three neglected keyboard keys for effective legal writing? I nominate these three (plus one bonus key)...
Citation
Joe Fore, Three Neglected (Keyboard) Keys in Effective Legal Writing, Lady (Legal) Writer (2016).