How to effectively use legal dictionaries abajournal.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from abajournal.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
This year, Bryan Garner gave us tips for using legal dictionaries; a three-part series on how to manage a day s worth of legal writing; and an ode to a state bar journal that s championing the use of plain English. Here s the full wrap-up of 2021 columns by the Black s Legal Dictionary s editor-in-chief.
Your recipe for effective legal writing
Bryan Garner on Words
Part one of a three-part series
Congratulations. You’re the newest hire at your state attorney general’s office. They advertised for an experienced litigator with sound writing skills, and you got the job. Your first law job was in this very office and you know the demands can be great. Now, after a few years in private practice, you’re among the most experienced litigators in the office. After two days of orientation, you’ve just arrived for your first day of work.
It’s 8:45 a.m. Your supervising attorney briefly explains pressing needs for the day: You’re handed three case files, each with a 5 p.m. deadline. No extensions are possible. One is a motion to strike an expert witness’s testimony supporting a summary judgment motion in federal court; one is a state court motion for judgment on the pleadings; and the third is a motion to consolidate two proceedings in the state supreme court: a mandamus petiti
If you can give good directions, you can probably write a good brief
Photo by Winn Fuqua Photography
We’ve all had the experience of being told how to get from one place to another. You’ve doubtless noticed that some of your friends are exceedingly inept at it: They leave out important landmarks but include trivial ones. They don’t see things from your point of view. Other friends are picture-perfect: They draw maps with just the right amount of detail to get you from point A to point D with assurance. Never a worry: Each time you have a question on the journey, you’re reassured by the map.
Polish your writing skills with Bryan Garner s 2020 advice abajournal.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from abajournal.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.