7 Best FindLaw Writing Tips of 2018
Here in the FindLaw Strategist blog, we do a lot of writing about writing.
From cases hinging on the Oxford comma to silly cease and desist letters to pleadings requesting extensions so lawyers can attend football games, we do what we can to keep our lawyer readers in the know.
Below are seven of our best blogs from this year geared toward helping lawyers learn to be better writers.
Justice Kagan's Best Writing Tips Justice Kagan has made quite the name for herself as a prolific SCOTUS author with a penchant for Spider-Man. So when she doles out writing advice for attorneys, you better listen.
7 Tips for Writing Better Emails
Legal writing isn't all pleadings and strongly worded letters. Emails require quite a bit of lawyer writing, and can have the same force and effect as a formal letter printed on letterhead, signed in ink, and mailed via certified mail return receipt requested. If you're sending emails and you're a lawyer, you should make sure your email writing style isn't too informal and you're not making a stupid mistake, like replying all with confidential information.
3 Easy Tips to Turn Old Pleadings Into Forms
If you're sick and tired of drafting the same pleading over and over again, and you don't want to shell out money for software to make your life easier, you can get a few simple tips here to turn your own old pleadings into forms.
Why Lawyers Should Care About Fonts
We stress over and over again that font matters. But, when Times New Roman comes to Courier, we can at least all agree that Comic Sans is a completely inappropriate font for a pleading. However, your font can help in non-substantive ways that you may not have ever even considered.
How and When to Use Secondary Sources
When your legal arguments need a bit of a boost and you have page/time limits (and a certain threshold for pain), secondary sources can save the day. If using secondary sources isn't second nature to you, this blog can set you on the path to secondary source success.
The Perils of Copying and Pasting Without Attribution
When it comes to technology revolutionizing the practice of law, the ability to cut and paste in a word processor, and across programs, is about on par with sliced bread. Sure, before, you could have literally cut and pasted docs together, but like slicing your own bread, the results would be horrendous. But with this amazing tech revolution, there are perils.
Pros and Cons of Pleading in the Alternative
Legal writing is as much about substantive and strategic decisions as stylistic ones. And when you need to plead alternative theories, you may want to think twice and consider some of these potential pitfalls.
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Related Resources:
- 6 Worst Ways to Start an Opening Statement (FindLaw's Strategist)
- 5 Worst Body Language Signals in Court (FindLaw's Strategist)
- Best Opinion Opening Ever? (FindLaw's Strategist)