The Art of Persuasion Through Legal Citations

Check out this great article appearing in the latest issue of the Florida Bar Journal on the proper -- and effective -- use of citations and writing appellate briefs.

Defining Terms of Art

Via the (new) legal writer, Raymond Ward writes about defining the terms of art.

Legal writers often must use terms of art—technical words or phrases unique to a profession. Sometimes these terms come from the legal profession; sometimes they come from other professions, such as medical or engineering. But they all have one thing in common: not everyone knows what they mean. So to make sure that your reader understands a term of art in your writing, define it.

You can define terms of art unobtrusively, without interrupting the flow of your writing. To learn how, read Robert Fugate’s recent article in the Texas Bar Journal, Defining Terms of Art in Legal Writing.

Fifty Tips For Writing Contracts That Stay Out Of Court

This article written by James Martin gives some helpful tips on drafting contracts. These tips may be applied to all legal writing.

More To Legal Writing

Carrie W. Teitcher, from Brooklyn Law School, published an article titled Legal Writing Beyond Memos and Briefs: An Annotated Bibliography that is available on SSRN. There is more to legal writing than just memos and briefs. Legal professionals often need to draft affidavits, contracts, e-mails, jury instructions and verdict forms, letters, motions, discovery demands, or pleadings. This is an annotated bibliography of legal writing sources. They are organized by subject. And many in the legal profession will find it helpful.