A Manual of Style for Contract Drafting, 3d Ed.
| Publication year | 2013 |
| Pages | 107 |
| Citation | Vol. 42 No. 8 Pg. 107 |
Review of Legal Resources
A Manual of Style for Contract Drafting, 3d ed. Reviewed by Matthias M. Edich
Reviews of Legal Resources is published to apprise attorneys of books and other resources that may be of interest to them. Readers wishing to make review suggestions, provide review copies, or write reviews should contact Leona Martinez at leonamartinez@cobar.org. For a list of titles available for review at press time, see "Read a book. Write a review."
Readers who have questions about any reviewed material should contact the reviewer. Prices listed are based on information available at the time the reviews were published, and are subject to publisher discretion. Please contact the publisher to obtain a copy of the book.
A Manual of Style for Contract Drafting, 3d ed.
by Kenneth A. Adams 519 pp.; $99.95
ABA Publishing, 2013 321 N. Clark St., Chicago, IL 60654
(800) 285-2221; www.ababooks.org
Reviewed by Matthias M. Ed rich
Matthias M. Ed rich is a tax attorney with the national law firm of Kutak Rock LLP in the firm's Denver office-(303) 292-7887, matthias.edrich@kutakrock.com.
Kenneth A. Adams left private practice as a corporate attorney in 2006 to become a consultant, writer, and speaker on contract drafting. The first edition of his guide, A Manual of Style for Contract Drafting (Manual), appeared in 2004, and a subsequent revision was released in 2008. That it has been well received is evidenced by the publication of this third edition.
The Manual is a comprehensive and current style guide for contract drafters, reviewers, and interpreters. It does not provide substantive explanations on what to say in a contract. Instead, it aims to help the reader say clearly and effectively whatever the reader already knows must be said.
In more than twenty chapters and several appendices, with convenient section references throughout, Adams discusses the characteristics of optimal contract language. He covers the historical quirks and customs of contracts, the structural components and layouts of contracts, common grammatical and structural problems and best practices to address these problems, and formatting suggestions. In addition, he describes the structure of special types of contracts, including contract amendments, letter agreements, and corporate resolutions.
The Manual begins with a...
To continue reading
Request your trial