Writing Matters
| Publication year | 2023 |
| Citation | Vol. 29 No. 1 Pg. 0066 |
| Pages | 0066 |
Use these five strategies to enhance your legal writing skills.
BY DAVID HRICIK AND KAREN J. SNEDDON
We are always trying to help you enhance your writing skills. In this installment of "Writing Matters," we've drawn upon an expert to share the following five strategies.
1. Lawyers should strive to use clear and straightforward language in their writing.
Avoid unnecessary jargon, complex sentence structures and convoluted expressions. Focus on conveying your ideas in a concise and easily understandable manner, ensuring that your message is crystal clear to your audience.
For example, rather than using Latin phrases like "prima facie" or "sua sponte," use simpler alternatives such as "at first glance" or "on its own accord." Consider how the average person would understand the information and aim to communicate in a clear and accessible manner. Similarly, where the use of legal terms is unavoidable, lawyers should take the time to define and explain them to their readers. Provide concise and user-friendly definitions of specialized terms or phrases that might be unfamiliar to non-lawyers. This helps ensure that the reader understands the content without being overwhelmed by excessive legal jargon.
By adopting these practices, lawyers can make their writing more inclusive and accessible to a wider audience, improving communication and understanding both within and outside the legal profession.
2. Effective legal writing requires a logical and well-structured organization.
Begin with a clear introduction that outlines your main argument or objective. Use headings and subheadings to break down complex ideas and facilitate readability. Ensure that each paragraph focuses on a single point and that there is a smooth transition between paragraphs.
Here's an example of how to ensure that each paragraph focuses on a single point and maintains smooth transitions between paragraphs:
Original Paragraph
"The plaintiff alleges that the defendant breached the contract by failing to deliver the goods on the agreed-upon date. In addition, the plaintiff claims that the defendant provided substandard quality products, which further violated the terms of the agreement. Furthermore, the plaintiff asserts that the defendant misrepresented the specifications of the goods during the negotiation phase."
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