Description

Book Synopsis
LeClercq covers everything a legal writer needs to know, from the mechanics of grammar and punctuation to the finer points of style, organization, and clarity of meaning.

Table of Contents
  • Foreword by Chief Justice Thomas R. Phillip
  • Acknowledgments
  • Part I. Introduction: Getting and Keeping a Competitive Edge
    • Introduction
    • 1. Writing like a Lawyer
    • 2. Writing's a Touchy Subject
    • 3. Focus on Density
    • 4. Attorneys and Writer's Block
    • 5. Min(d)ing the Field: Appellate Judges Speak Out
  • Part II. Manipulating Legal Sentences: First Aid
    • 6. The Long Sentence
    • 7. Left-Handed Sentences
    • 8. Marshmallow Constructions
    • 9. Cases and Citations Within the Text
    • 10. Coordination and Subordination: Defining Relationships
    • 11. Examining Other Professional Prose
    • 12. Emulating the Pro's Prose: Stylistic Consciousness
    • 13. Deliberate Sentence Structure
    • 14. Beware of Ambiguous Modifiers
  • Part III. Manipulating Legal Organization: Structure Is Meaning
    • 15. Organization and the Deductive Thrust
    • 16. Organizational Advice for Successful Drafting
    • 17. Quick Tricks for Organization
  • Part IV. Manipulating Words: Bigger Isn't Better
    • 18. Jargon: Manure, Margarine, and Moderation
    • 19. Boilerplate: Empty Formalisms
    • 20. Gender-Neutral Language
    • 21. That's Not What I Meant
  • Part V. Punctuating for Clarity: The Poetry of Punctuation
    • 22. Allowing Commas to Create Meaning
    • 23. Sentence Punctuation Guide
    • 24. "Quotation Marks?" She Queried—or, The Arbitrary Rules Surrounding Quotation Marks
    • 25. That Sophisticated Semicolon
    • 26. Compound Adjectives and Noun Strings
  • Part VI. Advice and References: So Go Be an Expert
    • 27. Testing Your Basics
    • 28. Grammar Rules Versus Suggestions
    • 29. Advice to Partners About Advice
    • 30. Reference Books for Legal Writers
  • Index

Expert Legal Writing

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    A Paperback / softback by Terri LeClercq, Thomas R. Phillips

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      Publisher: University of Texas Press
      Publication Date: 01/11/1995
      ISBN13: 9780292746886, 978-0292746886
      ISBN10: 0292746881
      Also in:
      Writing and editing guides Legal skills and practice

      Description

      Book Synopsis
      LeClercq covers everything a legal writer needs to know, from the mechanics of grammar and punctuation to the finer points of style, organization, and clarity of meaning.

      Table of Contents
      • Foreword by Chief Justice Thomas R. Phillip
      • Acknowledgments
      • Part I. Introduction: Getting and Keeping a Competitive Edge
        • Introduction
        • 1. Writing like a Lawyer
        • 2. Writing's a Touchy Subject
        • 3. Focus on Density
        • 4. Attorneys and Writer's Block
        • 5. Min(d)ing the Field: Appellate Judges Speak Out
      • Part II. Manipulating Legal Sentences: First Aid
        • 6. The Long Sentence
        • 7. Left-Handed Sentences
        • 8. Marshmallow Constructions
        • 9. Cases and Citations Within the Text
        • 10. Coordination and Subordination: Defining Relationships
        • 11. Examining Other Professional Prose
        • 12. Emulating the Pro's Prose: Stylistic Consciousness
        • 13. Deliberate Sentence Structure
        • 14. Beware of Ambiguous Modifiers
      • Part III. Manipulating Legal Organization: Structure Is Meaning
        • 15. Organization and the Deductive Thrust
        • 16. Organizational Advice for Successful Drafting
        • 17. Quick Tricks for Organization
      • Part IV. Manipulating Words: Bigger Isn't Better
        • 18. Jargon: Manure, Margarine, and Moderation
        • 19. Boilerplate: Empty Formalisms
        • 20. Gender-Neutral Language
        • 21. That's Not What I Meant
      • Part V. Punctuating for Clarity: The Poetry of Punctuation
        • 22. Allowing Commas to Create Meaning
        • 23. Sentence Punctuation Guide
        • 24. "Quotation Marks?" She Queried—or, The Arbitrary Rules Surrounding Quotation Marks
        • 25. That Sophisticated Semicolon
        • 26. Compound Adjectives and Noun Strings
      • Part VI. Advice and References: So Go Be an Expert
        • 27. Testing Your Basics
        • 28. Grammar Rules Versus Suggestions
        • 29. Advice to Partners About Advice
        • 30. Reference Books for Legal Writers
      • Index

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