Chapter 16
Presenting a Clear, Concise Legal Writing Style
IN THIS CHAPTER
Structuring sentences effectively
Using great grammar and perfect punctuation
Organizing your arguments
Avoiding writing troubles
Writing legal documents is one of the most important things you do as a paralegal. Whether you’re composing a letter, drafting a document, or writing a memo, you need to use a writing style that’s grammatically correct and easily understood. Developing a good writing style requires practice, study, and hard work. However, if you get a handle on some basic rules, you’ll be well on the way to great legal writing!
Legal writing may use more technical terms and Latin phrases than other types of writing, but legal writing shouldn’t be confusing and long-winded. Somewhere legal writers have gotten the impression that big words and long sentences communicate importance and authority. In reality, big words and complicated sentences obscure your message and confuse your readers. Good legal writing is like good writing in general: clean, concise, and easily understood.
If your memos contain ...
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