Mastering Legal Writing
The Mastering Legal Writing series was created by Marisa Kakoulas. She says:
"In Brussels I have come across many non-native English language lawyers who typically speak excellent English, but are far less secure about their written English.
Knowing and applying small drafting changes can make a noticeable difference in the quality of written-English communications.
Writing difficulties also plague native English speakers. I have found many native English language attorneys appreciate having bad drafting habits remedied and being reminded of now-forgotten drafting rules.
I hope this series of articles helps in improving your legal drafting."
Tip 1 - Place important ideas at the beginning of your document, paragraph and sentence.
Tip 3 - Keep the subject, the verb and the object of a sentence together.
Tip 4 - Use the active voice, which speaks louder than the passive voice.
Tip 5 - Introduce each paragraph with a topic sentence.
Tip 6 - Transition between paragraphs.
Tip 7 - Avoid ambiguous words and phrases.
Tip 8 - Avoid nominalizations.
Tip 9 - Check your punctuation.
