Pleasing the Court : Writing Ethical and Effective Briefs

by FISCHER, JUDITH D.

• ISBN13: 9781594600456
• ISBN10: 1594600457
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-05-15
• Publisher: Carolina Academic Pr

Summary

This book examines ethical and effective legal writing by providing more than two hundred examples of judges' reactions to errors in lawyers' writing. The cited cases cover errors ranging from serious ethical breaches, like misrepresenting facts, to grammatical and citation errors. The erring lawyer incurred consequences that ranged from disbarment to strong verbal rebukes.Written by a law professor and former practitioner, the book promotes high standards in legal writing. It is recommended for law school courses as well as for continuing legal education courses, law firms, and individuals interested in effective writing and the soundness of the legal system. Practical exercises are included to help readers improve their writing techniques.

Author Biography

Judith D. Fischer is a professor at the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law.

Table of Contents

Introduction	ix
Chapter 1 State the Law Accurately	1	(14)
Chapter 2 State the Facts Accurately	15	(4)
Chapter 3 Provide Cogent Analysis	19	(4)
Chapter 4 Write Clearly	23	(4)
Chapter 5 Avoid Wordiness and Legalese	27	(6)
Chapter 6 Avoid Grammar, Spelling, Punctuation, and Typographical Errors	33	(6)
Chapter 7 Cite Correctly	39	(2)
Chapter 8 Follow Court Rules	41	(8)
Chapter 9 Do Not Plagiarize	49	(4)
Chapter 10 Be Civil	53	(4)
Appendix Guidelines and Exercises	57	(36)
State the Law Accurately (Chapter 1)	57	(3)
State the Facts Accurately (Chapter 2)	60	(1)
Provide Cogent Analysis (Chapter 3)	61	(3)
Write Clearly, Avoiding Wordiness and Legalese (Chapters 4-5)	64	(11)
Avoid Grammar, Spelling, Punctuation, and Typographical Errors (Chapter 6)	75	(9)
Cite Correctly (Chapter 7)	84	(3)
Follow Court Rules (Chapter 8)	87	(1)
Do Not Plagiarize (Chapter 9)	88	(3)
Be Civil (Chapter 10)	91	(2)
Table of Cases Cited	93	(8)
Index	101