Some legal writers love redundant phrases for no good reason.
They also love wordy phrases that could be replaced with one or two simple words.
If you want to cut redundancy and wordiness from your documents, there are three ways to do it: 🧵
Thanks to the Law and Mental Disorder Association and @WiCCD_Canada for inviting me to moderate incredible panelists Dr. Maryana Kravtsenyuk, Justice Riun Shandler, Carter Martell, and Craig Coughlin. I swear the photo doesn’t capture the crowd size of this sold out conference.
For hundreds of years, legal writers have used fancy, legal-sounding language that isn’t very useful.
Avoid this legalese unless the words are terms of art or somehow useful to readers.
Here are some frequent offenders 👇
Legal writing is inherently complex. Abstract ideas and theoretical notions take center stage.
Words that can’t be seen, touched, or counted can be a necessary part of the lingo.
But relying on abstractions too much leads to dense prose. Here’s what to do instead: 🧵
Paul Clement was the U.S. Solicitor General under George W. Bush. His complaint on behalf of WilmerHale is required reading for all who wish to keep a democracy.
But especially for the management at Paul Weiss and Skadden Arps.
Here it is —
https://t.co/pQZaWQqDPO
@davidlepofsky memoir is now also available to buy on Amazon anywhere in the world as paperback book. Little-known saga of how disability advocates got equality for people with disabilities added to the Charter of Rights in 1980 https://t.co/N2d2LDi3wn #accessibility
The best introductions are a cheat sheet for readers—a resource that contains all the key information.
And the best legal writers are the ones who can capture 30 pages of briefing in three paragraphs of introduction.
But how can you do it? Let’s break it down. ✍️
Judges will tell you they detest lawyers who fill their briefs with personal jabs.
And yet, the first thing many lawyers do is list every petty, annoying thing the opposing attorney did.
But this tactic nearly always backfires, dirtying you with as much mud as you sling.
We use commas throughout our writing, but many legal writers place them where they aren’t needed.
Others remove them from phrases or clauses even when they are necessary to avoid ambiguity.
Let’s break down the rules for when to use commas—and when to leave them out. 🧵
Cover Your A$$ – The Importance of Memos to File and Written Instructions
Moderators: Aditi Iyer, Wilkinson Legal & Jacob Roth, Henein Hutchison Robitaille LLP
1. Andrew Furgiuele, Furgiuele Law (Toronto)
2. Ingrid Grant, Grant & Marshman Criminal Defence (Toronto)
3. Michael Lacy, Lacy Naster LLP (Toronto)
#CLACPD
Excellent work by my colleague @BondouxSamantha for her work on this challenging appeal https://t.co/ajvrhaLTw1
Glad to see the Court taking a practical approach to the Rule in Browne v Dunn and prior consistent statements!
Less than 3 weeks away! Have you registered? @claontario, the 10th Annual Recent Call Conference, Oct 19. You get CPD hours, a post-event social & insights into important & practical topics
Go to: https://t.co/D0hgEqHfJH
Featuring @claontario, the 10th Annual Recent Call Conference, Oct 19: Cover Your A$$ – The Importance of Memos to File and Written Instructions
Moderators: Aditi Iyer, Wilkinson Legal & Jacob Roth, Henein Hutchison Robitaille LLP
Andrew Furgiuele, Furgiuele Law, Ingrid Grant, Grant & Marshman Criminal Defence, and Michael Lacy, Lacy Naster LLP
Find out more by going to https://t.co/lTHiUZOcWd
#LawNews #CriminalDefence #CPD
I am pleased to announce that @PeckandCompany is hiring! We are looking for an associate with 3+ years experience. This is a salaried position with benefits. Please visit our careers page for further details on where you can send your application: https://t.co/tiGghy2GBa
Legal writers struggle with capitalizing references like plaintiff, defendant, and court.
But you don’t have to.
Here’s how you can confidently master capitalization in your legal writing: 🧵