The Three Essential Rules for Writing
Posted: March 13th, 2012 | Author: mariebuckley | Filed under: Mission Critical Stuff, Most Popular Posts, Structure (Important Stuff Here) | Tags: legal writing, legal writing techniques, strong writing techniques | 1 Comment »All my suggestions for powerful writing boil down to three guiding principles. And these principles apply not only to formal briefs and memoranda, but to the many mediums in which modern lawyers work—letters, email, blogs, newsletters and even PowerPoint.
The Three Rules
1. Use plain English.
2. Lead from the top.
3. Tell your reader what to do next.
Rule One: Use Plain English
We’ve all heard the common admonition to “use plain English.” Our clients speak a modern language and we should too. So if you would not use a word or phrase when speaking with a colleague, don’t use it in your writing. Speak human.
Rule Two: Lead from the Top
The principle of “leading from the top” is the single, most effective tool for strong writing and the essential rule for structuring any piece of writing. If you open your paper by telling your reader what is important, they will look for that information as they read. When you present that information later, the reader will seize on it and it will click quickly, like a puzzle piece snapping into a space that you have already prepared for it. And the principle of leading from the top is like a fractal because it applies on large and small scales. Lead a paper with your conclusion. Lead a section with a substantive heading. Lead a paragraph with a summary sentence. Lead an email with a strong subject line. Lead the message itself with a summary sentence. Leading from the top is the key to tight, logical writing.
Rule Three: Tell Your Reader What to Do Next
Sane people don’t read briefs, contracts and business letters for pleasure. They read them because they are being paid to read them or because they have a problem and need to read them. What do they want? They want to know what to do next and your job is to tell them. What is the client’s problem and what should they do next? What relief are you asking the court to grant? What do you want your colleague to do after reading your e-mail or your letter? Use your writing to make things happen in the real world.
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So one, two, three. Get set! Write!
(If you want a deeper explanation of these three principles, my book covers these principles and others in much more detail.)
[…] The most common examples of pattern in legal writing are forms. Because we are so familiar with common legal forms, they make reading easier because we know where to look in the form for certain information. But don’t be enslaved to a form. Use a form only if it follows the three essential rules of writing. […]