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Point Made: How to Write Like the Nation's Top Advocates
With Point Made, legal writing expert, Ross Guberman, throws a life preserver to attorneys, who are under more pressure than ever to produce compelling prose. What is the strongest opening for a motion or brief? How to draft winning headings? How to tell a persuasive story when the record is dry and dense? The answers are more science than art, says Guberman, who has analyzed stellar arguments by distinguished attorneys to develop step-by-step instructions for achieving the results you want. The author takes an empirical approach, drawing heavily on the writings of the nation's 50 most influential lawyers, including Barack Obama, John Roberts, Elena Kagan, Ted Olson, and David Boies. Their strategies, demystified and broken down into specific, learnable techniques, become a detailed writing guide full of practical models. In FCC v. Fox, for example, Kathleen Sullivan conjures the potentially dangerous, unintended consequences of finding for the other side (the Why Should I Care? technique). Arguing against allowing the FCC to continue fining broadcasters that let the F-word slip out, she highlights the chilling effect these fines have on America's radio and TV stations, discouraging live programming altogether, with attendant loss to valuable and vibrant programming that has long been part of American culture. Each chapter of Point Made focuses on a typically tough challenge, providing a strategic roadmap and practical tips along with annotated examples of how prominent attorneys have resolved that challenge in varied trial and appellate briefs. Short examples and explanations with engaging titles--Brass Tacks, Talk to Yourself, Russian Doll--deliver weighty materials with a light tone, making the guidelines easy to remember and apply. In addition to all-new examples from the original 50 advocates, this Second Edition introduces eight new superstar lawyers from Solicitor General Don Verrilli, Deanne Maynard, Larry Robbins, and Lisa Blatt to Joshua Rosencranz, Texas Senator Ted Cruz, Judy Clarke, and Sri Srinvasan, now a D.C. Circuit Judge. Ross Guberman also provides provocative new examples from the Affordable Care Act wars, the same-sex marriage fight, and many other recent high-profile cases. Considerably more commentary on the examples is included, along with dozens of style and grammar tips interspersed throughout. Also, for those who seek to improve their advocacy skills and for those who simply need a step-by-step guide to making a good brief better, the book concludes with an all-new set of 50 writing challenges corresponding to the 50 techniques.
426 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2011
428 people are currently reading
1950 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
March 24, 2018
Does Harvard Law School produce great writers, or do we assume someone is a great writer because they went to Harvard? - Look, I just asked a rhetorical question. Mr. Guberman would be so proud. Or possibly not. His unequivocal enthusiasm for sentence fragments and lengthy, punchy sentences dims somewhat in the face of rhetorical questions. It is the only time he references Antonin Scalia, arguably one of the most powerful legal writers of our time. (Incidentally, another Harvard graduate.) Considering his mania for high profile figures like RBG, Eric Holder, and Barack Obama, you would think Scalia would get more than a modicum of praise. At the same time, I suspect political persuasion has some influence here.
No? You think his ad-nauseam references to that one case argued by Ted Cruz (a Harvard graduate) counters my point? Maybe. At least I understood what Ted Cruz meant; I cannot say the same of the Eric Holder quotes.
(In my best Mr. Guberman style, I shall now insert a somewhat illegible comment about how I really should have more clearly mirrored the above statement about Cruz and Holder. What am I talking about? It doesn't matter. Moving on.)
I like the idea of this book. I certainly agree that you become a better writer by reading good writing. At the very least, the reader should walk away from this book more conscientious of grammar usage. However, (Whoops! Mr. Guberman butting into my head again. 'However' is overused and overly lengthy. Better ignore professional writing and begin the sentence 'But'.) BUT this book failed to impress me. I will forget about it very quickly. Out of context-quotes only go so far. It does not help any that the author repeatedly re-uses the out of context quotes and quotes the same people over and over. It all starts to sound the same after a while. He never sold me on the 'why' of these particular people and these particular methods. Most of his advise comes down to good writing; I don't need a cutesy catch-phrase to remember to balance my sentences.
Poor writing runs rife within the legal community. I agree. I applaud Mr. Guberman for trying to counter that by pointing to well-written briefs. I am just not sure an occasional paragraph here or there from big name individuals does much.
Still, an illustrative work and an easy read. I probably will come back to it for some of the most pertinent portions (such as "135 Transition Words and Phrases.)
No? You think his ad-nauseam references to that one case argued by Ted Cruz (a Harvard graduate) counters my point? Maybe. At least I understood what Ted Cruz meant; I cannot say the same of the Eric Holder quotes.
(In my best Mr. Guberman style, I shall now insert a somewhat illegible comment about how I really should have more clearly mirrored the above statement about Cruz and Holder. What am I talking about? It doesn't matter. Moving on.)
I like the idea of this book. I certainly agree that you become a better writer by reading good writing. At the very least, the reader should walk away from this book more conscientious of grammar usage. However, (Whoops! Mr. Guberman butting into my head again. 'However' is overused and overly lengthy. Better ignore professional writing and begin the sentence 'But'.) BUT this book failed to impress me. I will forget about it very quickly. Out of context-quotes only go so far. It does not help any that the author repeatedly re-uses the out of context quotes and quotes the same people over and over. It all starts to sound the same after a while. He never sold me on the 'why' of these particular people and these particular methods. Most of his advise comes down to good writing; I don't need a cutesy catch-phrase to remember to balance my sentences.
Poor writing runs rife within the legal community. I agree. I applaud Mr. Guberman for trying to counter that by pointing to well-written briefs. I am just not sure an occasional paragraph here or there from big name individuals does much.
Still, an illustrative work and an easy read. I probably will come back to it for some of the most pertinent portions (such as "135 Transition Words and Phrases.)
April 29, 2025
Surprisingly helpful— would recommend to anyone* who, like me, suspects that most of the stuff they’re reading on a daily basis is poorly written
*commercial litigators
*commercial litigators
January 29, 2016
Without a doubt, this is essential reading for any legal writer seeking to produce creative, persuasive writing. Mr. Guberman's crack advice, sharp prose, and examples from the nation's top advocates make this a must have for law students and attorneys.
January 22, 2016
Learned more in an afternoon of reading this book than I did in a semester of legal writing class.
October 4, 2020
Ross Guberman’s legal writing masterpiece, Point Made: How to Write Like the Nation’s Top Advocates, is first on the list of the 7 best legal writing books of all time for good reason – it will make you a better legal writer.
You’ll love Point Made because it provides immediate, actionable tips and techniques to greatly improve your legal writing on day one. Guberman refers to these tips and techniques as the “Fifty Techniques.”
Point Made is divided into five, easy to read sections: (1) the Theme; (2) the Tale; (3) the Meat; (4) the Words; and (5) the Close.
In each section of Point Made, Guberman shows you how to apply the Fifty Techniques by providing countless examples of how these techniques are used by some of today’s top legal writers, like Ted Olson, John Roberts, and Frank Easterbrook, to name just a few.
To help take your legal writing skills to the next level, Point Made concludes with 50 legal writing exercises corresponding with each of the Fifty Techniques.
Simply put, Point Made more than deserves its spot as one of the best legal writing books on the market today.
You’ll love Point Made because it provides immediate, actionable tips and techniques to greatly improve your legal writing on day one. Guberman refers to these tips and techniques as the “Fifty Techniques.”
Point Made is divided into five, easy to read sections: (1) the Theme; (2) the Tale; (3) the Meat; (4) the Words; and (5) the Close.
In each section of Point Made, Guberman shows you how to apply the Fifty Techniques by providing countless examples of how these techniques are used by some of today’s top legal writers, like Ted Olson, John Roberts, and Frank Easterbrook, to name just a few.
To help take your legal writing skills to the next level, Point Made concludes with 50 legal writing exercises corresponding with each of the Fifty Techniques.
Simply put, Point Made more than deserves its spot as one of the best legal writing books on the market today.
December 10, 2018
Useful legal writing book with tips and techniques worth implementing. Guberman does the near-impossible by making a notoriously dry subject interesting with lively examples. I would recommend this book to any lawyer.
February 6, 2018
The first third or so of this book teaches one (multipart) writing lesson: If you are famous and can argue from authority and if you have a one-paragraph argument and if that paragraph has a bold phrase, then the bold phrase looks impressive.
There's a lot of argument from authority in the beginning and a lot of disconnected grammar/wordsmithing thoughts. Toward the middle, this book really shines.
It does much better at explaining sentence-level problems than it does at brief-level or structural issues.
The exercises in the very back would have been more helpful if they were smaller scale and scattered throughout. (Or, why not both?)
There's a lot of argument from authority in the beginning and a lot of disconnected grammar/wordsmithing thoughts. Toward the middle, this book really shines.
It does much better at explaining sentence-level problems than it does at brief-level or structural issues.
The exercises in the very back would have been more helpful if they were smaller scale and scattered throughout. (Or, why not both?)
March 5, 2019
Newly minted lawyers who expect to write a lot of persuasive documents should read this closely. He recommends practices that are second nature to really good brief writers (at least at my old firm) but mainly learned on the job from other really good brief writers. And not everyone gets that chance. So he's done a real service to the profession here.
April 28, 2021
Guberman conveyed structural and grammatical concepts in probably the most interesting way that you could with the topic of legal writing. He provided many examples from top advocates and easy tips to implement for any assignment or brief that you might have. I liked it.
March 27, 2025
When you read a book on legal writing, you need to know what you are getting into. You won't be gripped by the plot and there are no love triangles. But it is a good book.
Guberman structures his book really well. It is broken down into 50 small lessons which each teach a writing point. And honestly, a lot of them are more like practice points, there are times to use them and times not to. He has a lot of examples of good legal writing illustrating each point. Sometimes the book gets bogged down in too many examples,(even good legal writing is legal writing after all), but it is helpful to see how these tips are used in practice.
But all in all, a solid book. A big takeaway is that good legal writing is just good writing that is about the law. From narrow concepts like the proper use of parentheticals to broad concepts like convincing judges to care, I've definitely profited from this book.
Guberman structures his book really well. It is broken down into 50 small lessons which each teach a writing point. And honestly, a lot of them are more like practice points, there are times to use them and times not to. He has a lot of examples of good legal writing illustrating each point. Sometimes the book gets bogged down in too many examples,(even good legal writing is legal writing after all), but it is helpful to see how these tips are used in practice.
But all in all, a solid book. A big takeaway is that good legal writing is just good writing that is about the law. From narrow concepts like the proper use of parentheticals to broad concepts like convincing judges to care, I've definitely profited from this book.
September 11, 2023
I recently finished reading “Point Made” by Ross Guberman and what a delightful surprise it was! Guberman has this knack for turning the often daunting subject of legal writing into an engaging and enlightening journey. As I flipped through the pages, I was impressed by how he dissected 50 writing techniques, using real-life examples that felt like mini mentorship sessions. This isn’t just a book; it’s like having a coffee chat with a seasoned legal expert. For anyone drafting a brief, memo, or just looking to elevate their legal writing game, “Point Made” feels like that comforting nudge we all occasionally need. If you haven’t, do give it a read!
June 13, 2025
This book is a phenomenal starting point to incorporate your own style and craft into otherwise dry legal writing.
The only two criticisms I can fairly make are: 1) The book has very little to offer in the way of structuring legal briefs (which doesn’t even seem like the aim of this book); and 2) The excerpts from case law are great examples of the writing technique previously discussed, however, the reader can often get caught up trying to comprehend the substantive law of the case instead of focusing on the actual writing.
Would broadly recommend.
The only two criticisms I can fairly make are: 1) The book has very little to offer in the way of structuring legal briefs (which doesn’t even seem like the aim of this book); and 2) The excerpts from case law are great examples of the writing technique previously discussed, however, the reader can often get caught up trying to comprehend the substantive law of the case instead of focusing on the actual writing.
Would broadly recommend.
October 19, 2020
The most useful thing is that I feel like this book gives me permission to do what I was going to do anyway. Like use one space after a period or sprinkle in semicolons. And start a sentence with "and." The discussion about how to deal with the other side's cases is very good. I didn't necessarily think he established that certain strategies make your writing better--just that they are what other writers use. Also, I hate the point-counterpoint tables he suggests near the end.
August 15, 2017
Essential reading for any attorney who wants to refine his or her writing. Fifty useful tips are laid out and explained, with examples given from some of the country's best legal writers. It's fantastic. I would recommend this book to anybody who wants to improve their practice.
March 7, 2019
If you are in law school, read this book. It absolutely revolutionized my writing. It’s so clear and he gives so many examples to support his tips. This book feels like a hidden secret to being an amazing legal writer
November 22, 2019
Interesting premise. This book set out what it proposed rather well, and provided some well written examples of technique. My only gripe is that I wish there were more such demonstrations from others. Show, don't tell, is the best policy with most things.
January 27, 2020
Read this as a review during moot court competition. It provided some review of basic legal writing concepts along with practical tips to improve overall style. I read it as an audiobook, but I still found the examples easy to follow.
February 18, 2021
I'm not in law school, however, I found the pointers in this book relevant in my immediate professional environment and helpful with going back to college. I found it helpful to go through this book with a word document and type out everything that was directly applicable to me.
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January 30, 2022I was hoping this would suddenly make legal writing click for me but instead it really just repeated everything I’ve been taught in legal writing class :( not the authors fault but I don’t think this is super special if you’ve been through legal writing recently
February 21, 2022
This would be useful if I was really motivated to apply it. The author has done his homework, and it shows. You don't need to be a legal writer to become a better writing by applying the principles in this book.
February 17, 2023
One of the first books I’ve read where I feel like a better writer after reading. Seeing the word techniques described in the book used in all forms of writing (legal writing to The Atlantic and NYT) has been fun.
I am also in love with the em dash—forever.
I am also in love with the em dash—forever.
July 31, 2017
Very useful and engaging.
August 28, 2017
Excellent advice and examples. Recommend to anyone who needs or wants to write persuasively.
March 14, 2019
To quote another reviewer named Amy, "Considering his mania for high profile figures like RBG, Eric Holder, and Barack Obama, you would think Scalia would get more than a modicum of praise."
April 25, 2019
Great read for litigators
As litigators we read and write; write and read. This book gave me a lot of ideas on how to liven up my writing.
As litigators we read and write; write and read. This book gave me a lot of ideas on how to liven up my writing.
September 7, 2020
Well-written; lots of short, actionable techniques and plenty of examples. Wished I'd had this during my first-year writing class.
January 31, 2021
Great for aspiring writers, or just anyone who writes argumentatively.
December 30, 2021
Very helpful and practical tips with plenty of examples
March 2, 2023
Excellent book. I will forever keep this book with arm’s reach when I author briefs and motions.
July 3, 2023
Un must read para cualquier abogado. Sencillamente deslumbrante. Se aprende mucho más de este libro que de muchas clases.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews