So Ordered: The Writer's Guide for Aspiring Judges, Judicial Clerks, and Interns

by Jill Barton

This textbook offers concise guidance on how to become a successful judicial writer using common judicial documents, including bench memos, trial court orders, jury instructions, appellate opinions, dissents, and concurrences. So Ordered explains how to conceive, express, and revise each of the principal parts of these documents, from the case caption and introduction to the legal analysis and conclusion.

Handpicked, annotated examples from the nation’s best judicial writers will inspire students to develop successful legal writing strategies and craft well-polished documents. A straightforward, accessible textbook that shows—rather than tells—students how to approach their writing assignments with care, So Ordered instills valuable lessons on lawyering that students can draw on throughout their careers.

224 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 12, 2017

About the author

Jill Barton is a law professor and author of three books on legal writing. A former journalist, she has published thousands of news articles for The Associated Press and other news organizations. She currently serves as a professor and the legal writing director at the University of Miami School of Law. Her latest book, The Supreme Guide to Writing, was published by Oxford University Press and details her findings in a five-year study of the U.S. Supreme Court. She also co-authored The Handbook for the New Legal Writer, a popular law school textbook now in its third edition, that aims to demystify the process of legal writing and inspire beginning and experienced legal writers.