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Thinking Like a Writer: A Lawyer's Guide to Effective Writing and Editing
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Thinking Like a Writer provides practical advice to help lawyers strengthen their writing skills by “thinking like a writer” as effectively as they already think like a lawyer. The book highlights guiding principles for writing clearly about complicated material and establishing credibility with demanding readers, and then turns those principles into specific techniques that apply to many types of documents and audiences.
Part I introduces the approach and principles that can guide lawyers in “thinking like a writer.” Part II applies the guiding principles to a document’s organization, while Part III applies them to specific types of legal letters, memoranda, and emails; briefs; and judicial opinions. Part IV applies the principles to the smaller scale of paragraphs and sentences. Finally, Part V applies the principles to the editing process, for both self-editing and editing the work of others. Throughout, chapters include many before-and-after examples to demonstrate how writing and editing can be improved by following the advice offered in the book.
Thinking Like a Writer provides practical advice to help lawyers strengthen their writing skills by “thinking like a writer” as effectively as they already think like a lawyer. The book highlights guiding principles for writing clearly about complicated material and establishing credibility with demanding readers, and then turns those principles into specific techniques that apply to many types of documents and audiences.
Part I introduces the approach and principles that can guide lawyers in “thinking like a writer.” Part II applies the guiding principles to a document’s organization, while Part III applies them to specific types of legal letters, memoranda, and emails; briefs; and judicial opinions. Part IV applies the principles to the smaller scale of paragraphs and sentences. Finally, Part V applies the principles to the editing process, for both self-editing and editing the work of others. Throughout, chapters include many before-and-after examples to demonstrate how writing and editing can be improved by following the advice offered in the book.
524 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 27, 2012
The tips were pretty good. And it's very hard to teach micro-level writing.
The problem is that all the examples are like big blockquotes, which, as the book itself explains, people are preidsposed to skip.
This would be a great class, but it's a pretty good book.
The problem is that all the examples are like big blockquotes, which, as the book itself explains, people are preidsposed to skip.
This would be a great class, but it's a pretty good book.
September 28, 2025
Keep rereading this book over and over. It becomes a lens through which I see and analyze every piece of good writing with awe and wonder. And they say we need drugs for life-altering experiences.
Witty, clever, to the point. Style, substance, metacognition. Cognitive psychology + rhetoric. Def the most important piece of writing one can possibly come across in their lifetime.
Extra important if u are a banker who needs to do deals with internal and external lawyers. It is really, really helpful when the author spells out the underlying thought process for u.
—-
This book reads like heaven. If I could give it 10 stars, I absolutely would. Omg
Witty, clever, to the point. Style, substance, metacognition. Cognitive psychology + rhetoric. Def the most important piece of writing one can possibly come across in their lifetime.
Extra important if u are a banker who needs to do deals with internal and external lawyers. It is really, really helpful when the author spells out the underlying thought process for u.
—-
This book reads like heaven. If I could give it 10 stars, I absolutely would. Omg
June 25, 2015
4.5 - one of the best of its kind.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews