Elegant Legal Writing

Ryan McCarl

Book cover for Elegant Legal Writing
Book cover for Elegant Legal Writing
Book cover for Elegant Legal Writing
Book cover for Elegant Legal Writing

Elegant Legal Writing

Elegant Legal Writing

Ryan McCarl

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Description

Elegant Legal Writing helps attorneys elevate their writing from passable to polished. Drawing on ideas from cognitive science, stylistics, and litigation strategy, the book teaches practical techniques by example using fast-paced chapters. Readers will learn the essentials of effective legal composition:
  • Writing clear, efficient prose
  • Crafting strong arguments
  • Telling a client's story through a compelling narrative
  • Overcoming procrastination and drafting more productively

Readability, aesthetics, and argumentation are intertwined. Ryan McCarl shows how litigation documents that are easier and more pleasant to read are more likely to persuade judges and other busy readers. The book also discusses parts of legal writing that many guides overlook, including sentence mechanics, writing technology, and typography.

About the Author

Ryan McCarl is a founding partner at Rushing McCarl LLP and an adjunct professor at Loyola Law School. Previously, he was a research fellow in AI law and policy at UCLA School of Law, where he designed and taught a course on advanced legal writing. He has given talks about litigation writing, motion strategy, and appellate advocacy to audiences that include the American Bar Association Litigation Section and the Texas Office of the Attorney General.

Publishing Information

Publisher: University of California Press
Pub date: 2024-02-06
Length: 224 pages

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