Legal Writing for Legal Readers: Predictive Writing for First-Year Students

Applying the perspective of the reader to the craft of writing, Legal Writing for Legal Readers: Predictive Writing for First-Year Students teaches the differences between strong and weak legal writing by letting students read examples of both. Students discover how productive it can be to read a well-articulated argument, as compared to one that is illogical. We aren’t always able to identify our own faults as writers—but as readers, we can see clearly the merits of both the argument and its presentation. The authors’ sidebars and annotations highlight why one writer fails while another succeeds. Students realize the significance of their own behavior as readers and how that behavior should dictate their writing decisions. As readers, students learn to recognize the specific elements of analysis and structure that make legal writing effective. As writers, they will make better and more informed choices, when they think about it from a reader’s perspective.

New to the Second Edition:

• Revised to focus exclusively on predictive analytical writing that most law schools teach during the first semester of the first year
• Expanded inclusion of annotations and marginal notes that answer anticipated student questions

Professors and students will benefit from:

• Extensive variety of samples and examples, both good and bad, selected to illustrate legal writing concepts for students
• Broad coverage that includes memos and briefs, as well as complaints, correspondence, and criminal motions
• Sidebar comments and marginal notes that answer anticipated student questions and define important legal and writing-related terms that may distract students as they learn new concepts
• Annotations that incorporate cognitive and behavioral theories to explain why some approaches work better than others
• Exercises that test students’ understanding of important concepts while they learn

Teaching materials include:

• Additional exercises for use with most chapters
• Additional samples of longer documents
• Document to further illustrate important concepts for both teachers and students

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