Subject: Write Better Briefs
From: ABA Books - Section of Litigation <[email-masked]>
To: John D Podesta <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 16 Oct 2014 16:00:00 -0500

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American Bar Association   A Brief Guide to Brief Writing 
 
From the ABA Section of Litigation  

 

 
"An enjoyable, quick, and informative read." -The Colorado Lawyer, May 2014  
A Brief Guide to Brief Writing: Demystifying The Memorandum of Law 
Briefs are strange hybrid creatures, a combination of legal reasoning and good storytelling. You need to be able to construct a persuasive legal argument in support of a client?s case while telling your client?s story.

A Brief Guide to Brief Writing is the third in a series of practice guides by experienced litigator, Janet Kole. Covering topics that include ethical principles, lower court/appellate court distinctions, and JDAs, the author's honest and direct guidelines will help shape the brief writing of both veteran and new attorneys. Her lively instructions on the craft of writing are summarized in seven Persuasive Writing Rules of Thumb: 

Grab the reader with your best, most equitable reason for why your client should win. 
Use acceptable but informal formal language. 
Use plain, jargon-free language. 
Use metaphors, allegory, and shorthand phrases very sparingly. 
Keep your sentences and paragraphs short. 
Use active voice where possible. 
Show the court that your story is the best, don't tell the court that it is. 

 
 
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By Janet S. Kole  
2013  
Paperback  
148 Pages  

 

 

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