Lawyers like to think they are good writers. Their non-lawyer readers are more likely to describe their writing as turgid, pedantic, Latin-filled, jargon-ridden, misspelt, ungrammatical, and inelegant. Guthrie’s Guide to Better Legal Writing won’t solve all your problems, but it will help you make your prose clear, correct, and compelling. The focus is on communicating more effectively in email, letters, memos, blog posts, client updates, and social media, but there are some pointers on contractual drafting and written advocacy as well. A bit of strategy, some grammar and spelling, and a lot of style.
The second edition of Guthrie’s Guide incorporates significant new material based on reader queries and the author’s on-going review of the legal writing that crosses his desk and screen.