Legal Writing: 7 Tips to Improve Your Skills

Written documents are the most important part of the legal profession. Written materials are used whenever you need to instruct, to persuade, or to advocate. If you want to master legal drafting, you may need to devote a lot of time to practice. However, these simple tips at Writers-House.com will certainly help you improve your skills faster.

1. Think of your audience

Everything you write should meet the needs of your readers. Depending on the type of your audience, documents based on the same research may sound completely different. For example, if you prepare a memorandum to a client, you should provide information on the law and its requirements, analyze the problem, and suggest possible actions. On the other hand, when you submit a brief to the court, it must be persuasive.

2. Organization does matter

If you want your writing to be successful, it should be organized. In the first paragraph, introduce your subject. Start each paragraph with a topic sentence, and use transitional phrases (e.g. “in addition,” “however,” “nevertheless,” etc.) between paragraphs and between sentences. Make sure every paragraph is focused on one particular topic. End each paragraph with a summarizing sentence. A proper structure will improve the readability of your text and create a better impression.

3. Avoid the legalese

Legalese is, basically, legal jargon. For example, legalese includes such words as “wherein,” “aforementioned,” “heretofore,” “herewith,” etc. Such words make your writing archaic and hard to understand. Avoid any unnecessary jargon and make your writing as clear as possible. Try to replace abstract words with terms that have a concrete meaning.

4. Write concisely

Everything you write should actually contribute to the message of your text. Don’t make your sentences too complicated, avoid unnecessary words, don’t repeat yourself, and try to make your writing as simple as possible. Depending on the chosen style of writing, you may tell the same things using 100 or 50 words. The second option is certainly better.

5. Use action words

Action words make your writing more vivid, strong, and dynamic. For example, use “enraged” instead of “very angry,” and “lied” instead of “was not truthful.”

6. Write in the active voice

The passive voice is a bad choice for legal writing because it eliminates the subject, therefore hiding responsibility for a certain act. The active voice clearly indicates who does something and makes your writing more straightforward and clear. For example, write “the defendant stole the watch” instead of “the watch was stolen.”

7. Edit and then edit again

You should be ruthless when it comes to editing — this is the best practice if you want to improve your writing. Rewrite whole sections for clarity and get rid of unnecessary words. Proofreading is also very important in legal writing. Make sure there are no spelling or punctuation errors, as such details may undermine your credibility as a professional.