86 ABA Journal Bryan Garner on Words articles.
Let’s investigate a little-known secret of style.
Quick: What’s the most emphatic part of a sentence? Many legal writers don’t know, and this explains why many are so poor at phrasing.
Jun 1, 2017 2:10 AM CDT
If, in persuasive writing, your opening words must arouse your reader’s attention, your closing words must somehow prompt your reader to act.
May 1, 2017 1:40 AM CDT
An effective opener involves stating the problem to be solved. After all, what is a motion? It’s a request to resolve a specific problem by entering a specific order.
Apr 1, 2017 2:30 AM CDT
What’s the most important part of a motion or brief? The judges I’ve interviewed over the years give various responses to the question, but what I most often hear is…
Mar 1, 2017 3:20 AM CST
Years ago when I was playing competitive golf in junior tournaments throughout Texas and Oklahoma, my coach was the great Harvey Penick of Austin, Texas. He was the gentlest imaginable…
Feb 1, 2017 2:00 AM CST
Once upon a time, bar journals and law reviews typically devoted many pages to book reviews. Now they’re a rarity for three primary reasons.
Jan 1, 2017 2:00 AM CST
When editing most lawyers’ work, I have little regard for the writer’s voice because most lawyers haven’t cultivated a discernible voice. What all legal writers should strive for is to be the voice of reason.
Dec 1, 2016 2:20 AM CST
In 1680, an anonymous “well-wisher to the attainments of children” wrote A Treatise of Stops, Points, or Pauses. At only 19 pages, this punctuation guide is a slight affair.
Nov 1, 2016 2:10 AM CDT
This year marks two important anniversaries concerning the great Justice Robert H. Jackson.
Oct 1, 2016 2:50 AM CDT
Sep 1, 2016 2:30 AM CDT
May 1, 2016 2:10 AM CDT
Apr 1, 2016 2:50 AM CDT
Mar 1, 2016 2:30 AM CST
Dec 1, 2015 2:50 AM CST
Nov 1, 2015 2:20 AM CST