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
Illustration by Sam Ward
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This year marks two important anniversaries concerning the great Justice Robert H. Jackson.
Oct 1, 2016 2:50 AM CDT
Justice Robert Jackson. Photograph by AP Images
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Have you ever noticed that you tend to make mistakes when you depart from a routine? You have a normal way of doing things, but then something unforeseen happens and…
Sep 1, 2016 2:30 AM CDT
Illustration by Sam Ward
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When in 2004 Google announced its ambitious project of scanning all books ever printed and amassing the information into a huge database, perhaps nobody understood the full ramifications of the…
May 1, 2016 2:10 AM CDT
Illustration by Sam Ward
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"Originalism," so called, is perhaps the single issue for which Justice Antonin Scalia, my co-author on two books, was most controversial. I'll never forget his ire—it was full-blown anger—when I…
Apr 1, 2016 2:50 AM CDT
Fascinated by the word soothsayer, Scalia took
a photo of the fortune-teller’s sign. But he refused Garner’s urging to have his fortune read. Photograph Courtesy of Bryan Garner.
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Recently I had the opportunity to sit down with the great Samuel Johnson (1709–1784)—or rather with his books—to see what he had to say about lawyers, their profession and their…
Mar 1, 2016 2:30 AM CST
Illustration by Sam Ward
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If you took the
pronunciation quiz in last month's issue, you may well have had any of several reactions, some negative. (1) Denial: That can't be right! I've never…
Dec 1, 2015 2:50 AM CST
Illustration by Sam Ward
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Every so often a news item appears about how a particular legal term is most properly pronounced.
Certiorari, for example, surfaces from time to time. Last year an article on…
Nov 1, 2015 2:20 AM CST
Illustration by Sam Ward
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The most important part of a brief? That depends on whom you ask. Some say the issue statements. Others say page 1 (which ought to amount to the same thing).…
Sep 1, 2015 6:00 AM CDT
Illustration by Sam Ward
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About 10 years ago, I was finishing a book for a friend of mine in London, the late Sir Robert Megarry, when in his mid-90s his health began to fail.…
Aug 1, 2015 6:45 AM CDT
Illustration by Brenan Sharp
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Photo of Bryan Garner by Teri Glanger
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The Library of Congress has staged a
magnificent exhibit on Magna Carta and its history. It is, after all, the 800th anniversary of the Great Charter of 1215. To…
Jan 1, 2015 5:52 AM CST
Photo of Bryan Garner by Terri Glanger.
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My fellow lawyers often bristle when I tell them that, on the whole, our profession can't punctuate. It's rare that I don't have to change commas, colons or hyphens in…
Dec 1, 2014 4:40 AM CST
Photo of Bryan A. Garner by Terri Glanger
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At a law firm retreat, a partner approached me during a break. She had a problem she hoped I could solve: "I can't read anymore. I've lost the ability. I…
Nov 1, 2014 5:50 AM CDT
Photo of Bryan Garner by Terri Glanger
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Photo of Bryan A. Garner by Terri Glanger
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