My recommendations for the best legal-writing sources.
Writing for the Legal Audience, by Schiess
- "It is easy to read, easy to use, and--especially considering the type of book it is--surprisingly enjoyable."
Lifting the Fog of Legalese, by Kimble
- Let Professor Kimble, the drafting consultant for the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, introduce you to the plain-English movement.
The Redbook: A Manual on Legal Style, by Garner
- The best legal-writing style guide.
The Lawyer's Guide to Writing Well, by Goldstein & Lieberman
- The book that convinced me lawyers are professional writers.
A Dictionary of Modern Legal Usage, by Garner
- A thousand pages of good writing advice. If you are serious about legal writing, you need this book.
The Modern Rules of Style, by Marx
- Short, clear, and powerful. I call it advanced sentence-writing for lawyers.
A Manual of Style for Contract Drafting, by Adams
- Contract-drafting advice from one who is a legal-language expert and an experienced transactional lawyer.
Better Legal Writing, by Schiess
- The text I use in my course, Advanced Legal Writing.
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What I believe.
I believe in the serial comma.
