Writing to win: the legal writer: [the complete guide to writing strategies that will make your case-- and win it]

PRAISE FOR Writing to Win “Stark ranks as one of the country’s leading authorities in the field of effective legal writing.... Writing to Win is not the stuff of law school training in the art of legal writing. And that’s what makes it so good.” —Trial “Writing to Win joins the shelf of that small group of the best style books about legal writing. Don’t let it sit there. Use it to make some of your own legal/literary silver bullets.” —New York Law Journal “An excellent primer on writing persuasively.” —Illinois Bar Journal “A practical and down-to-earth guide ... Writing to Win offers so much distilled wisdom that even the skilled writer should learn something new.” —Lawyers Weekly “At once practical and thought provoking ... instead of focusing single-mindedly on legal writing, Stark provides related insights into lawyers, law practice, ethics, and popular culture.” —Scribes Journal of Legal Writing “Entertaining and useful ... superbly organized and easy to read ... a great book.” —Legalwriting.net From a master teacher and writer, a fully revised and updated edition of the results-oriented approach to legal writing that is clear, that persuades—and that WINS. More than almost any profession, the law has a deserved reputation for opaque, jargon-clogged writing. Yet forceful writing is one of the most potent weapons of legal advocacy. In this new edition of Writing to Win , Steven D. Stark, a former lecturer on law at Harvard Law School, who has inspired thousands of aspiring and practicing lawyers, applies the universal principles of powerful, vigorous prose to the job of making a legal case—and winning it. Writing to Win focuses on the writing of lawyers, not judges, and includes dozens of examples of effective (and ineffective) real-life legal writing—as well as compelling models drawn from advertising, journalism, and fiction. It deals with the challenges lawyers face in writing, from organization to strengthening and editing prose; offers incisive ways of improving arguments; addresses litigation and technical writing in all its forms; and covers the writing attorneys must perform in their daily practice, from email memos to briefs and contracts. Each chapter opens with a succinct set of rules for easy reference. With new sections on client communication and drafting affidavits, as well as updated material throughout, Writing to Win is the most practical and efficacious legal-writing manual available. From a master teacher, a results-oriented approach to powerful legal writing that communicates, that persuades--and that wins. Of all the professions, the law has the most deserved reputation for opaque, jargon-clogged writing. Legal education, which focuses on judicial opinions, not instruments of persuasion, is partly to blame. Yet forceful writing is one of the most potent weapons of legal advocacy. In Writing to Win, Steve Stark, a former teacher of writing at Harvard Law, who has taught thousands of aspiring and practicing lawyers, has written the only book on the market that applies the universal principles of vigorous prose to the job of making a case--and winning it. Writing to Win focuses on the writing of lawyers, not judges, and includes dozens of examples of effective (and ineffective) real-life writing--as well as models drawn from advertising, journalism, and fiction. It deals with the problems lawyers face in writing, from organization to strengthening and editing prose; teaches ways of improving arguments; addresses litigation and technical writing in all its forms; and covers the writing attorneys must perform in their practice, from memos and letters to briefs and contracts. Each chapter opens with a succinct set of rules for easy reference. No other legal writing book on the market is as practical, as focused on results, as well written as Writing to Win. From the Trade Paperback edition Contents Cover Other Books by This Author Title Page Copyright Dedication Acknowledgments Introduction to the New Edition Introduction Part I The Fundamentals of Legal Writing Chapter 1 Organizing Your Material Chapter 2 The Rules of the Road Chapter 3 The Mechanics of Editing Part II The Fundamentals of Argument for All Lawyers Chapter 4 The Art of Argument Chapter 5 The Role of Narrative in Argument Part III Writing in Litigation Chapter 6 Writing the Facts Chapter 7 Writing Arguments Chapter 8 Writing Trial and Appellate Briefs, as Well as Affidavits Chapter 9 Writing Complaints and Answers Chapter 10 Writing in Discovery Part IV Writing in Legal Practice Chapter 11 Technical Writing Chapter 12 Writing E-mail and Letters Chapter 13 Writing Memos Chapter 14 Drafting Contracts and Rules Conclusion The Real Damage of Bad Legal Writing Appendix The Sixteen Rules of Professionalism in Legal Writing Bibliography About the Author