Subject Index Legal Writing

Write for Success in Discovery

By Maureen B. Collins
March
2002
Column
, Page 149
Don't underestimate the importance of interrogatories and other forms of written discovery as a way to glean information that can strengthen your case.

To Write or Not to Write: Written and Oral Discovery Compared

By Maureen B. Collins
February
2002
Column
, Page 97
Interrogatories and depositions each have their strengths and weaknesses; here are basic guidelines for deciding when to use which discovery technique.

A Place for Policy

By Maureen B. Collins
October
2001
Column
, Page 543
If you can persuade the judge that ruling in your client's favor means doing good, you'll probably do well.

Writing Like a Lawyer Means Thinking Like a Lawyer

By Maureen B. Collins
September
2001
Column
, Page 493
A new book makes legal analysis as simple as one-two-three.

The Lawyer’s Journal

By Bonnie C. McGrath
August
2001
Column
, Page 394
Name-calling brief writers get a pass; Gramm-Leach-Bliley may require lawyers to send privacy notices; and more.

A Punctuation Primer

By Maureen B. Collins
August
2001
Column
, Page 433
It isn't too late to learn the all-but-lost art of proper punctuation.

Writing That Stirred Your Souls

By Maureen B. Collins
July
2001
Column
, Page 377
We asked you, Gentle Readers, to send us writing that moved you. Here are excerpts from your responses.

The Message, the Method, the Madness

By Maureen B. Collins
June
2001
Column
, Page 321
For some communication, e-mail is just the thing; other times, only a phone call will do. As you think about what message to send, consider how best to send it.

Point/Counterpoint: Crafting a Counter-Argument

By Maureen B. Collins
May
2001
Column
, Page 267
Learn to counter your opponent's arguments without giving them too much weight.

Writing as Art

By Maureen B. Collins
April
2001
Column
, Page 207
Some writing has special power; the power to move people. And isn't that what lawyers aspire to do?

Verbs Are It

By Sue Liemer
March
2001
Column
, Page 151
Want to improve your writing in a hurry? Go heavy on the verbs, easy on the nouns.

Correspondence from Our Readers

January
2001
Column
, Page 6
The Bluebook and Supreme Court Rule 6; you can't follow both.

The Lost Art of Drawing a Conclusion

By Maureen B. Collins
January
2001
Column
, Page 45
Somewhere between "the one hand" and "the other" may be the answer your client hired you to provide.

Legal Writing Can be a Scream

By Maureen B. Collins
December
2000
Column
, Page 725
A gallery of horrors awaits legal writers who aren't attentive to; or who play fast and loose with; the details.

Bluebook Blues: Changes in the Seventeenth Edition

By Maureen B. Collins
November
2000
Column
, Page 663
Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water, the new edition of the Bluebook is waiting to taunt you with its incomprehensible minutiae.

A Civil Action

By Maureen B. Collins
October
2000
Column
, Page 601
It may not be in your client's best interest to approach your relationship with opposing counsel as if it were war.

Why Brief Writing is Like Ice Hockey

By Lisa J. Freedman
August
2000
Column
, Page 477
Find out what the best appellate lawyers and the Great Gretzky have in common.

An Editing Checklist

By Maureen B. Collins
July
2000
Column
, Page 415
Learning to be your own editor is an important but challenging job. This checklist can help you revise your own work.

A Legal Writer’s Bookshelf

By Maureen B. Collins
June
2000
Column
, Page 359
Been a while since you sharpened your writer's saw? These books can help.

Lawyer as Storyteller

By Maureen B. Collins
May
2000
Column
, Page 289
To be truly persuasive, don't just write a brief; tell a story.

Electronic Briefs: The Time Has Come

By Todd H. Flaming
April
2000
Column
, Page 233
Here's how to create an electronic brief that includes exhibits, signed documents; everything you'd include in a paper version. For an example, see /ibj/apr00lj/ebrief.pdf.

Recommendations for Rookie Writers

By Maureen B. Collins
April
2000
Column
, Page 237
Okay, you've got a real job now; how do you transfer your writing skills from the classroom to the real world of lawyering? Here are some tips.

Drafting with Style

By Maureen B. Collins
March
2000
Column
, Page 173
In the last two columns we looked at the drafting process and component parts of transaction documents.

Drafting Transaction Documents: The Pieces of the Puzzle

By Maureen B. Collins
February
2000
Column
, Page 110
Assemble the standard provisions and create the picture of a well-done deal.

The Lawyer’s Journal

By Bonnie McGrath
February
2000
Column
, Page 62
Banks and title insurance; fees for foiled FOIA requests; crafting affirmative action plans; and more.

Creating a Document to Meet Your Client’s Needs

By Maureen B. Collins
January
2000
Column
, Page 47
Drafting a seaworthy document requires more than pasting form provisions into place; you have to learn the facts and the law.

Uncomplicating the Citation Process

By Andrea Kaufman
December
1999
Column
, Page 675
Move over Bluebook; a soon-to-be-released citation manual provides much clearer answers with many fewer words.

How to Read a Writing Sample

By Maureen Beth Beazley
November
1999
Column
, Page 615
You don't have to read every word of a writing sample to assess its quality. Here's what to look for.

Getting the Legal Writing Sample You Need

By Mary Beth Beazley
October
1999
Column
, Page 557
Last month's column urged employers to assess the writing skills of prospective hires; this month, learn how to get the writing sample you need.

Hiring Good Writers

By Maureen B. Collins
September
1999
Column
, Page 499
Here's how to screen prospective hires for good legal writing skills.

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