How to Use an Em-Dash & Why You Should [carousel]

Dear Legal Writer:

Before you use your next em-dash, make sure you know what you’re doing.

📍 Apparently, almost no 1Ls have been taught how to use an em-dash.

📍 I haven’t seen a law student use an em-dash properly in any of the writing samples I’ve reviewed these past 3 years.

📍 Magazines and other periodicals follow different guidelines, so don’t assume you know how to use them in legal writing.

Follow this carousel guide. ⤵️

After you view, please let me know:

🗳️ Law students: Will you try to use an em-dash the next time you write?
Try one out in a comment, if you’d like.

🗳️ All: Do you like the carousel format?

Fondly,

💌 Amanda

P.S. Ross Guberman & Bryan Garner disagree on whether an em-dash can be used to introduce an independent clause (i.e., one that could stand alone as a complete sentence).

—In Point Made (2d ed. at 24), Guberman says an em-dash “should not introduce an independent clause.”

—In The Red Book, Garner features an example sentence where an em-dash does just that. (See 4th ed. at Sec. 1.54(a), Ex. 4). He also emphasizes that a pair of em-dashes can be used “to set off parenthetical matter—even an independent clause—inside the main sentence.” (Id., Sec. 1.54(b).)

I tend to side with Garner on this one.

🗳️ What do you think?

P.P.S. Almost forgot: In legal writing, we generally don’t use spaces on either side of an em-dash. Do it like this—OK? {The convention may be different for other types of writing.}

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