Dear 1L: How to Keep Your Reader Engaged

✏️ Dear 1L Writer,

Your professor is prone to boredom and distraction.

That’s not some big revelation.

All Readers are, and it’s especially true for Readers of legal writing.

Here are the top 3 ways to keep your professor feeling positive about your Memo when deciding on its grade:
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1: BE CLEAR.

Clarity is the single most important quality of strong legal writing.
Strive for clarity above all else.

—If your writing style is confusing, it won’t persuade your prof. that you know what you’re talking about.

—More likely, your prof. will think that YOU are confused about it.
Here’s one way to foster clarity:

📍 Don’t leave the Reader guessing about the identity of your verb subjects. ✔️ Do write primarily in the active voice.

2: BE CONCISE.

I doubt any Reader has ever finished reading any piece of legal writing and thought, “I am disappointed. I wish it had stretched on for a few more pages.”

📍 Cut any facts that neither advance your story nor matter to your argument or theme.

📍 Also cut unnecessary words. I’ve posted before with several examples.

{Aside: Do you know the word “prolixity”? I first learned it from Justice Scalia, in an interview he gave to Bryan Garner:

Q: “What are the main shortcomings of the briefs that you typically say?”

A: “Prolixity, probably.”

—Justice Antonin Scalia, as quoted in Bryan A. Garner, 13 The Scribes Journal of Legal Writing 53 (2010).}

And so,

✔️ Do learn the word “prolixity.” It’s fun to say.

📍 But don’t let it be said of your writing.

3: BE CAPTIVATING (or at least try).

The point is: don’t let your legal writing bore your Reader.
You need an interesting narrative and a smooth recitation of points to keep your Reader engaged.

📍 Long, dense passages will lull your Reader into sleep. You don’t want your Reader dozing. Break up long sentences into pieces, varying your sentence length.

📍 Each long, confusing sentence, word misuse, and grammatical error will be a bump in your Reader’s reading journey.

Your aim should be to make that reading journey bump-free!

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When you write your Memo, look at your writing from your Reader’s point of view.

It will give you a fresh perspective and help your writing better resonate.

* * *
Do you think about your Reader when you write?

Fondly,

💌 Amanda