How I Add Creativity to My Legal Writing

How I add creativity to my legal writing—

(AND make it more persuasive).

3 ways:

1️⃣ Use more interesting, image-evoking words.

Instead of: The defendant quickly left the courtroom.
Try: The defendant bolted from the courtroom.

Instead of: The evidence is insufficient.
Try: The evidence is paper-thin.

Spicing up your word choice is a sure way to add some creative punch to your legal writing.

2️⃣ Mix up your sentence structures to add cadence and rhythm.

Instead of: Plaintiff claimed __. Plaintiff alleged __. Plaintiff also alleged ___.

Try: Plaintiff claimed __. __ was Plaintiff’s chief allegation. Also alleged by Plaintiff was that ___.

3️⃣ Vary your sentence length.

The standard legal writing advice is that your sentences should average out to about no more than 20 words each.

That advice can be misleading, though, because it suggests that all your sentences should be the same length.

The truth is quite to the contrary.

👉 To arrive at a 20-or-less word average, you need a mix of short, medium, and long sentences.

The attached passage from Gary Provost’s “𝟏𝟎𝟎 𝘞𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘐𝘮𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘞𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨” provides the best illustration for how to do this.

Take a read. I promise: You will not be disappointed!!

***
Sending cheer to all—

💌 Amanda

#DearLegalWriter

P.S. Do you add creativity to your legal writing?

What’s your go-to approach?