Dear Legal Writer: It’s a big mistake to blow off your Table of Contents (TOC).

It’s potentially THE No. 1 most important part of a brief.

Here’s why:

1: It’s the first thing a court sees.

(—First impressions can be everything.)

2: It’s the first thing a court sees.

(—That makes it prime real estate for starting to persuade the court.)

3: When done right, the TOC gives the court an orderly synopsis of your side’s entire position.

 (—That can get the court leaning toward your side before your formal Introduction even starts.)

***
🔷 Here are some DO’s & DON’Ts for creating a winning TOC:

—DO make your point headings persuasive.

—DO make your point headings tell a full, cohesive story.

—DO make your point headings read well together, one after another.

—DO make the page(s) of the TOC as visually appealing as possible.

—Do NOT permit any typos or formatting errors. (That can be especially deadly at the start of a brief.)

👎 Unfortunately, most of the time, lawyers leave the TOC until the last minute, often delegating it to someone else and not even reviewing it closely.

That is such a big mistake.

You only have one shot at making a great first impression.

Don’t waste it!

💌 Amanda

#DearLegalWriter

📫 FELLOW LITIGATORS: Do you try to start persuading in the Table of Contents?