Dear 1L Writer,

I’m not sure why this trips up new law students, but in US English, put the period or comma INSIDE ending quotation marks, regardless of whether the period or comma appeared in the original, quoted material.

Here are two examples.

✏️ Dear 1L Writer,

If you write “the fact that,” please stop.  Why?

It’s a clunky clause that says nothing.

It’s even worse when coupled with “despite,” as in “despite the fact that.”

Here are some better options.

💌 Dear 1L Writer,

This quick guide will help you write more clearly.

🟢 A, B, and C = ✔️ best practice

🔴 A, B and C = ✖️ not best practice

RULE:  DO use a comma before “and” in a list of 3 or more. 

💌 Dear 1L,

If you want to succeed in legal writing, you’ll need to shift your mindset. Here’s what I mean.

In college:

Your papers and essays had to be long enough to meet a minimum page or word length (e.g. “must be at least 20 pages”).

💌 Dear 1L,

OCI writing samples: 3 steps to increase the odds yours is well-received by law firms.

1️⃣ CRAFT A COVER MEMO.

Include a short, concise cover memo to introduce your OCI writing sample. 

💌 Dear 1L,

I’ve recently been making my way through a big stack of your legal writing samples for OCI.

A lot of you are using 7-9 page excerpts from longer briefs you wrote in your spring-semester, legal-writing class.  

Dear 1L,

You are misusing the words “comprise” and “compose.”

I concede: I, too, didn’t know the words well during law school.

The “comprise-compose” conundrum comes often in legal writing.

The difference between the two words is not intuitive, 

Dear 1L,

I’m keeping a list of recurring mistakes in law-student writing samples.

This one is easy: make sure you know when to capitalize “court.”

*    *    *

🔷 CAPITALIZE SCOTUS (Supreme Court of the United States)

Dear 1L,

If you’re someone who routinely writes the phrase “in order to,” I suggest you reconsider.

Almost always, a simple “to” will do.

Try it when you edit your writing this summer.  Run a search for the phrase “in order to.”  Substitute the simple “to.”

Dear 1L,

Before you send in your resume, hold yours up to light.

Then assess. For OUR eyes, what’s the sight?

Is it just one wall of text?

Is there white space, for rest?

✏️  Is there any white space at all???

Dear 1L,

Please stop writing “they” when referring to “company.”

If you question that, below is a short explanation, along with a question for those across the pond:

**

In the U.S. English, and legal English, that I’ve always know:

Dear 1L,

If you write “prior to” instead of “before,” I am curious.  Why?

I promise that using “prior to” does not make your writing better.

Nor does it make you sound more intelligent or well-read. In any event, sounding that way should be a given. It will not impress your reader, and it should NOT be one of your goals for persuasive legal writing.

Dear 1L,

When I look at drafts of your writing, I strike almost every “since.”

I substitute “because.”  Here’s why.

🔷 “SINCE” confuses the Reader.

“Since” means many things. 

Dear 1L,

When finalizing your writing samples for this summer’s law-firm recruiting (aka, OCI, or On Campus Interviewing), please aim for as near perfect as possible.

As a still-recovering perfectionist, I am hesitant to recommend that anyone strive for perfection in anything. I know the perils of such pursuits well.

Dear 1L,

I’m working on an end-of-exams congratulations letter,

but I know you have a big legal writing competition first.

Below are some initial thoughts for you.

🔹 First, don’t panic or get defeated. You’re going to receive a huge competition packet, and you’ll run out of printer toner making a hard copy.