Dear Legal Writer: Make Your Table of Contents a Priority

Dear Legal Writer: It’s a mistake to short shrift your Table of Contents (TOC).

The TOC may be the most important part of your brief.

🔶 It’s likely the very first thing a court will read, and that makes it prime real estate for starting to persuade.

👉 Don’t lose the chance to make a convincing first impression.

🔶 If your TOC gives the court everything it needs and sells your side’s position, the court should be leaning toward delivering your side victory before your Introduction even starts.

Follow these 4 Tips to create a winning TOC:

1️⃣ Do write persuasive point headings that read well together, one after another, and tell a cohesive, comprehensive story.

—Most people consider how their headings read within the body of their briefs, but they forget that all those headings get read all together when read in the TOC. Don’t make that mistake.

2️⃣ Make the page(s) as visually appealing as possible.

—No one wants to read a crowded, boldface, all caps TOC. Think about how your Reader sees the page, and make your TOC a pleasure to read.

3️⃣ Do not permit any typos or formatting errors.

—No explanation necessary.

4️⃣ Do NOT wait until the final hours to start it.

—It will take you much longer to prepare than you think, and it needs to sell your case.

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Do you make your TOC a priority?

I think it’s the most overlooked part of most briefs. I use mine like a working outline—a living, breathing blueprint to my brief that I revisit and refine to keep myself on track.

🗳️ All thoughts are welcome.

Fondly,
💌 Amanda

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