Persuasive openers.
Almost all poorly written motions and briefs have one thing in common: they get off to a bad start. They have no clear, boldly expressed point. They’re mushy.
How to fix that problem? Say on page one—in plain English that anyone can understand—what problem the court is to resolve, how, and why.
Page one. No turning of the page necessary. No ad hominem. No slighting of opponents. Just cold, hard logic—with a couple of salient facts.
Impossible, you say? Not at all. But it takes a good deal of know-how and technique.
If you need examples, get the Advanced Legal Writing & Editing coursebook by attending sometime this spring: we’re coming to a city near you. If you can’t, check out the third edition of The Winning Brief: 100 Tips for Persuasive Briefing in Trial and Appellate Courts (2014). You’ll find dozens of compelling examples there.
LawProse Lesson #199: Persuasive openers.
Live seminars this year with Professor Bryan A. Garner: Advanced Legal Writing & Editing
Attend the most popular CLE seminar of all time. More than 215,000 people—including lawyers, judges, law clerks, and paralegals—have benefited since the early 1990s. You'll learn the keys to professional writing and acquire no-nonsense techniques to make your letters, memos, and briefs more powerful.
You'll also learn what doesn't work and why—know-how gathered through Professor Garner's unique experience in training lawyers at the country's top law firms, state and federal courts, government agencies, and Fortune 500 companies.
Professor Garner gives you the keys to make the most of your writing aptitude—in letters, memos, briefs, and more. The seminar covers five essential skills for persuasive writing:
- framing issues that arrest the readers' attention;
- cutting wordiness that wastes readers' time;
- using transitions deftly to make your argument flow;
- quoting authority more effectively; and
- tackling your writing projects more efficiently.
He teaches dozens of techniques that make a big difference. Most important, he shows you what doesn't work—and why—and how to cultivate skillfulness.
Register to reserve your spot today.
Have you wanted to bring Professor Garner to teach your group? Contact us at info@lawprose.org for more information about in-house seminars.