What’s the most important writing style for lawyers to learn? It’s straightforward, functional prose—a style that conveys meaning distinctly and concisely; that spares readers all unnecessary effort; that presents ideas simply, briskly, and logically; that has every word and every punctuation mark serving the ideas being expressed.
True, there are many styles of writing. Some are florid and ornate, some intricate and legalistic, some unconventional and imaginative, some elevated and grandiose. But nobody can do them well without first mastering the stripped-down style of clean, functional prose. This style is fundamental to writing letters, motions, briefs, memos, talks, articles, and many other forms of communication. Just as musicians must know their scales and arpeggios before they can perform even an intermediate-level solo, legal writers should master the essentials of plain style before attempting anything more elaborate.
Many problems in legal writing result from lawyers’ reaching for flashier types of writing before they’ve learned the unadorned style.