Professional Documents
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Legal Writing Introduction
Legal Writing Introduction
Archaic vocabulary
• To whom
• Level of legal expertise
• Degree of familiarity of the subject
Identify the purpose
• To inform
• To persuade
• To discover information
Time Constraints
Make an outline
• Issue
• Rule
• Analysis
• Conclusion
Organizing legal Documents
Make an outline
• Issue
• Rule (laws applicable, primary and secondary sources)
• Analysis
• Conclusion
Types of Legal Document
•Letters
•Internal memoranda
•Operative documents and forms
•Pleadings
•Motions
•Briefs
Types of writing
• Predictive writing
•Persuasive writing
Persuasive writing
• Persuasion in general is an attempt to shape another„s attitude
about a particular matter
• persuasion in legal writing involves a balance between fervent
advocacy and predictive legal analysis
How to achieve balance
1. Know your purpose and know your audience.
• your purpose is to persuade.
• represent facts and arguments in a light most favorable to your
client - even if they are objectively unfavorable to your client.
How to achieve balance
2. Word choice- changing a word would convey a different tone
The police officer demanded that the defendant open the trunk of
her car.
settlement letter
settlement letter
Client letter
The client letter is used: