Author Index Maureen B. Collins

It takes time to train fledgling lawyers to write well. But the time you invest now will pay dividends later.

Don't let convoluted word order tangle your sentences.

These books and Web sites make mastering grammar…well, if not fun, at least less painful.

Heads out of the sand, you ostriches; confront change directly and talk about it honestly.

Yes, you really do need a Web site, and these FAQs will help you make the most of it.

You've built a well-reasoned, well-argued edifice; don't sabotage your effort by neglecting the final flourishes.

Last month's column looked at the "prep work" necessary for a brief. This month, we focus on the framework.

Like a house, a brief needs a solid framework, intricate inner workings, and an attractive appearance.

Sorry, but proper citation format really does matter. Here's why.

As this cautionary tale illustrates, sometimes what you say to a client is less important than how you say it.

Sometimes 'tis nobler in the mind to keep thy mouth shut...

The observant couch-potato can actually learn a lesson or two from the tube about effective communication.

What can you do when client information ends up in the wrong hands because of a misdirected e-mail? Here are a few tips that just might help lessen the damage.

Sexy they're not, but grammatical rules and conventions are too important to ignore.

Put your nose on a diet? Tone up your grammar skills? Here's a legal writer's list of New Year's resolutions.

Avoid these rotten eggs masquerading as arguments and put more Xs in your "win" column.

After evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of your facts and evidence, use one of the rhetorical strategies described here to argue your case.

Attorney-client relationships aren't the only important ones in your professional life. Learn how to talk to your partners, associates and other lawyer-coworkers.

Don't try to understand the often picayune rules that govern typefaces, paper color and the like; just learn and follow them.

Your job is to protect deponents from the undue influence of an overzealous opposing counsel; and from their own confusion and intimidation.

Remember that the responses you elicit in a deposition are likely to be only as good as the questions you ask.

The first of three articles addressing the skills you need to take and defend a deposition.

Here's how to remind the appellate court of its responsibility, and its power, to overturn or uphold the lower court's decision.

Don't underestimate the importance of interrogatories and other forms of written discovery as a way to glean information that can strengthen your case.

Interrogatories and depositions each have their strengths and weaknesses; here are basic guidelines for deciding when to use which discovery technique.

Don't let your brainchildren be like the proverbial cobbler's shoeless kids; lawyer, protect your IP rights.

Aching to "do something"? Every small act of courtesy and civility helps in the wake of September 11.

If you can persuade the judge that ruling in your client's favor means doing good, you'll probably do well.

A new book makes legal analysis as simple as one-two-three.

It isn't too late to learn the all-but-lost art of proper punctuation.