Subject Index Legal Writing

If some rules are meant to be broken, chances are they will be rules about the English language.

Don’t punish yourself by committing crimes of imprecise, bloated writing.

The Style Manual for the Supreme and Appellate Courts of Illinois, with an assist from the Illinois Reporter of Decisions.

Remedies for 12 common grammar infirmities.

Perhaps it’s time to bury Latin phrases for good, at least in public.

AI chatbots and legal writing.

The passive tense is not always an abomination.

Good contracts should be in plain English and clear.

Five tips for writing a motion designed to persuade a judge, who may only read it once.

How your legal writing affects your credibility and reputation.

Anticipating how your “boss” edits is perhaps the most important writing skill you can learn.

When writing, get the facts right.

Use quotations to serve your writing, not the other way around.

A 110-year-old book on advocating and winning still speaks to attorneys today.

Tips and a checklist for proofreaders. Plus, can you spot the intentional typos in this column?

A thorough checklist for revising thoroughly.

Helpful Microsoft Word add-ins that will make you a better writer.

Get them done. Give them room to breathe. Then, edit away after a fresh look.

Getting serious about the authorities you use in your legal writing.

Writing wisdom from the late William Safire.

Writing for one can help even when you’re writing for many.

Justice Hyman partakes in inspirational embellishment for the greater good.

Susan B. Anthony was right, of course. The words we choose matter.

Gems from the files of Justice Hyman.

If you want to write well, don't do anything listed in this column.

We can learn much from Hemingway's sparse, crisp prose, which did not come naturally to him either.

A tribute to the importance and power of the Oxford comma.

Precise and substantive legal prose does not require Latin or antiquated words. Practice eliminating them from your writing.

A judge quashes all that is bolded, underlined, and ALL CAPPED.