Sharpen Your Legal Writing: 10 Strategies to Write Like a Lawyer

As a legal professional, your writing represents you. Strong written advocacy makes the difference between winning and losing cases.

But between convoluted precedents and tedious templates legal writing can be challenging.

Luckily, you can take tangible steps to improve. Finding your inner John Grisham or Elle Woods just takes practice and dedication.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll share insider tips to take your legal writing skills to the next level. Master these techniques, and you’ll be drafting high-impact briefs and memos in no time!

Know Your Audience

The first rule of effective writing understand your reader

Legal documents target different audiences. A brief persuades the court while a client letter explains options. Internal memos analyze issues for lawyers.

Before writing, identify key details about your recipients:

• Knowledge level: Explain background to a lay client vs. build on existing expertise for firm lawyers.

• Objectives: A partner seeks analysis but a judge expects legal arguments.

• Style preferences: Some judges demand formal address while others appreciate brevity.

• Constraints: Limit technical jargon and embedded legal cites when targeting clients.

Customizing content based on audience goals ensures your document hits the mark. And a focused message makes complex concepts more digestible.

Organize and Outline

Sound structure is the skeleton of successful legal writing.

Logical flow ensures readers can easily follow your reasoning. Sharp outlining brings shape to the chaos.

Build your blueprint using:

• Headings that orient readers and segment key sections

• Numbered lists to sequence arguments and highlight pivotal points

• Roadmap paragraphs that forecast the analysis to follow

• Summaries to recap important themes and conclusions

• Transitions that connect each piece into a cohesive whole

A cogent outline provides the framework to layer in supporting facts and citations down the line. Prioritize this crucial planning step before drafting any prose.

Stick to CRAC

All lawyers know this tried-and-true model for legal analysis:

C – Conclusion
R – Rule
A – Analysis
C – Conclusion

The beauty of the CRAC method lies in its simplicity. Following this logical formula lends clarity to murky topics.

To employ CRAC like a pro:

• State the conclusion upfront in simple terms

• Explain the relevant legal rule

• Provide thorough analysis applying law to facts

• End by restating the conclusion given the preceding discussion

This roadmap keeps writing focused and oriented around the end goal. The CRAC framework is legal writing gold – use it as the bones of any document.

Write Concisely

Less is more in legal writing. Verbosity dilutes arguments and frustrates readers.

To condense text:

• Omit needless words: Eliminate intensifiers (“very unique”), redundancies (“each and every”), and useless phrases (“it is important to note that…”).

• Reduce clauses: Break long, complex sentences into crisp shorter ones.

• Cut nominalizations: Change “make an assessment” to “assess” for brevity.

• Active voice: “The court overturned the verdict” pops more than “The verdict was overturned by the court.”

• Strong verbs: “Jones argues…” beats “Jones makes the argument that…”

• Highlight key points: Bold, underline, or bullet important statements.

Streamlined writing lets you pack more punch per paragraph. Wield words deliberately to strengthen your message.

Use Plain Language

Plain language clarifies complex legal concepts through simple terms and everyday speech. For example:

• Instead of “prior to,” say “before.”

• Trade “subsequent to” for “after.”

• Swap “utilize” with “use.”

• Pick “about” or “approximately” over “in the vicinity of.”

• Replace “demonstrate” with “show.”

• Use “help” rather than “be of assistance.”

This approach benefits both legal and non-legal audiences. Ditching jargon makes materials more readable for clients and juries. Even judges appreciate clarity.

Boost understanding by phrasing discussions in plain language. Pro tip: read passages aloud to identify areas that sound convoluted. Then, simplify.

Be Consistent

In legal writing, consistency equals credibility.

Maintaining uniformity gives readers confidence you grasped the material. But contradictions undermine conclusions.

Ensure consistency in:

• Formatting: Use the same structure, spacing, footers, etc. throughout a document.

• Tone: Maintain a professional voice appropriate for your audience.

• Terminology: Only use one term for a given concept or party. Don’t flip between “plaintiff” and “injured.”

• Citations: Abbreviate sources consistently and cite with each mention.

• Writing style: Don’t mix casual asides with formal analysis.

While legal writing requires customization for context, aim for coherence within a piece. Careful consistency cements your authority.

Integrate Facts Strategically

Unlike creative writing, legal documents deal in cold hard facts. But dry recitations do little to move the needle.

Strategic presentation of the facts bolsters your position:

• State favorable facts first to frame the narrative positively.

• Weave in only facts that support your argument; exclude distracting outliers.

• Quote key testimony to showcase evidence; don’t just summarize.

• Reference precedents to ground assertions in previous rulings.

• Cite page numbers when quoting record documents to facilitate verification.

• Use topic sentences to transition between facts relating to different issues.

• Connect facts to analysis to illustrate how evidence drives your conclusions.

With thoughtful arrangement and incorporation of facts, you can construct a compelling story.

Mind Your Citations

In legal writing, citations do more than avoid plagiarism. Proper Bluebook form lends authority and transparency.

Follow citation best practices:

• Place citations at the end of sentences. This improves flow without interrupting.

• Keep citations brief yet clear, like “(Smith v. Jones, 2019)”.

• Use consistent format for internal cross-references and external source references.

• Only cite statements requiring attribution, not general information.

• Double check accuracy of sources, page numbers, court, dates, etc. to avoid undermining credibility.

• Include pin cites directing readers to specific pages when citing long documents.

• Cite each time you reference the same source. Don’t make readers hunt for footnotes.

Flawless citations reflect attention to detail and command of sources. Don’t let sloppy referencing ruin an otherwise rock-solid argument.

Cut the Legalese

Old legal traditions come with tedious conventions like “hereinafter” and “whereas.” But modern readers demand modern writing.

To cut the legalese:

• Use plain language phrases instead of obscure Latin terms when possible.

• Limit lengthy recitations like “Now comes Defendant, John Smith, appearing herein pro se.”

• Delete meaningless legal doublets like “null and void” or “cease and desist.”

• Reference people by name rather than constantly reiterating party titles.

• Avoid excessive use of nominalizations like “noncompliance” or “remuneration.”

• Only use archaic terms if absolutely necessary given context and audience.

Convoluted language frustrates and confuses rather than demonstrating expertise. Prioritize clarity over convention.

Seek Feedback

Writing is a skill that improves through experience – and edits.

Secure constructive criticism by:

• Asking colleagues or mentors to review and suggest focused improvements.

• Reading documents aloud to identify awkward phrasing.

• Setting writing aside briefly before editing with fresh eyes.

• Checking for consistent style and formatting. Do references match? Is the tone consistent?

• Tracking common feedback and mistakes to address weak spots.

• Conducting peer reviews to compare approaches and learn new techniques.

• Reading exemplary documents in your field and reverse engineering what makes them effective.

Reflecting on feedback accelerates your learning curve. Developing self-editing skills also prevents mistakes before work goes out the door.

Celebrate Progress

Lastly, acknowledge wins! Legal writing is an ongoing journey, but progression deserves praise.

• After finishing a strong brief, take a moment to feel proud.

• Save examples of your best work to track improvement over time.

• Tell your mentor or managing partner about achievements. Let them recognize your growth.

• Record notes on what techniques paid off to replicate effective approaches.