Legal Writing

The importance of communication in the legal environment cannot be underestimated. Effectively using the written word in dealings with clients, legal adversaries, the court, and interoffice communication is vital to ensuring a successful legal career. This book introduces students to the legal thought process and outlines research strategies for effective writing. It provides a basic, but successful, plan in professional writing, focusing on the relationship between legal writing and the legal process.

The importance of communication in the legal environment cannot be underestimated. Effectively using the written word in dealings with clients, legal adversaries, the court, and interoffice communication is vital to ensuring a successful legal career. It examines research strategies and explains when to stop researching and start writing. Each of the five most common forms of legal writing are discussed from briefs to transaction documents. The final section explores methodology, style, editing and publishing the document.

Steve Barber, J.D. is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Evansville in Evansville, Indiana and partner in the law firm of Barber and Hamilton