Legal Writing: Overview
In this section of the guide, you will find links to sources on:
There are two main types of legal writing:
- Balanced analysis of a legal problem or issue
- Persuasive argument
Examples of writing providing balanced analysis of a legal issue are: inter-office memoranda and letters to clients. To be effective, a lawyer needs to be sensitive to the needs, level of interest and background of the parties to whom the memo or letter is addressed.
Examples of writing containing persuasive arguments are: appellate briefs and negotiation letters written on behalf of clients. When presenting documents to a court or to an administrative agency, a lawyer must comply with style requirements of the court or agency.
How to Research: Library Tutorials & Research Guides
- Library Learn It VideosIn a series of online tutorials, learn how utilize the Brooklyn Law School Library and its resources in 5 minutes or less.
- Strategy for Legal ResearchFrom the 1L Survival Guide created by Roberta Woods, a librarian at the University of Hawaii School of Law, this page has a number of useful tips and strategies for the beginning legal researcher.
- Basic Legal Research TipsGeneral tips for starting your research and determining when it's okay to stop researching from the librarians at Boston College School of Law.
Legal Writing in Plain English
Legal Writing in Plain English, Second Edition by Call Number: KF250 .G373 2013 (On Reserve)*Tips on generating thoughts, organizing them, and creating outlines
*Sound advice on expressing your ideas clearly and powerfully
*Dozens of real-life writing examples to illustrate writing problems and solutions
*Helpful guidance on page layout
*A punctuation guide that shows the correct uses of every punctuation mark
*Model legal documents that demonstrate the power of plain English
Note: BLS Library is tracking publication of the forthcoming new ed. in 2023.