Why Lawyers May Need A Legal Writing Coach
Lawyers are always needed to write their presentations in a specialized way. Their writings need to bring out the full expression of their analysis of various problems or issues and be able to convince third parties when representing their clients. The main point is that the documents needs to be concise, clear and following the rules and regulations set by the legal profession. This is where a legal writing coach comes in.
The writings are normally divided into two types. There is that which needs a balanced analysis of the legal problem being handled. It can therefore include letters being sent to the client and inter-office memoranda. In order to do it in the best way possible, the attorney has to take into consideration the level of interest, needs and background of the individuals being sent the document.
If for example one is sending a memorandum to a fellow lawyer in the firm, he/she needs not to define basic law definitions or otherwise the whole thing would be totally inefficient and may even lead to annoyance. However, this is not the same when the person being addressed is a client who does not understand much about law. If he/she is sent the same writing as the other lawyer, then he would only remain confused.
The second type of legal writing common in the profession is the persuasive kind. Documents written for such purposes need to very clear and precise. The lawyer therefore needs to make sure that he has put his points straight forward without provoking the other party being addressed. Documents of this kind include appellate briefs and negotiation letters. It is also required of writings being presented to administrative agencies and the court to follow the right style.
Lawyers are also tasked with drafting contracts and wills. They, however, need to write them very keenly in order to ensure that the interests of the client are well presented. There is therefore a unique platform that they are supposed to follow, and this is why there are guides to help them in writing.
A coach can help the lawyer in knowing the right citation to use. This is because it normally provides experienced readers with just the right information needed to retrieve and evaluate the authorities which have been cited. The services of the coach will also include teaching the lawyer about the citation format needed, as specified by court rules, for brief and memoranda being done with the court.
The process will first start with the lawyer presenting his/her coach with the legal writings he/she has done before. The coach will then review the document while checking out for the style, structure and substance in it. The legal talent of the client is therefore natured once he/she gets to learn the techniques of self-editing.
Most coaches will ask their lawyer clients to submit their projects for review. They will then focus on the structure and substance of the argument as they edit it. Other will first do complete editing on a line-by-line basis. Thereafter, they review for structure, logic, tone, integrity, persuasiveness and balance. They then give their comments to the lawyers and work it out again with them so that they may learn the technique.
The writings are normally divided into two types. There is that which needs a balanced analysis of the legal problem being handled. It can therefore include letters being sent to the client and inter-office memoranda. In order to do it in the best way possible, the attorney has to take into consideration the level of interest, needs and background of the individuals being sent the document.
If for example one is sending a memorandum to a fellow lawyer in the firm, he/she needs not to define basic law definitions or otherwise the whole thing would be totally inefficient and may even lead to annoyance. However, this is not the same when the person being addressed is a client who does not understand much about law. If he/she is sent the same writing as the other lawyer, then he would only remain confused.
The second type of legal writing common in the profession is the persuasive kind. Documents written for such purposes need to very clear and precise. The lawyer therefore needs to make sure that he has put his points straight forward without provoking the other party being addressed. Documents of this kind include appellate briefs and negotiation letters. It is also required of writings being presented to administrative agencies and the court to follow the right style.
Lawyers are also tasked with drafting contracts and wills. They, however, need to write them very keenly in order to ensure that the interests of the client are well presented. There is therefore a unique platform that they are supposed to follow, and this is why there are guides to help them in writing.
A coach can help the lawyer in knowing the right citation to use. This is because it normally provides experienced readers with just the right information needed to retrieve and evaluate the authorities which have been cited. The services of the coach will also include teaching the lawyer about the citation format needed, as specified by court rules, for brief and memoranda being done with the court.
The process will first start with the lawyer presenting his/her coach with the legal writings he/she has done before. The coach will then review the document while checking out for the style, structure and substance in it. The legal talent of the client is therefore natured once he/she gets to learn the techniques of self-editing.
Most coaches will ask their lawyer clients to submit their projects for review. They will then focus on the structure and substance of the argument as they edit it. Other will first do complete editing on a line-by-line basis. Thereafter, they review for structure, logic, tone, integrity, persuasiveness and balance. They then give their comments to the lawyers and work it out again with them so that they may learn the technique.
About the Author:
You can visit clearwriting.com for more helpful information about The Services Of A Legal Writing Coach.
Comments
Post a Comment