The Science Behind the Art of Legal Writing

Cameron, Catherine; Long, Lance

ISBN 10: 1531007740 / ISBN 13: 9781531007744

Published by Carolina Academic Press, 2019

Fast Free Shipping â Very Good condition book with a firm cover and clean pages. Shows normal use and some light wear or limited notes markings. A solid, nice copy to enjoy. Seller Inventory # GWV.1531007740.VG

Synopsis:

"What evidence exists to support the advice that legal writing professors offer their students? For example, do legal readers really prefer short sentences and the active voice? Is outlining the best way to start a memo or brief? Can a certain font type make a brief more persuasive? Is deductive reasoning the most effective form of legal reasoning? Will a legal writer view the use of the word ""clearly"" with skepticism? Are judges annoyed by minor grammatical errors or typos? These questions and many more are addressed in The Science Behind the Art of Legal Writing. This text provides easy access to research in the form of social psychological experiments, statistical analyses, and surveys (some done by others and some done by the authors), which suggest that much of the advice given to legal writing students is backed by solid science. As a supplemental text for a first-year legal writing course, or as a primary text for an advanced legal writing course, The Science Behind the Art of Legal Writing provides the evidence-besides saying ""because I told you so""-for requiring students to follow many common legal writing conventions. As the first comprehensive compilation of research addressing legal writing, The Science Behind the Art of Legal Writing provides a much-needed resource to legal writing professionals. The second edition updates the research in the first addition and adds chapters addressing the science of passive voice and the effect of legal training on how students read legal text. Praise for the first edition: ""Even when incorporating the scientific elements of writing, this book is highly readable and well paced. In fact, the explanations not only embrace their scientific roots but the underlying philosophy as well, including chapters on deductive reasoning and syllogisms. This adds to the appeal of the book, especially for those less inclined to a scientific read...Overall, Cameron and Long have created a book that is valuable for first-year law students and legal scholars alike. Its insights bring new life into old legal writing wisdom. The book's well-organized discussions on everything from outlining to the ethics of legal writing make this a great addition to a legal writing collection."" - Amy Lipford, Law Library Journal, Vol. 107:4"

About the Author: Catherine J. Cameron is a Professor of Legal Skills at the Stetson University College of Law. Lance N. Long is a Professor of Legal Skills at the Stetson University College of Law.

Bibliographic Details

Title: The Science Behind the Art of Legal Writing
Publisher: Carolina Academic Press
Publication Date: 2019
Binding: Soft cover
Condition: very_good
Edition: 2nd Edition