Proofreading is tedious. And no matter how many times you proofread a brief, you inevitably spot a hidden “misstate” about two seconds after you file it. If you have read my blog posts long enough, you know that perfection is a noble, but unobtainable, goal.
However, next time someone suggests that proofing (or re-proofing) is not a valuable exercise, take a look at State v.… Continue Reading
The September 2015 ABA Journal has an interesting article by Bryan Garner on headings in appellate briefs. Garner makes a case for why the table of contents is one of the most important components of a brief. He also provides guidelines for maximizing the impact of this required–but too often marginalized–component of legal writing. Finally, Garner shares pointers on becoming “a propositional writer–one who figures out the main points before beginning to write,” declaring this skill to be the key to efficiency and quality.… Continue Reading
I’ve previously blogged about cases that remind me of the bar exam or law school exams. In reading a case released by the Court of Appeals yesterday, however, I was reminded of grammar lessons from 7th grade English class and the dreaded logic section of the LSAT.
In In re Powell, the court addressed an appeal from a trial court’s order denying the Appellant’s motion to set aside a foreclosure sale. … Continue Reading