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Legal Writing and Research

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Legal writing

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Polishing Makes Perfect . . . Or Maybe Not, Melissa N. Henke Nov 2016

Polishing Makes Perfect . . . Or Maybe Not, Melissa N. Henke

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This column offers some tips and strategies that can improve the proofreading process you use. To be clear, I use the term proofreading to refer to the final stage of editing. Of course proofreading can never take the place of earlier stages of rewriting or revising for organization, content, clarity, or conciseness. But this final stage of editing is crucial, because it is where you identify and fix any problems with spelling, grammar, and punctuation that leave your document looking less than polished.


Effective Writing Is Organized Writing, Melissa N. Henke May 2015

Effective Writing Is Organized Writing, Melissa N. Henke

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Effective legal writers organize their analysis with the reader in mind. This article focuses on two common techniques used in creating organized writing strong topic sentences and appropriate transitions.


Helping International Students Avoid The Plagiarism Minefield: Suggestions From A Second Language Teacher And Writer, Diane B. Kraft Oct 2014

Helping International Students Avoid The Plagiarism Minefield: Suggestions From A Second Language Teacher And Writer, Diane B. Kraft

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In this column for Perspectives: Teaching and Writing, Professor Diane B. Kraft provides suggestions to address the problem of plagiarism by international law students.


Citations: Suggestions For Citing Authority Without Distracting The Reader, Kristin J. Hazelwood May 2014

Citations: Suggestions For Citing Authority Without Distracting The Reader, Kristin J. Hazelwood

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In this column for Kentucky Bar Association's magazine (B&B - Bench & Bar), Professor Hazelwood makes four suggestions to "un-clutter" legal writing. Practitioners are encouraged to: (1) limit string citations; (2) keep citations at the end of the sentence; (3) use explanatory parentheticals to explain the significance of citations, but not to replace text; and (4) avoid unnecessary repetition.


Take A P.A.S.S. On Your Next Legal Document, Melissa N. Henke Nov 2013

Take A P.A.S.S. On Your Next Legal Document, Melissa N. Henke

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In this column for Kentucky Bar Association's magazine (B&B - Bench & Bar), Professor Henke suggests that writers to contemplate: Purpose, Audience, Scope, and Stance. The goal is to improve the legal writing of practicing lawyers.


When Is Copying Ok In Legal Writing?, Diane B. Kraft May 2013

When Is Copying Ok In Legal Writing?, Diane B. Kraft

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In this column for Kentucky Bar Association's magazine (B&B - Bench & Bar), Professor Diane B. Kraft discusses the best practices for copying in legal writing.


Give Outlines Another Chance, Melissa N. Henke May 2012

Give Outlines Another Chance, Melissa N. Henke

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Much has been written on the benefits of outlining for legal writing specifically and for other professional writing more generally. This commentary provides some of the more common benefits of outlining a legal document.


Checklists: Not Just For Pilots Anymore, Diane B. Kraft Nov 2011

Checklists: Not Just For Pilots Anymore, Diane B. Kraft

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In this column for Kentucky Bar Association's magazine (B&B - Bench & Bar), Professor Diane B. Kraft discusses how using checklists can improve an individual's legal writing skills.


The Perils Of Hyperbole, Diane B. Kraft May 2011

The Perils Of Hyperbole, Diane B. Kraft

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In this column for Kentucky Bar Association's magazine (B&B - Bench & Bar), Professor Diane B. Kraft makes suggestions about avoiding hyperbole in legal writing.


Commas And Colons And Semicolons - Oh My! 10 Rules To Remember, Diane B. Kraft Nov 2010

Commas And Colons And Semicolons - Oh My! 10 Rules To Remember, Diane B. Kraft

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In this column for Kentucky Bar Association's magazine (B&B - Bench & Bar), Professor Kraft provides ten helpful grammar rules for commas. colons, and semicolons.