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Full-Text Articles in Law
Flawless First Draft In Legal Writing: A Fantasy Of The Uninitiated, Patrick Barry
Flawless First Draft In Legal Writing: A Fantasy Of The Uninitiated, Patrick Barry
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I recently received an email from a former student (now a public interest lawyer) who had just finished a major writing project. She wanted to thank me for introducing her to the psychologically liberating concept of “shitty first drafts.” Without it, she said, she probably would have never hit her deadline.
Feedback Loops: E-D-I-T (Continued), Patrick Barry
Feedback Loops: E-D-I-T (Continued), Patrick Barry
Articles
In the "Feedback Loops" column back in March, we introduced the "E-D-I-T" framework:
- Find something to Eliminate
- Find something to Decrease
- Find something to Increase
- Find something to Try
This new column will discuss each category more in depth.
Feedback Loops: E-D-I-T, Patrick Barry
Feedback Loops: E-D-I-T, Patrick Barry
Articles
The Keep/Cut Framework we learned about back in the December 2022 Feedback Loops column is, admittedly, a bit of a blunt feedback instrument. When the only feedback you can give is “Keep” or “Cut,” there’s not a ton of room for nuance or gradation. Your comments are restricted to either endorsing what already exists or pushing for something to be removed. hat’s a pretty limited menu.
So in both this column and in the June 2023 column, we’re going to learn about a feedback framework that creates opportunities for a greater range of opinions and recommendations: “E-D-I-T.”
Editing, Vehicles In The Park, And The Virtue Of Clarity, Patrick Barry
Editing, Vehicles In The Park, And The Virtue Of Clarity, Patrick Barry
Articles
What is the optimal amount of advocacy?
My law students and I face that question all the time. We face it when we’re drafting motions. We face it when we’re proposing changes to contracts. We even face it when putting together key emails, text messages, and social-media posts.
In all these situations and many more, we don’t want to oversell our arguments and ideas — but we don’t want to undersell them either. Instead, we hope to hit that perfect sweet spot known as “persuasion.”
We don’t always succeed, but one thing that has significantly increased our effectiveness is the …