Law Commons^™

Explain It To Me: Tips For Effective Rule Explanation In Legal Analysis, Melissa N. Henke

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The process of rule explanation is an important part of legal analysis, because it informs the legal reader, be it another attorney or a judge, how the legal rule has been applied in past cases. In other words, the rule explanation is where we use case law “to define, explain, and exemplify” the legal rule that determines the outcomes of the client’s problem or dispute. Legal writing texts refer to this discussion of past cases as case illustrations, case descriptions, or case examples, and they often devote substantial space to the topic. This column highlights four tips for improving the …

Getting Visual, Michael D. Murray

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No abstract provided.

Good Critical Reading Strategies Can Improve Legal Writing, Jane Bloom Grisé

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Language Changes, But Should Legal Writing Change With It?, Diane B. Kraft

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Tips For Writing Concisely, Kristin J. Hazelwood

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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.

The Future Of Law Libraries, Tina M. Brooks, Franklin L. Runge, Beau Steenken

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Law libraries are filed with the rules that govern our society, thoughtful scholars, conscientious lawyers, some hard working students, and some procrastinating students. In the past, this required libraries to collect hardbound volumes and loose leafs. Today, the collection is beginning to give way to research platforms filed with those same, or similar, materials and then some; much of the primary legal documentation is even freely available on the web.

While the physical footprint of the library may be smaller as a result of this transition, the amount of legal information that researchers have access to has grown exponentially. We …

Do Real Lawyers Use Creac?, Diane B. Kraft

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Historical Headnotes: A Case Study Of A Research Problem, Amelia Landenberger

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This article began as a case study of a legal research problem: how to properly attribute a note that was printed in the margins of a historical case reporter. The article guides the reader through various methods of investigating ambiguities in historical legal texts, including comparing the electronic and print versions of the text, contacting editors at Westlaw and Lexis, conducting research in contemporary newspapers, and researching the author of the document. The article also addresses the importance of early court reporters and court reporting generally. It concludes with a reminder to carefully consider sources of information and the reporters …

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.

Outcomes In The Balance: The Crisis In Legal Education As Catalyst For Change, Beau Steenken

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In this article, the author discusses how changes in the legal education market can force legal research teachers to focus their energies on meaningful assessment.

The Lexis Two-Step: After Two Major Updates In 2014, Lexis Advance Empowers Users With Improved Functionality, Beau Steenken

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In this article, the author discusses improvements to the Lexis Advance research platform.

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

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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

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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

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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.

E-Mails To Clients: Avoiding Missteps, Kristin J. Hazelwood

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In this column for Kentucky Bar Association's magazine (B&B - Bench & Bar), Professor Hazelwood addresses the ethical implications of emailing with a client. Practitioners are provided a series of questions to ask before emailing a client.

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

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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

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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

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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.