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Legal Writing Manual, 2nd Edition: Chapter 16 - Transitions and Signposting

Legal Writing Manual, 2nd Edition

Chapter 16 - Transitions and Signposting

Chapter 16: Transitions and Signposting

Using transitional words and phrases as signposts in your writing will help guide the reader through your analysis. Remember that you want to make your writing as accessible as possible to your reader. The reader, using your transitions, can better follow your analysis because you have shown the reader how each sentence relates to the next. The reader will find your writing to be more credible because the reader will not struggle to understand your point. 

You do not need to include a transition with every sentence! This will clutter your writing and make it more difficult to understand your analysis. Instead, use transitions when you want to signal that you are 

  1. Moving on to the next item in a list

  2. Providing an example

  3. Generalizing

  4. Analogizing or comparing

  5. Presenting an opposing viewpoint

  6. Emphasizing a particular thought

  7. Expanding to explain intricacies of a larger concept

  8. Preempting a counteranalysis or counterargument

  9. Concluding a piece of analysis or argument

Below are lists with suggested words and phrases you can use to signpost in your writing.

Sequencing

After

Before

During

Finally

First, second, etc.

Further

Initially

Last

Later

Meanwhile

Next

Since

Subsequently

Then

To begin with

Until

Introducing an Example

As in

For Example

For Instance

Including

In particular

Like

Namely

Notably

Say

Such as

To demonstrate

To illustrate

Generalizing

As a rule

For the most part

Generally

In general

In most cases

On the whole

Usually

Analogy/Comparison

Also

And

As

Comparatively

Compared to

Compared with

Equally

Here

Identically

In comparison

In like manner

In the same way

Just as

Likewise

Much like

On one hand

Similarly

To

Together with

Too

Contrast/Opposition

Alternatively

Although

At the same time

Besides

But

By contrast

Conversely

Despite

Even though

However

In contrast

Nevertheless

Nonetheless

Not

Notwithstanding

On the contrary

On the other hand

Rather

Regardless

Though

Unlike

Emphasis

Additionally

Again

Apart from this

By analogy

Certainly

Especially

Even more

Explicitly

Furthermore

Importantly

Indeed

In effect

In fact

Markedly

Moreover

Namely

Particularly

Significantly

Specifically

To emphasize

Explanation of Intricacies

Additionally

Also

And

Another reason

As well

Besides

By the same token

Frequently

Furthermore

In detail

In like manner

In other words

In particular

In relation to

Moreover

More specifically

Namely

Nor

To clarify

To explain

Preemption of Counteranalysis or Counterargument

All the same

Although

At the same time

Despite

Even assuming

Even if

Even though

Notwithstanding

Though some might argue

While it could be

Conclusion

Accordingly

As a consequence

Because

Finally

In conclusion

In summary

Lastly

On balance

Overall

So

Therefore

Thus

To conclude

To summarize

Ultimately

Conclusion

Keep in mind that your written product should be designed to serve as a tool that the reader can use to make a decision. Complement your roadmap in your introductory paragraph by providing transitions and signposts as you proceed through your legal analysis to guide the reader.

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Chapter 17 - Persuasive Writing
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