Legal Writing Manual
Third Edition
Jean Mangan
With Dylan Cohen, Brittany Goad, Gabrielle Gravel, Chase Lyndale, and George “Max” Miseyko
Graphics by Connely Doizé
The first edition of this manual was made possible with funding from the University of Georgia’s Office of the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost’s Affordable Materials Course Grant.
The second edition of this manual was made possible with funding from Affordable Learning Georgia’s Continuous Improvement Grant Round 19.
The third edition of this manual was made possible with funding from Affordable Learning Georgia’s Continuous Improvement Grant Round 21.
This work is licensed under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.
CC BY-SA 4.0
Acknowledgements
I could not have completed this work without the contributions of so many:
Nasreena Ali
Meghan Anthony
Joy Bonner
Shane Booth
Meredith Bradshaw
Christopher Brock
Dylan Cohen
Connely Doizé
Zoe Ferguson
Jonah Griego
Jordana Friedman
Brittany Goad
Barbara Goetz
Victor Goetz
Gabrielle Gravel
Courtney Hogan
Emily Johnson
Thomas Kadri
Haley Kairab
Ian Kesckes
Jun Tai Kim
Andrew King
Chase Lyndale
Fernanda Mackey
Catherine Mangan
Rebecca Mangan
Trevor Mangan
Georgia McPeak
George “Max” Miseyko
Brandon Moseley
Cara Musciano
Abigail Olson
Ashley Dennis Presley
D’Andra Millsap Shu
Robert Smith
Ariane Williams
Charles Wells
Stephen Wolfson
Michelle Zakarin
How to Use This Book
The information in this text is presented in two parts.
The first part introduces you to the legal writing concepts you will master during your first-year writing course, and it operates like a traditional textbook through providing written information on topics and processes. At times, the first part will refer to a battery hypothetical or to the Appendixes.
The second part is formatted as a series of Appendices that begin with ten unmarked cases and then walk you through how to use those ten cases to: actively read and brief cases; synthesize a rule from those cases; write a Summary of Law; synthesize cases to answer a specific factual question; write a Memorandum; and draft persuasive parts of an Appellate Brief.
This text provides an overview of first-year legal writing topics and provides checkpoints during your writing process. On the other hand, this manual does not answer every question on every legal writing concept; it is certainly not a spell book that will make you instantly awesome at legal writing. Writing as a skill is a lifelong development process. Everyone can be an effective legal writer. Put in the time to study the concepts and then to practice using those concepts in your writing. Seek feedback on your writing and then implement the feedback you receive. Writing takes practice, and this manual can help guide you
The graphics included in this section provide overviews of where we are going and the connections we will draw in this class. They are intended to serve as a reference when you are struggling to see the connections, but they cannot substitute for reading the text, working through assigned practice exercises, and completing graded assignments.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Sources of Law and Court Systems
Chapter 2: Reading Cases
Chapter 3: Briefing Cases
Chapter 4: Local Rules and Standing Orders
Chapter 5: Time Management
Chapter 6: Metacognition and Study Skills
Chapter 7: Introduction to Citation
Chapter 8: The Legal Reader
Chapter 9: Prewriting
Chapter 10: CREAC Legal Writing Paradigm
Chapter 11: Predictive Writing
Chapter 12: Rule Synthesis
Chapter 13: Summary of Law
Chapter 14: Case Synthesis
Chapter 15: Parts of a Memo
Chapter 16: Transitions and Signposting
Chapter 17: Persuasive Writing
Chapter 18: Policy
Chapter 19: Parts of an Appellate Brief
Chapter 20: Assessing Your Own Work
Chapter 21: Conducting Peer Review
Chapter 22: Writing for Exams
Chapter 23: Legal Latin Phrases
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