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.
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.
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
- Moving on to the next item in a list
- Providing an example
- Generalizing
- Analogizing or comparing
- Presenting an opposing viewpoint
- Emphasizing a particular thought
- Expanding to explain intricacies of a larger concept
- Preempting a counteranalysis or counterargument
- 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