Posted by If you are a student, a lawyer, or a judge, it is essential to be good at writing about the law. Being good at it means you can write in a clear, short, and correct manner. But there is more to it than that.
You need to work hard to become great at writing legal essays or assignments. If you are not good at it, you can ask for help from professional assignment writers UK.
Before diving into the details of legal essay writing, first understand the basics!
What is Legal Writing?
Legal writing means sharing legal information and ideas. The main goal of writing legal essays is to explain legal ideas and information. These papers should help the point of view or arguments of the lawyer.
Furthermore, the purpose of legal essay writing is to present an analysis of the lawyer that persuades the readers.
Also, the following are some forms of legal writing that lawyers generally use:
- Memos
- Briefings
- Viewpoints
- Legal Contracts
- Legal Publications and Articles
- Research Papers on Law
- Regulations
- Legal Letters
- Court Pleadings
- Other legal communications
Good Legal Writing vs Bad Legal Writing
In easy terms, what makes legal writing good is how well it can talk to people. If law essay writers write legal papers that have short sentences and clear ideas, it is good. But if it has difficult words, complicated sentences, and long paragraphs, it is not comprehendible.
People who write about the law should know that if their ideas do not make sense, it is hard for others to understand.
Characteristics of Good Legal Writing
Let us dive into the key characteristics that make a legal document understandable.
1. Accuracy and Correctness
Legal writing should always be accurate and correct. Additionally, it is super important to ensure that it is correct and on the right topic. To do this, use clear words that everyone can understand. It will prevent any mix-ups or confusion.
Using the same words to say the same thing is a good idea. If you keep changing words too often, it might make people feel confused.
2. Structure of The Argument
A well-structured argument is like the firm foundation of a powerful legal paper or homework. Additionally, if you can express your thoughts, you are good at writing legal essays.
Furthermore, organizing your ideas and arguments can help make your paper better in many ways.
- Coherent writing and effective communication
- Present your legal viewpoints and analysis in an efficient manner
- Captivate the attention and make it engaging
- Make it easy for the general public
- Fulfill the academic standards if you are writing essays or college assignments.
- Decreases the complexity of the concept or argument
3. Briefness
Saying a lot in simple words is an art that benefits legal essay writers. It is unprofessional to write a long story in legal writing. Instead, concise and to-the-point information works well. Yet, be aware not to shorten the sentences to the point where they lack meaning and context.
Therefore, your arguments should be just the right length, and they should explain everything you want to say.
4. Clarity
Writing concisely is important for legal documents to be genuine and trustworthy. Moreover, there are different styles of writing in law. Using unclear words or vague terms can cause serious issues.
For instance, if a law document is unclear, it might be understood as completely different from what it actually means.
5. Engage the Reader
If you have tried everything, but few people are reading your stuff, it could be because your writing is not interesting.
Whether you are an academic, a lawyer, or a student, your legal documents should have a strong impact on the reader. To do this, ensure that your writing is easy to understand and makes people care about it. Even if they do not agree with your perspective, they should at least consider it.
6. Precise Language
Using clear and specific words makes your essays and assignments easier to understand and look more professional, especially in legal papers. Make sure to use the right words and accurate information. Creating confusion by using jargon can repel the audience.
7. Variety in Sentence Length and Style
Avoid monotony in your writing, whether in technical legal documents or essays. Instead, try using different sentence lengths, paragraph styles, and stories to make it engaging.
8. Humor (Works Wonders If Used Cleverly)
Many judges and lawyers use humor to make their arguments clear and engaging. By adding well-placed and clever humor, they can lighten the mood and effectively communicate the points. It might surprise you, but it is a common practice.
9. Use Analogies
Using examples and quotes from different cases helps in two ways. First of all, it makes it easier for people to understand what is being talked about by giving real-life examples. Secondly, it makes the document easy to understand for more people, even those who do not know a lot about the topic.
However, there is a tricky part. We cannot always use comparisons to make really hard legal stuff simpler. In some cases, we have to use certain special words and terms just as they are.
10. Use Storytelling Techniques
People remember and understand information better when it is presented in a story style. Consequently, when people can connect to the events or arguments you are writing about, they understand your point better.
Law cases are relevant for many people somehow. Therefore, giving relevant examples and formatting the argument in the style of a story can make it easier for people to conclude the meaning themselves. Moreover, it is a great persuasion tactic as well.
What is the Best Font Size and Font Style for Legal Writing?
Choosing the appropriate typefaces and font size is also significant to make your legal essay exceptional. Furthermore, it looks unprofessional if you fail to present your paper in a well-formatted form.
1. Best font styles for legal documents:
Although there are no strict policies regarding font styles given by the court. However, you should always choose a font that is easily readable by everyone and refrain from using default ones.
Instead, you can consider the following,
- Arial
- Adobe Caslon Pro
- Adobe Sabon
- Century
- Verdana
The key here is to select the most professional font. In addition, avoid using complex-looking, highly stylized, or cursive fonts that are not easily readable.
2. Best font size for legal documents:
When it comes to font size, there is no defined standard. Thus, it is better to pick one which is readable by the general public. Additionally, you should check other legal documents that courts have accepted and analyze their formatting style.
Some Quick Bonus Tips to Make Legal Document Writing Flawless
- Avoid plagiarism at all costs and use your original point of view or stance over the matter.
- Use the “IRAC Method” to craft your legal documents. Arrange your argument in a series of Issues, Rules, Applications, and Conclusions. Here is a brief detail about every point of this method.
Issue: Identify and state the primary issues or questions clearly.
Rule: Relevant case laws, principles, laws, rules, and regulations are provided in this section.
Application: Present your own reasoning and analysis after applying the relevant clauses or rules.
Conclusion: Now, it is time to share your last thoughts. Write what you think in a clear and straightforward way. It can be a summary of what you believe or what you have understood. Make sure your words are easy to comprehend.
- Do proper citations in the prescribed style. Otherwise, your hard work can go to waste.
- Mention your argument at the start of the document.
- Do not repeat the concept or wording many times.
- Use relevant cases, clauses, and legal principles to add weight to your argument.
- Proofread and edited the document many times to polish it.
- Cover the topic. Add counterarguments, various viewpoints, and precedents to make your analysis more nuanced.
- Make sure to write professionally. Do not use short forms or casual words.
- Read other works as samples and get inspiration from them.
- Ask for advice from the best experts in your field, and study what they think to become good at what you do.
- Lastly, ensure that introductions and conclusions are engaging and provide valuable information to your readers too.
Conclusion
In simple terms, when writing an excellent legal essay, it is essential to ensure that your words are easy to understand. Use straightforward and clear language to help people grasp your ideas. You can also make your essay more exciting by telling stories, adding humor, and being clever with your words. These things can make a legal document stand out and be better than a regular one.
If you ever need help in writing a fantastic legal document or essay, you can hire experts from Best Assignment Writers. They are skilled at writing and can make your work excellent, which might help you get good grades.
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