The Winning Brief

Good writing wins court cases- The Winning Brief is proof. Now, Bryan Garner brings us a revised and updated version of his modern classic. In 100 concise, practical, easy-to-use sections, legal writing guru Bryan A. Garner goes step-by-step through the art of effective legal writing. He covers it all - from the rules for planning and organizing a brief to openers that can capture a judge's attention from the first few words. "Never write a sentence that you couldn't easily speak" Garner warns - and he shows how to do that. He gives masterly advice on building sound paragraphs, drafting crisp sentences, choosing the best words ("Strike pursuant to from your vocabulary."), quoting authority, citing sources, and designing a document that looks as impressive as it reads. Throughout, he shows how to edit for maximal impact, using vivid before-and-after examples that apply the basics of rhetoric to persuasive writing. Filled with examples of good and bad writing from actual briefs filed in courts of all types, the book also covers the new appellate rules for preparing federal briefs. Including new sections on the ever-changing rules of acceptable legal writing, Garner's new edition keeps lawyers on their toes and writing the briefs that win cases. An invaluable resource for attorneys, law clerks, judges, paralegals, and law students and their teachers. The Winning Brief has the qualities that make Garner's book so successful: authority, accessibility, and page after page of tips and techniques that work.