Description: Elegant Legal Writing helps attorneys elevate their writing from passable to polished. Drawing on ideas from cognitive science, stylistics, and litigation strategy, the book teaches practical techniques by example using fast-paced chapters. Listeners will learn the essentials of effective legal composition:
● Writing clear, efficient prose ● Crafting strong arguments ● Telling a client's story through a compelling narrative ● Overcoming procrastination and drafting more productively Readability, aesthetics, and argumentation are intertwined. Ryan McCarl shows how litigation documents that are easier and more pleasant to read are more likely to persuade judges and other busy readers. The book also discusses parts of legal writing that many guides overlook, including sentence mechanics, writing technology, and typography.Brief description: Ryan McCarl is a partner at Rushing McCarl LLP and adjunct professor at Loyola Law School. Previously, he was a research fellow in AI law and policy at the UCLA School of Law, where he designed and taught a course on advanced legal writing. He has given talks about litigation writing, motion strategy, and appellate advocacy to audiences including the American Bar Association Litigation Section and the Texas Office of the Attorney General.