Legal Writing And Documentation

As a junior lawyer, I had to learn how to make it easy for supervisors to review my work. In case it helps, here's a step-by-step guide (with an example): 1️⃣Make it clear what the matter / document is and when input is needed. 2️⃣ Set out the context and approach to preparing the deliverable What needs to be reviewed, how was it prepared, and what’s the timeline? If you're attaching a document, include the live link to your file management platform (e.g. iManage or Sharepoint) as well as a static version. 3️⃣ Set out the next steps and your ask Make it clear what your supervisor needs to review. Set this out at the top of your email and proactively provide some recommendations. You can also follow up in person to make sure deadlines aren't missed. 4️⃣ Explain how the draft is marked up Make it easy to navigate with specific questions (either in the document or extracted in the email). If there are mark ups against a particular document / version, identify what that is. 5️⃣ Summarise your inputs Let them know what your draft reflects, and attach the relevant inputs so they can see everything in one place. This will give your supervisor confidence that you've captured everything, and make it easier for them to check your work. 6️⃣ Flag key aspects / assumptions If there are key assumptions / principles that have a big impact on how your draft is prepared, it's helpful to set them out in the email as a point of focus. Try to also set out the relevant clause / section / reference where possible. Is there anything else that you'd add? What else have you found helpful in making drafts easier to review, either as a junior lawyer or a supervisor? ------ Btw, if you're a junior lawyer looking for practical career advice - check out the free how-to guides on my website. You can also stay updated by sending a connection / follow. #legalprofession #lawyers #lawstudents #lawfirms

✍🏽 How To Write Better To Help People Read. With practical guidelines on how to help readers scan content more efficiently and understand it better ↓ ✅ Users rarely read on the web: they mostly scan. ✅ Chunks of unformatted text cause F-Shape scanning. 🤔 Users miss large chunks of content and skip key details. ✅ They read ~20% of a page; longer page → less reading. ✅ They spend 80% of time viewing the left half of a page. 🤔 When we use longer words, users skip shorter words. 🚫 Avoid long walls of text → max. 50 words/paragraph. 🚫 Avoid long sentences → max. 20 words/sentence. ✅ Write for mobile first: brief, clear, concise — prioritize. ✅ Leave room for translation: text might grow by 40%. ✅ Map your voice and tone against impact and purpose. ✅ Choose your words depending on the tone to match. ✅ Include a plain language summary, even for legal docs. ✅ Use Inverted Pyramid: key insights first, details below. ✅ If it doesn’t sound right, it doesn’t read right either. 🚫 Nothing is more effective than removing waste/fluff. On the web, people scan pages at incredible speeds. They jump from headings to bold keywords to bullet points. They puzzle together pieces of content. They seek insights and answers in unstructured and poorly written walls of text. And too often words are generic, technical, formal, long and overcomplicated. Plain language always works better. Shorter sentences are easier to read. Simpler words are easier to understand. It holds true for everyone, including domain experts and specialists who typically have the most to read. Yet too often, words are chosen almost mindlessly — along with repetitive phrases, unnecessary details and confusing jargon. A great way to avoid it is to test your writing. Read aloud critical parts of your messaging. If it doesn’t sound right, it most likely doesn’t read right either. Ask people to highlight parts that they find most useful. Use Cloze test to check comprehension. And: prioritize what matters, and declutter what doesn’t. ✤ Content Design in Design Systems Atlassian: https://lnkd.in/eGpzQqm4 Amplitude: https://lnkd.in/eaB85T7n 👍 DHL: https://lnkd.in/eF494fkT Girlguiding: https://lnkd.in/eZ8zMyC3 👍 Gov.uk: https://lnkd.in/ekRadXad 👍 Intuit: https://lnkd.in/eGyBUrZ2 👍 JSTOR: https://lnkd.in/eAnyrtcu 👍 MetLife: https://lnkd.in/evVE8sqf 👍 Monzo: https://lnkd.in/edVV8QWz Progressive’s: https://lnkd.in/evx_8bzY 👍 Schibsted: https://lnkd.in/et_BXg6R Shopify: https://lnkd.in/eAKgEHNW Skrill: https://lnkd.in/e2HGTq4q 👍 Slack: https://lnkd.in/ejZ2QtJa Zendesk: https://lnkd.in/euxijT5m 👍 Wise: https://lnkd.in/eWk-Mvf9 ✤ Useful resources: Plain Language Guidelines https://lnkd.in/eV2sxSyJ How To Write Good Interface, by Nick DiLallo https://lnkd.in/edwTaKcQ Content Testing Guidelines, by Intuit https://lnkd.in/ewZSVT3i Voice and Tone In UX Writing (+ PDF Worksheets) https://lnkd.in/e6r4cC8Y #ux #writing

What every General Counsel learns the hard way (And why external lawyers rarely get it.) In 15 years as GC, I’ve seen brilliant advice... and some totally awful advice. Not wrong, but awful... Some cost tens of thousands... and left me telling the CEO and board: “𝙄 𝙙𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬.” That’s not just embarrassing, it’s frustrating. Bad advice isn’t just useless. It’s expensive. Sound familiar? Here’s what in-house teams 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 need 👇 𝟭/ 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗶𝗻-𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 ↳ We’re judged on how we present your advice ↳ If it makes us look uncertain, it fails, no matter how perfect 𝟮/ 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝘄 ↳ History, preferences, risk tolerance, that’s context ↳ Remembering past decisions makes advice land instantly 𝟯/ 𝗕𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 ↳ Charge for every minute? ↳ Says you care about time, not outcomes ↳ Transparent billing builds trust faster than any memo 𝟰/ 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗘𝗢’𝘀 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 ↳ We’re your audience, but execs are listening too ↳ Anticipate them, and you make us look smart 𝟱/ 𝗛𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝘁 ↳ “It depends” protects you, but paralyses us ↳ Clear recommendations give confidence and drive action 𝟲/ 𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗲𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵, 𝗳𝗮𝘀𝘁, 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝘀 ↳ Perfect advice too late, is useless ↳ Actionable, on-time guidance turns knowledge into power 𝟳/ “𝗡𝗼” 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗱 ↳ Pointing out risk is easy ↳ Showing a path through it is rare 𝟴/ 𝗪𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘀, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗹𝗮𝘄𝘆𝗲𝗿𝘀 ↳ Your advice reaches people without legal training ↳ If a CFO can explain it, you have succeeded 𝟵/ 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿, 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼𝗼 ↳ Trust gets you hired, weak teams miss deadlines ↳ Strong teams make advice usable at scale 𝟭𝟬/ 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗹𝗮𝘄 ↳ Legal terms don’t land in the boardroom ↳ Translate risk into cost, impact, opportunity 𝟭𝟭/ 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 ↳ We don’t need essays ↳ We need steps, timelines, and outcomes 𝟭𝟮/ 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 ↳ A correct answer without strategy is useless ↳ Great lawyers advance goals, not block them The best external counsel don’t just give legal advice. They make their clients look 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘵 doing it. 👇 What would you add? What do you wish more firms understood? What's been wrong with the "horrible" advice you've received? 📰 If this resonated, you’ll enjoy Legal 2 Leader. My free weekly newsletter: https://lnkd.in/gu67fPFC ♻️ Repost to share and guide your external counsel. 🔔 Follow Adrian Moffatt for more GC career insights. #𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗹 #𝗜𝗻𝗛𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗹 #LegalLeadership

📜 Mastering Legal Writing: A Guide to Drafting Effective Legal Memos ⚖️ Legal writing is a crucial skill for law students, legal professionals, and advocates. Whether drafting legal memoranda, interoffice memos, or case briefs, clarity, precision, and a structured approach are essential. This guide provides best practices for writing professional legal memos, ensuring strong legal analysis, logical organization, and persuasive reasoning. ✍️ 🔹 Key Components of a Legal Memorandum ✔️ Heading – Identifies the recipient, author, client, and main legal issue ✔️ Question Presented – Clearly defines the legal question(s) analyzed in the memo ✔️ Brief Answer – Provides a concise response to the question based on legal principles ✔️ Facts – Organizes and presents relevant case details in a structured manner ✔️ Discussion (Legal Analysis) – Examines case law, statutes, and arguments leading to the conclusion ✔️ Conclusion – Summarizes key findings and implications 🔹 Best Practices for Effective Legal Writing 📌 Identify and Define Legal Issues Clearly – Spot and frame issues using relevant legal terminology 📌 Use a Logical Structure – Follow a clear and organized format to enhance readability 📌 Present Facts Objectively – State only relevant facts without bias or assumptions 📌 Support Arguments with Legal Authority – Use case law, statutes, and legal precedents 📌 Write Concisely & Precisely – Avoid unnecessary jargon; clarity is key 🔹 Why Legal Writing Matters Strong legal writing enhances legal analysis, case strategy, and professional communication. It helps legal professionals effectively present arguments, draft pleadings, and prepare for litigation. This guide is a must-read for law students, legal researchers, and practicing attorneys looking to refine their legal writing skills! #LegalWriting #LawStudents #LegalDrafting #LegalResearch #WritingSkills #LawPractice #LegalAnalysis #MemoDrafting

I've been reflecting on something fundamental: the mythology of perfection that permeates our profession. Three uncomfortable truths I've confronted in my practice: 1.    Legal brilliance isn't about perfection. It is about judgment under constraints. The greatest lawyers I've known weren't people who made zero mistakes, but people who recognized which imperfections mattered and which didn't. 2.    The lawyer value proposition is multidimensional. When a client praises exceptional legal work, they're rarely evaluating it on technical accuracy alone, but on how it navigated competing pressures within their specific context to achieve a desired outcome. 3.    The most powerful advances in our field have come not from isolation but from integration. By integration, I am referring to bringing together perspectives, approaches, and knowledge systems that challenge our default thinking. What troubles me is how our professional culture celebrates a form of perfectionism that doesn't reflect the reality of excellent legal work. Our mentorship often fails to communicate that mastery comes from navigating complexity, not eliminating it. Maybe it's time we revised our professional narrative. What if we stopped pretending that impeccable legal work means error-free work, and instead acknowledged that it means thoughtful, context-aware navigation of inevitable limitations? #legaltech #innovation #law #business #learning

Attention compliance officers: always remember to document your decisions! 🛑 When navigating controversial situations, it's crucial to record the outcomes clearly. Email is a powerful tool for this purpose. Example: you're recommending the termination of a third-party contract due to bribery allegations, but the business opts to maintain the relationship against your advice. You should send an email detailing the decision and noting your objections. Regardless of the outcome, maintaining a written record can safeguard your career and reputation in the long run. Have you ever regretted a time that you didn’t create a paper trail? What was the outcome?

Here's how to train junior lawyers to write better emails. Starting out, I often made two mistakes in my emails: ❌ they were too long: long paragraphs + too much signalling of all the work I had done ❌ poor bedside manner: I brought legal issues with a sense of pride “look at all these issues I found!” (but in the client’s mind this is tone deaf, it’s all just ‘bad news’ getting in the way of closing the deal - so issues need to be presented with care). Over time I learned non-lawyers simply refuse to read long emails. I also learned painful lessons on HOW I presented legal issues to the business. When I was a junior lawyer, I was seconded to an energy company in Brussels. The business was trying to close a big urgent deal. They REALLY wanted me to say it was all fine. And… I wrote them a long issues list with everything I thought was wrong. No solutions. Just problems. My legal analysis was sound, but my delivery atrocious. Suffice to say I didn't score any points for that.. It took me a few years to learn how to not fall into these traps. But it shouldn’t have to take that long. Here’s how to train junior lawyers in weeks, not years. At Lexoo, we regularly hire in-house lawyers to negotiate BAU contracts for our clients. That means we need to do a lot of training to make sure we all write emails that are to the point. Here’s our training process: ✅ Explain the theory: I tell the above stories and explain that every word we type is time taken from the recipient. So each word needs to have ‘earned’ it’s right to be there. Rough rules of thumb: 💡 Only mention points where a decision or action is needed, no need to justify our own existence! For any decisions, try to suggest solutions they can say yes/no to, instead of open-ended questions. 💡 For unexpected issues, make sure to show empathy and that you care about doing the deal and finding a solution. ✅ Then show how to do it: the theory is necessary but not sufficient. As trained professionals, we have deep grooves in our brain to work a certain way. It takes conscious effort to snap out of them and create a new groove: 💡 All learning is painful, so get your team member excited to learn: Explain that learning this skill will make clients and business stakeholders love working with them. It’ll set them apart as a great commercial lawyer for the rest of their careers. 💡 Review: Suggest that for the next 5-10 emails they send you a draft first. Then record a Loom video (which records your screen) of you adapting the draft. This means you can easily talk out loud and explain with each change (even minor ones) why you made it. Then send back the revised draft with the link to the Loom video. Takes minutes! I’ve found that after 5-10 emails you’ll see a big change. PS: I'm running a workshop on using risk heatmaps to negotiate what matters on 9 Aug: https://lnkd.in/egkk7pGw

Many of my law students and recent graduates often ask how they can refine their drafting abilities, an essential skill for any lawyer, especially in corporate practice. The key is consistent practice, feedback, and leveraging the right resources. Here’s a curated list of top platforms that can help you elevate your legal drafting game: 🔎 Practical Law by Thomson Reuters – In-depth practice notes and standard documents ✍️ Legal Writing Pro – Practical strategies to sharpen your legal writing 🏛️ The Legal Writing Institute (LWI) – Resources and workshops for better writing skills 📘 Adams on Contract Drafting – Expert insights into effective contract drafting 📚 Westlaw Edge Drafting Assistant – AI tools for precise contract drafting ⚖️ The American Bar Association (ABA) – CLE programs and drafting resources 📂 Law Insider – Comprehensive contract library with drafting tools 📃 Docracy – Free legal documents and collaborative drafting 🔐 Rocket Lawyer – Create, sign, and store customizable legal documents 🗂️ OneCLE – Efficient contract drafting and management tools 📖 LexisNexis – Comprehensive drafting and research solutions 📚 Must-Read Books on Contract Drafting: ✔️ A Manual of Style for Contract Drafting – Kenneth A. Adams: The gold standard for clear, concise contract drafting. ✔️ Drafting Contracts: How and Why Lawyers Do What They Do – Tina L. Stark: Practical guidance with real-world examples. ✔️ Contract Drafting and Negotiation for Entrepreneurs and Business Professionals – Paul A. Swegle: Focuses on business-oriented contracts and negotiations. ✔️ Working with Contracts: What Law School Doesn’t Teach You – Charles M. Fox: Practical insights beyond academic knowledge. ✔️ The Tech Contracts Handbook – David W. Tollen: Perfect for those dealing with technology-related agreements. ✔️ Plain English for Lawyers – Richard C. Wydick: Tips on writing legal documents in clear and accessible language. Do you have any go-to resources for legal drafting? Share them in the comments! #LegalDrafting #LawStudents #CorporateLaw #LegalWriting #ProfessionalDevelopment #ContractDrafting #LawCareers #LegalResources

What do you need to know about file management as a junior lawyer: 1. Good file management practices are critical. There will often be no magical manual, only on the job learning and asking good questions. 2. It is one of the best ways you can value - add to a busy team, by making sure files are organised in a neat, clear and logical manner, so that people can quickly find files when they need them. 3. Take initiative if there is an opportunity to be the version controller - i.e. you are asked to incorporate comments from various people/versions into one. Attention to detail is key to doing this job well. 4. Understand the firm's expectations of how files are managed and saved, understand what your team's practices/preferences are and ensure your approach is aligned with both. 5. You cannot manage files without communicating promptly with your team members. You can do the best job in file management, but if no one knows about it (and then duplicates the effort) and take a different approach, you have just wasted time and resources. 6. Consider how much detail each team member needs to know. The partner, for example, might just need to know that files are managed appropriately, but a senior associate might want to know where exactly the files are saved and how they are organised. 7. Taking an extra minute or two to organise and save files properly will save you much time (and heartache) down the track. Physical files follows the same philosophy - have a clear system and consistent approach. Any tips I have missed from the list or you can elaborate on? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below! #lawyer #careerdevelopment #graduates #clerks #paralegals #associates #meibeitstrue #workflow

"Remove all throat clearing." Great advice for anyone who writes legal texts in English. But... If English is not your mother tongue, you might not know what that means. Or, if you know what it means, you might not know what tangible steps you can take to remove throat clearing from your writing in English. So let's break it down. 🔍 First, what is throat clearing in legal writing? It's the unnecessary introduction or inclusion of prefatory material that doesn't add value to your argument or analysis. In plain English, it’s using a lot of unnecessary words before getting to the point. Why should you avoid it? 👉 It can make your writing vague. 👉 It often includes generic background information that your reader doesn't need to know (while obscuring important information that your reader might need instead). 👉 It sometimes relies on overly broad generalizations that weaken your argument. 🧠 What do you need to know about legal English to know how to remove throat clearing from your writing? 👉 Legal English typically uses fewer words than its counterparts in other languages, like Romance languages. So very long sentences are hard to follow. 👉 Even though legal English is more formal than ordinary English, you don't need to use long-winded phrases to introduce new ideas or connect previous ideas in your writing. We use pointing words, conjunctions, and other linguistic tools for that instead. 👉 Legal English prioritizes clarity and precision, meaning every word should serve a specific purpose. What can you do to remove throat clearing when English is not your mother tongue? 👉 Start with the Main Point: Begin your paragraphs and sentences with the core idea or argument. ❌ Instead of this: "Since ancient times, the legal system has been a complex web of rules and regulations. This brings us to the issue of liability in contractual agreements." ✅ Do this: "The issue of liability in contractual agreements is crucial in this case." 👉 Use Active Voice and Concise Language: Write in the active voice and be concise. ❌ Instead of this: "It is important to understand that the contract was breached by the defendant." ✅ Do this: "The defendant breached the contract." 👉 Revise with a Focus on Brevity: After writing, review your work to identify and eliminate any redundant phrases, vague statements, or unnecessary background information. ❌ Instead of this: "In light of the fact that the plaintiff did not receive the goods on time, which is a key issue that we must consider in this case, it is clear that a breach of contract has occurred." ✅ Do this: "The plaintiff did not receive the goods on time, resulting in a breach of contract." 📍 Need legal English conversation or writing classes for yourself or your firm? DM me. In the meantime, want to enjoy my free stuff? Follow me, Paula Klammer, and hit the 🔔 for more content like this.