Judges have long voiced their frustrations over verbose, confusing court briefs. And as noted in a previous blog, some courts have tightened their word limits to guard against long-winded briefs. So what can you do to make sure that your briefs are not only readable, but powerful? Professor Mark Cooney, who explained the problem of rejected legal documents in his last post, here offers ten tips for clear briefs that you can feel confident submitting to the court.
1. Sue 'em!
Prefer the simple sue or sued to elaborate alternatives. In the sentences below, for example, courts used four or five words — even six words — to say what sue or sued would’ve said in one:
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