Includes bibliographical references (pages 757-758) and index.

Prologue -- Composing in an orderly, sensible way -- Conveying the big picture -- Marching forward through sound paragraphs -- Editing for brisk, uncluttered sentences -- Choosing the best words -- Punctuating for clarity and impact -- Becoming proficient in designing text -- Sidestepping some common quirks -- Capitalizing on little-used persuasive strategies -- Hitting your stride as a brief-writer.

This book explains the art of effective writing in 100 concise, practical, and easy-to-use tips, proving that the key to writing well is to understand the judicial readership. Covering everything from the rules for planning and organizing a brief to openers that can capture a judge's attention from the first few words, these tips add up to compelling, orderly, and visually appealing briefs. This third edition delivers guidelines with even more supporting evidence. Every tip begins with a set of quotable quotes from experts, followed by advice on building sound paragraphs, drafting crisp sentences, choosing the best words, quoting authority, citing sources, and designing a document that looks as impressive as it reads.