The legal industry is a field that makes little or no room for poetry. Presentation of facts should always be concise and direct to the point. One document where concise writing should be practiced is the legal brief. Legal briefs are the documents that showcase the legal arguments presented in court, as well as case summaries. The ability to write concise legal briefs, without emitting pertinent information, is important in the realm of law. So much so that most law schools even require their students to take legal writing courses in their first year in law school.
Legal briefs are important documents because these show the progress and developments made in the legal processing of cases. Below are a few tips which can also serve as a guide for legal practitioners, law students, and paralegals in crafting clear and concise legal briefs.
Always maintain brevity and conciseness
If you’re tasked to write a legal brief and it’s your first time to do so, don’t fret. Most courts follow a template that dictates how legal briefs are formatted and structured. The US Supreme Court, for one, enacted a set of brief-writing rules in January 1990, which is being followed to this date. For federal appeal cases, however, a different format is followed in writing legal briefs. The FRAP, or Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure, is a handbook that details how legal briefs on federal appeal cases should be written. From page margins to document length, the FRAP outlines the rules that should be followed when writing briefs.
Presentation of Questions
The key to succeeding in this part of the legal brief is to avoid writing loaded or leading questions. Learn to practice neutrality in presenting facts, while still writing your questions in a way that reflects the side you are arguing for.
Drop the pretty words
As mentioned, there’s no room for poetry in law. Drop the “fluffy” words and present cold, hard facts in a clear manner.
Accuracy in stating facts
Brief writers should be careful about presenting “facts.” If the information is contained in the case records, you can rest assured that is considered factual. But if you’re merely stating claims and declare them as factual information, you’ll affect the consistency and credibility of the legal brief.
Photo Credit : David Silverline
