Oct '24 |
Kimble—Give bullet points a try—PDF version |
Sept '24 |
Hathaway—How not to write strong active verbs—PDF version |
July/Aug '24 |
Schiess—Readable contracts (Part 2)—PDF version |
June '24 |
Schiess—Readable contracts (Part 1)—PDF version |
May '24 |
Cooney—Avoiding shall when expressing policies—PDF version |
Mar '24 |
Schriver—What the Michigan summmons should look like (Part 2)—PDF version |
Feb '24 |
Schriver—What the Michigan summmons should look like (Part 1)—PDF version |
Jan '24 |
Kimble—40 years and counting—PDF version |
Dec '23 |
Stabler—The Clear and Concise Content Act of 2023: Another step toward plain writing in the federal government—PDF version |
Nov '23 |
Lewenstein—A pox on pursuant to—PDF version |
Oct '23 |
Kimble—Minimize prepositional phrases. Question every 'of'. (Part 2)—PDF version |
Sept '23 |
Kimble—Minimize prepositional phrases. Question every 'of'. (Part 1)—PDF version |
July/Aug '23 |
Cooney—Teaching AI to use plain language—PDF version |
June '23 |
Kimble—Taking aim at multiword prepositions—PDF version |
May '23 |
Cooney—“May” for granting discretion—PDF version |
April '23 |
Kimble—Some examples from the proposed new Michigan Rules of Evidence—PDF version |
February '23 |
Lewenstein—Bring your writing to life: Use recognizable characters and action verbs—PDF version |
January '23 |
Barry—Editing, vehicles in the park, and the virtue of clarity—PDF version |
December '22 |
Cooney—A legal-writing carol—PDF version |
November '22 |
Cohen—How to draft a bad contract (Part 3)—PDF version |
October '22 |
Cohen—How to draft a bad contract (Part 2)—PDF version |
September '22 |
Cohen—How to draft a bad contract (Part 1)—PDF version |
July/Aug '22 |
Lewenstein—Untangling legalese: Familiar words, vertical lists and a friend—PDF version |
June '22 |
Schiess—Graphics in briefs: Why not? (Part 2)—PDF version |
May '22 |
Schiess—Graphics in briefs: Why not? (Part 1)—PDF version |
April '22 |
Balmford—A plain-language standard: A tool for all of us—PDF version |
February '22 |
Cooney—Make your case in a minute (with some help from Aristotle)—PDF version |
January '22 |
Kimble—More examples from the proposed new federal rules of bankruptcy—PDF version |
December '21 |
Garner—Celebrating plain English in Michigan—PDF version |
November '21 |
Lewenstein—Better rule drafting: Break it down; Use more headings; Prune clutter—PDF version |
October '21 |
Cooney—Decluttering Sentences |
September '21 |
Johnson—Persuasive Legal Writing |
July-August '21 |
James & Moriarty—Access Starts With Plain-Language Forms |
June '21 |
Cheung—Codesigning Mental-Health-Rights Information with Patients |
May '21 |
Quesenbery—Explaining Rights to Returning Citizens |
April '21 |
Clement, Fisher, & Mindlin—Legal Self-Reliance: Empowering Consumers Through Plain Language |
February '21 |
McCormack—Access to Justice Requires Plain Language |
January '21 |
Chisnall—What If You Cared Enough to Be Clear? |
December '20 |
Burt & Gordon—Legal Content in Plain Language: An Example |
November '20 |
Kimble—Some Examples from the Proposed New Federal Rules of Bankruptcy |
October '20 |
Barry—Errors and Insights |
September '20 |
Cooney—Larry Potter and the Deathly Canon |
August '20 |
Barry—Rhetorical Repetition |
July '20 |
Kimble & Brignall—A Medical Power of Attorney |
June '20 |
Kimble—Getting One-Upped: A Plain-Language Redraft Made Plainer |
February '20 |
Kimble—Testifying Before the Legislature on Drafting in Michigan's Administrative Rules |
January '20 |
Kimble—Clunky Drafting Mucks Up Michigan's Power of Attorney for Healthcare |
December '19 |
Garner—Eliminate Zombie Nouns and Minimize Passive Voice |
November '19 |
Garner—Know Thy Reader: Writing for the Legal Audience |
October '19 |
Robb—The Cobbler's Children Have No Shoes: Do Our Own Corporate Instruments Clearly Reflect the Way We Intend to Do Business? |
September '19 |
Cheok & Lumsden—The New World of Legal Design |
August '19 |
Barry—Corresponding Ideas in Corresponding Forms |
July '19 |
Schiess—Saxon Words and Romance Words |
June '19 |
Charles & Myers—Evolving They |
May '19 |
Kimble—Time for a Clearer, Plainer Alternative to Our Lawyer's Oath? |
February '19 |
Barry—Good Sentences |
January '19 |
Stockmeyer—Help Wanted (and Needed!) |
December '18 |
Cooney—A Legal-Writing Carol |
November '18 |
Salzwedel—Review of Matthew Butterick's Typography for Lawyers (Part 2) |
October '18 |
Salzwedel—Review of Matthew Butterick's Typography for Lawyers (Part 1) |
September '18 |
Kimble & Cooney—A Start Toward Clarity |
August '18 |
Barry—Paragraphing |
June '18 |
Kimble—Review of Peter Butt’s Legal Usage: A Modern Style Guide |
May '18 |
Barry—Editing and Empathy |
February '18 |
Kimble—Revisiting the Writing Contests (on Wordiness) |
January '18 |
Kimble—Revisiting the Writing Contests (on Structure) |
December '17 |
Kimble—Revisiting the Writing Contests (on Boilerplate) |
November '17 |
Kimble—Revisiting the Writing Contests (on Ambiguity) |
October '17 |
Busk—Using Shall or Will to Create Obligations in Business Contracts: Once More unto the Breach |
September '17 |
Ammon—Waivers of Consequential Damages: Banish the Term (It Doesn't Mean What Your Clients Think Anyway) |
August '17 |
Schiess—Using Intensifiers Is Literally a Crime |
July '17 |
Guberman—A Dozen Words and Phrases to Doubt |
June '17 |
Cooney—Give a Clue (A Linguistic Whodunit) |
May '17 |
Lebovits—Free at Last From Obscurity: Achieving Clarity |
March '17 |
Lebovits—On Terra Firma with English |
February '17 |
Lebovits—Legal-Writing Myths |
January '17 |
Linares, Daly, & Daly—Plain English Helps Explain Medical Issues Clearly: A Case Study |
December '16 |
Schiess—Editing for Concision |
November '16 |
Wydick—Ambiguity |
October '16 |
Kimble—The Proof Is in the Reading: Solid Evidence That Plain Language Works Best |
September '16 |
Cooney—The Architecture of Clarity |
August '16 |
Hakes—How to Ruin Your Brief—Or, The Screwtape Lawyers |
July '16 |
Molloy—Another Federal Judge Takes On Legalese |
June '16 |
Oettle—Good Facts, Good Law, and Good Writing All Persuade |
May '16 |
Oettle—Editorializing, Gratuitous Verbiage, and Verbatim Tracking Don't Persuade |
March '16 |
Guberman—Avoid the Most Common Comma Crimes Committed by Counsel: Eight Commandments |
February '16 |
Ammon—Time Is of the Essence (to Banish That Phrase from Your Contracts)! |
January '16 |
Kimble—The Puzzle of Trailing Modifiers |
December '15 |
Kimble—What Plain Language Is Not |
November '15 |
Guberman—What a Breeze: The Case for the "Impure" Opinion (Part 2) |
October '15 |
Guberman—What a Breeze: The Case for the "Impure" Opinion (Part 1) |
September '15 |
Cooney—The Pros Know: Plain Language Is Just Good Writing |
August '15 |
Busk & Braem—What Bilbo Baggins's Contract Teaches About Plain Language |
July '15 |
Kalinowski—Lawyers and Prepositional Phrases: What's Of Got to Do with It? |
June '15 |
Schiess—Splitting Infinitives, Ending with Prepositions, and Beginning with But |
May '15 |
Kimble—You Think Lawyers Are Good Drafters? |
March '15 |
Cooney—The Pleading |
February '15 |
Busk—Why I Made Plain-Language Changes to Your Contract |
January '15 |
Busk—Fighting the Good Fight: Plain-Language Tales from the Corporate Trenches |
December '14 |
Cooney—A Legal-Writing Carol |
November '14 |
Kimble—Where Should the Citations Go? |
October '14 |
Ammon—Indemnification: Banish the Word!—And Rebuild Your Indemnity Clause from Scratch |
September '14 |
Strylowski—Using Tables to Present Complex Ideas |
August '14 |
Cooney—A Letter to Mrs. Finklebean |
July '14 |
Kimble—Another Example from the Proposed New Federal Rules of Evidence |
June '14 |
Burlingame—On Beginning a Court Paper |
May '14 |
Hughes—A Standard Motion Revised |
March '14 |
Kimble & Prokop Jr.—Strike Three for Legalese |
February '14 |
Edgerton—After Seven Centuries, the True Meaning of SS |
January '14 |
Kimble—30 Years and Counting |
December '13 |
Cooney—Snap, Crackle, Pop |
November '13 |
Kimble—You Think the Law Requires Legalese? |
October '13 |
Thelen—Strategies to Improve Your Writing: A Few Reminders |
September '13 |
Ammon—Indemnification: Banish the Word!—Rebuild Your Indemnity Clause from Scratch |
August '13 |
Kimble—You Think Anybody Likes Legalese? |
July '13 |
Kimble—Wrong—Again—About Plain Language |
May '13 |
Kimble—How to Dominate Your Reader—and Make Stewie Griffin Proud |
March '13 |
Salzwedel—Face It—Bad Legal Writing Wastes Money |
February '13 |
Strylowski—Using Tables to Present Complex Ideas |
January '13 |
Merryday—A Federal Judge Takes On Legalese |
December '12 |
Cooney—A Legal-Writing Carol |
November '12 |
Cooney—Emergency! |
October '12 |
Kimble—Tips for Better Writing in Law Reviews (and Other Journals) |
September '12 |
Trudeau—Achieving Clarity: Eight Data-Driven Tips for Legal Communication |
August '12 |
Kimble—An Excerpt from Writing for Dollars, Writing to Please |
July '12 |
Cooney—Acronymonious |
June '12 |
Cooney—Plain Isn't Plain |
May '12 |
Cheek—The Plain Regulations Act, HR 3786 |
March '12 |
Garner—Finding Good Writing Mentors |
February '12 |
Garner—The 20 Most Common Sentence-Level Faults Among Legal Writers |
January '12 |
Garner—Start a Drive to Boost Your Vocabulary |
December '11 |
Cooney—A Legal-Writing Carol |
November '11 |
Myers—Clearing Up Ambiguity from a Series Modifier |
October '11 |
Cheek—The Plain Writing Act of 2010: Getting Democracy to Work for You |
September '11 |
Flammer—Writing to Persuade Judges |
August '11 |
Balmford—Lawyers, about-face: as plain as you like |
July '11 |
Ammon—Ambiguous Drafting and the 12-Pound Cat |
June '11 |
Cooney—The Mismatch |
May '11 |
Cooney—Are You a Hyphen-Happy Lawyer? |
March '11 |
Stockmeyer—Meet Scribes—A Society That Promotes Legal-Writing Excellence |
February '11 |
Siegel—The Politics and Power of Plain Language |
January '11 |
Kimble—Please Vote on Two Versions of Our Lawyer's Oath |
December '10 |
Kimble—The Best Test of a New Lawyer's Writing |
November '10 |
Schiess—The Texas Pattern Jury Charges—A Plain-Language Project |
October '10 |
Painter—Writing Smaller |
September '10 |
Schiess—E-Mail Like a Lawyer |
August '10 |
Cooney—To Mrs. Finklebean: The Truth About Conjunctions as Sentence-Starters |
July '10 |
Kimble—Where Should the Citations Go? |
June '10 |
Eagleson—Ensnaring Perceptions on Communication—Obstacles to Lawyers' Writing Plainly |
May '10 |
Kimble—Please Vote on Two Citation Formats |
March '10 |
Garner—Pay Attention to the Aesthetics of Your Pages |
February '10 |
Garner—Cultivate the Right Demeanor for Effective Legal Writing |
January '10 |
Garner—Set the Right Hedonic Tone to Keep Readers' Interest |
December '09 |
Garner—Telling the Good from the Bad |
November '09 |
Kimble—One Last Example from the Proposed New Federal Rules of Evidence |
October '09 |
Kimble—Still Another Example from the Proposed New Federal Rules of Evidence |
September '09 |
Kimble—Another Example from the Proposed New Federal Rules of Evidence |
August '09 |
Kimble—A Drafting Example from the Proposed New Federal Rules of Evidence |
June '09 |
Abrams—Plain-English Drafting for the Age of Statutes |
May '09 |
Cooney—The Extra-Stuff Rule |
March '09 |
Pratt—Questioning Questions Presented |
February '09 |
Cooney—The Runaway Verdict |
January '09 |
Stockmeyer—Using Microsoft Word's Readability Program |
November '08 |
Oettle—Give a Quotation a Good Introduction |
October '08 |
Oettle—Carefully Craft Your Sets and Subsets |
September '08 |
Oettle—Transition by Repetition: Take One Step Back to Go Two Steps Forward |
August '08 |
Oettle—Eschew Exaggerations, Disparagements, and Other Intensifiers |
June '08 |
Oettle—Don't Give Your Adversaries Free Airtime |
May '08 |
Oettle—Choose an Approach That Will Appeal to the Court's Conscience |
March '08 |
Kimble—Cleaning Up a Release |
February '08 |
Kimble—Littering with Legalese, or Get a Load of This Release |
January '08 |
Cooney—Conversation with a Brief |
December '07 |
Kimble—Lessons in Drafting from the New Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (Part 5) |
November '07 |
Kimble—Lessons in Drafting from the New Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (Part 4) |
October '07 |
Kimble—Lessons in Drafting from the New Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (Part 3) |
September '07 |
Kimble—Lessons in Drafting from the New Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (Part 2) |
August '07 |
Kimble—Lessons in Drafting from the New Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (Part 1) |
July '07 |
Wren—E-Prime, Briefly: A Lawyer Writes in E-Prime |
June '07 |
Cooney & Clement—Do You Know Your Reader? |
May '07 |
Strylowski—Rewriting a Short Rule: Step by Step |
March '07 |
Kimble—To the Trashcan with And/Or |
February '07 |
Kimble—Hunting Down Nouners |
January '07 |
Bales—Cultured Writing |
December '06 |
Cooney—Stringing Readers Along |
November '06 |
Garner—Learning to Loathe Legalese |
October '06 |
Garner—Writers Can Learn to Relax by Not Worrying About Some Supposed "Rules" |
September '06 |
Garner—A Message to Law Students: Effective Writing Takes a Lifelong Commitment |
August '06 |
Garner—Ten Tips for Writing at Your Law Firm |
July '06 |
Garner—Seeking the Highest Level of Writing Competence |
June '06 |
Kimble—Testifying to Plain Language |
May '06 |
Cooney—Just Sue 'Em |
March '06 |
Kimble—The Straight Skinny on Better Judicial Opinions |
February '06 |
Cooney—A Verb's Lament |
December '05 |
Cooney—The Dating Game |
November '05 |
Dembart—Style Guidelines for a Set of Local Rules |
October '05 |
Kimble—Guiding Principles for Restyling the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (Part 2) |
September '05 |
Kimble—Guiding Principles for Restyling the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (Part 1) |
August '05 |
Frost—Plain Language in Transition |
July '05 |
Larsen—In-House Editor |
June '05 |
Cooney—Stay Active! (Part 2) |
May '05 |
Cooney—Stay Active! (Part 1) |
February '05 |
Garner—Judges on Effective Writing: The Importance of Plain Language |
January '05 |
Kimble—You Be the Judge (Again) |
December '04 |
Kimble—You Be the Judge |
November '04 |
Goldman & Kimble—Point-Counterpoint |
October '04 |
Kimble—Never Mind In Witness Whereof |
September '04 |
Kimble—Nuts to Further Affiant Sayeth Naught |
July '04 |
Kimble—Down with Provided That |
June '04 |
Kimble—A Pox on Prior To |
May '04 |
Beery—It Is What It Is |
March '04 |
Wilkins—The ALWD Citation Manual Grows Up: A Guide to the Second Edition |
February '04 |
Schiess—Writing to the Trial Judge: Part Two—For affidavits |
January '04 |
Schiess—Writing to the Trial Judge: Part One—For Motions |
November '03 |
Burlingame—On Beginning a Court Paper |
October '03 |
Garner—On Beginning Sentences with But |
August '03 |
Stolley—Pesky Words |
July '03 |
Beery—Some Particularly Useless Words |
June '03 |
Younger—A Good Example and a Bad |
May '03 |
Younger—Skimming the Fat Off Your Writing |
March '03 |
Younger—Symptoms of Bad Writing |
January '03 |
Mathewson—Law Students, Beware |
December '02 |
LeClercq—Examining Other Professional Prose |
November '02 |
Kimble—In Terms of in terms of |
October '02 |
Kimble—The Elements of Plain Language |
August '02 |
Adams—The New New Rules of Drafting (Part Two) |
July '02 |
Adams—The New New Rules of Drafting (Part One) |
June '02 |
Schiess—Writing for Your Audience: The Client |
February '02 |
Israel—Looking at the Numbers |
January '02 |
Stockmeyer—Beloved Are the Storytellers |
December '01 |
Haggard—Plain Language—Definitions |
November '01 |
Haggard—The Ambiguous And and Or |
October '01 |
Haggard—Good Writing as a Professional Responsibility |
September '01 |
Kimble—Plain Language—Plain Words (Part 2) |
August '01 |
Kimble—Plain Language—Plain Words (Part 1) |
July '01 |
Kimble—The Best Test of a New Lawyer's Writing |
June '01 |
Schiess—When Your Boss Wants It the Old Way |
May '01 |
Doherty—The Headless Snake of Law-Firm Editing |
March '01 |
Benjamin—Attorneys: Cause or Cure? |
February '01 |
Miller—Welcome to the Real World—From Law School to Bureaucracy |
January '01 |
Bingler—Now Comes the Unbending Boss |
December '00 |
Bresler—Pursuant to Partners' Directive, I Learned to Obfuscate |
November '00 |
Kimble—A Modest Wish List for Legal Writing |
October '00 |
Knowlton & Hammond—Book Promotes Use of Plain Language in Insurance Contracts |
September '00 |
Odorizzi—Incentives and Recent Developments in the Federal Government |
August '00 |
Lysaght & Tonner—Bye Bye Bluebook |
July '00 |
Rohe—The Arrows in Our Quiver |
May '00 |
Hathaway—Clarity Awards for 2000 |
February '00 |
Daly—The Return of the "Contract Clause From Hell" |
January '00 |
Plain English Theme Issue |
December '99 |
Kimble—The Route to Clear Jury Instructions |
November '99 |
Kimble—How to Write an Impeachment Order |
October '99 |
Daly—Taming the Contract Clause from Hell: A Case Study |
September '99 |
Hathaway—Clarity Awards for 1999 |
August '99 |
Daly—Why Bother to Write Contracts in Plain English? |
July '99 |
Hathaway—Plain Language in Lawsuit Papers |
June '99 |
Hathaway—Plain Language in Laws |
May '99 |
Daly—Five Easy Ways to Make a Contract More Understandable |
March '99 |
Hathaway—Eighth Annual (1999) Clarity Awards |
February '99 |
Daly—Top 10 Phrases Not to Use in a Contract |
January '99 |
Hathaway—A Plain English Lawyer's Oath (Part 2) |
December '98 |
Schmucker—John W. Davis-An Early Advocate of Plain English |
November '98 |
Hathaway—Plain English in Contract Recitals and Boilerplate |
October '98 |
Hathaway—Plain English in Home Equity Agreements |
September '98 |
Hathaway—Plain English in Car Loans |
July '98 |
Hathaway—Plain Language in Lawsuit Papers in 1998 |
June '98 |
Hathaway—Plain English in Resolutions |
May '98 |
Hathaway—A Plain English Lawyer's Oath |
March '98 |
Hathaway—Seventh Annual (1998) Clarity Awards |
February '98 |
Hathaway—Examples of Clarity v Legalese in Laws |
January '98 |
Hathaway—Legal Documents and Clarity Awards |
December '97 |
Hathaway—Plain English SubCommittee on Estate Planning |
November '97 |
Hathaway—Plain English SubCommittee on Real Estate |
October '97 |
Hathaway—Plain English SubCommittee on Contracts |
September '97 |
Hathaway—Plain English SubCommittee on Lawsuits |
August '97 |
Kimble—Don't Stop Now: An Open Letter to the SEC |
July '97 |
Hathaway—Plain English SubCommittee on Laws |
May '97 |
Hathaway—Sixth Annual (1997) Clarity Awards |
March '97 |
Hathaway—Michigan Judges Practice Plain English |
February '97 |
Hathaway—Plain English in Department of Interior Rules |
January '97 |
Hathaway—Review of Michigan Causes of Action Formbook |
December '96 |
Hathaway & Gibson—The Word from the Securities and Exchange Commission |
November '96 |
Hathaway—The Clarity Awards (After Five Years) |
October '96 |
Kimble—Notes Toward Better Legal Writing |
September '96 |
Hathaway—Promoting Plain English in Laws, Lawsuits, and Contracts |
August '96 |
Hughes—A Standard Motion Revised |
July '96 |
Hathaway—Plain English in the Twenty Types of Legal Documents |
June '96 |
Watkinson—Canadian Bank Takes Plain-Language Approach with VISA Cards |
May '96 |
Fifth Annual (1996) Clarity Awards |
March '96 |
Hathaway—Jury Instructions |
February '96 |
Hathaway, Beasley, & Elden—Request for Hearing on a Motion |
January '96 |
McIntyre—Plain Language for the Legal Assistant—Enclosure Letters |
December '95 |
Hathaway—Motor Vehicle Leases |
November '95 |
Hathaway, Ciaramitaro, Bullard, & Willard—Affidavits |
October '95 |
An Excerpt from the Indispensable Book: Garner's Dictionary of Modern Legal Usage |
September '95 |
Hathaway, Bullard, & Willard—Executive Orders |
July '95 |
Hathaway & Willard—Resolutions |
June '95 |
Good—The "Writer-in-Residence": A New Solution to an Old Problem |
May '95 |
Fourth Annual (1995) Clarity Awards |
March '95 |
Legalese List for Lawsuits |
February '95 |
Legalese List for Laws |
January '95 |
Hathaway—A Summary of Our Review of Legal Writing |
December '94 |
Duckworth & Balmford—Convincing Business That Clarity Pays |
November '94 |
White—MacGregor Cuts a Mortgage Down To Size |
October '94 |
Plain English in Wills and Trusts |
September '94 |
Plain English in Consumer Finance and Other Contracts |
August '94 |
Mowat—Buddhists, Running, and Plain Language in Calgary (Part 2) |
July '94 |
Mowat—Buddhists, Running, and Plain Language in Calgary (Part 1) |
June '94 |
An Open Request to State Bar Section Councils |
May '94 |
Clarity Awards for 1994 and Summary of Real Estate and Insurance Papers |
March '94 |
Garner—Judges on Effective Writing: Importance of Plain Language |
February '94 |
Hathaway & Marroso—Plain English in Insurance Papers |
January '94 |
Plain Language Columns in Michigan Bar Journal |
December '93 |
Hathaway—Plain English in Real Estate Papers |
November '93 |
Larsen—In-House Editor |
October '93 |
Plain English Committee—Summary of Laws, Rules, and Lawsuit Papers (Pt2) |
September '93 |
Plain English Committee—Summary of Laws, Rules, and Lawsuit Papers (Pt1) |
August '93 |
Butt—Plain Language "Down Under"—Throwing Legalese on the Barbie |
July '93 |
Plain English Committee—Clarity Awards for 1993 |
June '93 |
Hathaway—Plain English in Laws and Rules |
March '93 |
Hathaway—Plain English in Lawsuit Papers |
February '93 |
Clyde—Keeping It Simple: A Law Firm Marketing Opportunity |
January '93 |
Plain English Committee—Plain English Committee Agenda for 1992-1993 |
December '92 |
Kimble—Plain English: A Charter for Clear Writing (Part 3) |
November '92 |
Kimble—Plain English: A Charter for Clear Writing (Part 2) |
October '92 |
Kimble—Plain English: A Charter for Clear Writing (Part 1) |
September '92 |
Hathaway—A Review of Mellinkoff's Dictionary of American Legal Usage |
August '92 |
Barry—Constructing a Narrative in Courtroom Testimony |
July '92 |
Miller—Odd Way We Instruct Jurors To Decide Civil Cases |
June '92 |
Results of the Search for Legalese "Required by Statute," & Conclusion of 3 Searches |
May '92 |
Plain English Committee—Clarity Awards for 1992 |
March '92 |
Weisberg—An Excerpt from When Lawyers Write |
February '92 |
Williams—Excerpt from Style: Toward Clarity and Grace (Part 2) |
January '92 |
Williams—Excerpt from Style: Toward Clarity and Grace (Part 1) |
December '91 |
Hathaway—Plain English in Residential Real-Estate Listing Contracts |
November '91 |
McIntyre—Plain English in Bankruptcy-Fee Orders |
October '91 |
Elder—"Any and All": To Use Or Not To Use? |
September '91 |
Garner—From The Elements of Legal Style: Rooting Out Sexism |
August '91 |
Sharp—Do You Please the Court? (Part 2) |
July '91 |
Sharp—Do You Please the Court? (Part 1) |
June '91 |
Elliott—A Global Perspective |
March '91 |
Hathaway—Plain English Acknowledgment Forms |
February '91 |
Wing—Good Grief! The Court Needs a Brief (Part 2) |
January '91 |
Wing—Good Grief! The Court Needs a Brief (And Where do I begin?) |
December '90 |
Hathaway—The Search for Legalese "Required by Statute" |
November '90 |
Child—The Art of Legal Drafting |
October '90 |
Garner—Excerpts from a Dictionary of Modern Legal Usage |
September '90 |
Mathewson—In-House Editors: Letting the Experts Do It |
August '90 |
Stark—Power Pleading-Complain, Don't Whimper |
July '90 |
Hathaway—A Plain English Movement in Medicine |
June '90 |
Hathaway—The Search for Legalese "Required by Case Precedent" |
May '90 |
Kimble—Strike Three for Legalese |
March '90 |
Walsh—Letter-Size Paper vs. Legal-Size Paper |
February '90 |
Hodess—Plain English in Title Insurance Policies |
January '90 |
Kilgore—Plain Language in Apartment Leases |
December '89 |
Hathaway—Results of the "Too Complex for Plain English" Search |
November '89 |
Spodarek—Software Programs for Legal Writers |
October '89 |
Good—Plain English in Consumer Credit Contracts |
September '89 |
Martin—Plain English in Michigan Bankers Association Forms |
July '89 |
Christie—Getting Normal: The Move to Letter-Size Paper |
June '89 |
Hathaway—The Search for the Sentence "Too Complex for Plain English" |
March '89 |
Benson—Plain English Comes to Court |
February '89 |
Wing—Where's the Verb |
January '89 |
Child—Stipulative Definitions: A Useful Drafting Tool |
December '88 |
Kimble—Why We Need A Plain English Law |
October '88 |
Morris—Mind Your Speech a Little... |
September '88 |
Haggerty—Supreme Court and Court of Appeals Move To Simplify |
August '88 |
Garner—Finding the Right Words |
July '88 |
Bruno—Whither Whereas—The Legal Implications of Recitals |
June '88 |
Younger—In Praise of Simplicity |
March '88 |
Rivinus—"Esquire" Does Not Mean Lawyer |
February '88 |
Davis—New Form for Certification of Supreme Court Orders |
January '88 |
Cumming—Estate Planning Documents Clients Can Understand |
November '87 |
Haggerty—Excessive, Turgid, and Redundant Tautology |
October '87 |
Harrington—Survey: Plain English Wins Every Which Way |
September '87 |
Kimble—Protecting Your Writing From Law Practice |
August '87 |
Haggerty—Of Bards, Beguilers, and Barristers: Mis. & Incor. Words & Phrases in Legal Writing |
July '87 |
Edgerton—Let's Bring Legalese Lovers Out of the Closet |
June '87 |
Conley—Michigan Court Forms: A Topical Index |
May '87 |
Clarke—Project ELF |
March '87 |
Edgerton—In Disgust of Legalese |
February '87 |
Ryan—Michigan Court Forms: The Divorce Package |
January '87 |
Righter—In Defense of Legalese |
December '86 |
Hathaway—Michigan Court Forms for Service and Proof of Service |
November '86 |
Edgerton—The Ten Commandments of How To Not Write in Plain English |
October '86 |
Gluckman—Plain English in Amateur Sporting Activity "Waivers" |
September '86 |
Edgerton—There Must Be a Pony in Here Somewhere |
August '86 |
Plain English in Michigan Insurance Policies |
July '86 |
Edgerton—Once Each Time Is Not Enough |
June '86 |
Kimble—Protecting Your Writing From Law School |
May '86 |
Edgerton—Plain English Means Never Having To Say Hereby |
March '86 |
Edgerton—Warning--Legal Size Paper May Transmit AILS |
February '86 |
Kasischke—Business Agreements in Letter Form |
January '86 |
Edgerton—After Seven Centuries, the True Meaning of SS |
December '85 |
Vlasic—Plain English in Personal Property Leasing |
November '85 |
Hathaway—The Plain English Movement in the Law |
October '85 |
Barr—Legalese and the Myth of Case Precedent |
July '85 |
Dickerson—Readability Formulas and Specifications for a "Plain English" Statute |
June '85 |
Dickerson—Plain English Statutes and Readability |
May '85 |
Meitin—Simplification of Commercial Contracts in the Property/Casualty Insurance Industry |
March '85 |
Weihofen—For Emphasis, Emphasize Verbs |
February '85 |
Freeman—Plain English in Environmental Law |
January '85 |
Harwood—Plain English in Real Property Law |
November '84 |
Aslanian-Bedikian—Clear Expression in Labor Arbitration |
October '84 |
Gale—Corporate Plain English |
September '84 |
Bienenfeld—Plain English in Administrative Law |
August '84 |
Harbour—Plain English in Workers' Compensation |
July '84 |
Joslyn—Use of Plain English in Drafting Wills and Trusts |
May '84 |
Ulrich—Plain English in Judicial Administration |