Today’s grammar lesson is brought to you by the word “etc.,” short for etcetera and generally signifying “ah, screw it and such.” But are lawyers using etcetera in their practices? You betcha. Sprint’s online terms and conditions have 40 etcetera’s sprinkled throughout the contract. Lawyers for Mail Boxes Etc. use the term liberally throughout most of that company’s legal papers. Should the common lawyer use it in important legal documents? Yes. Here’s how and when you should use this nifty little legal gem.
Keep Reading ⇒
QThis is probably a first-year level question, but I was looking for advice on how to select proper writing samples to use when applying for jobs. I am four years out of law school and have accumulated a decent collection of memorandum and demand letters over the years at my current firm and was wondering what kind of documents would be best for writing samples and also what the protocol is for utilizing my work product from my current firm. Should I just limit myself to documents that were actually filed with the court so that they are a part of the public record? Thanks.
Keep Reading ⇒
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.
It was a period of gainful productivity that exceeded the average yield, it was the first year of law school.
On second thought, maybe lawyers like me cannot be Charles Dickens. Yes, most of us get paid in six-minute intervals, but we cannot get paid by the word. Our writing has to be concise, to the point and, zealously arguing on\ behalf of our clients. The proper word choice and the voice and phrasing play such an important part in everything that I send out on behalf of my clients. This means, at least for me, that I cannot publish what I actually want to say when I am writing a f***-off letter for a client or a submitting a f***-them brief to a court. My problem (well, one of my problems) is that I usually cannot write in the canned lawyer speak that is acceptable for public professional consumption.
Doesn’t everyone have a boilerplate MOTION TO COCKPUNCH OPPOSING COUNSEL? Oh… I guess that’s just me…
Keep Reading ⇒
To be a successful big firm lawyer, you need to understand the art of manufactured outrage. Most successful solo attorneys have developed the skill of manufacturing outrage over years of being the little guy and overlooked for major litigation. As a big firm attorney, though, you’ll need to manufacture outrage easily and on the spot. Here are some tips to help.
Keep Reading ⇒
