Legal & General Writing Resources
Updated April 2, 2008.
Prepared by Cheryl Nyberg & Nancy McMurrer, with updates by Scott Matheson.
This guide consists of website links and lists of books, most of which are located in the Reference Area on floor L1. It also links to PowerPoint slideshows for the Bluebook 101 sessions.
Selected Legal Writing Guides
All of the latest editions of the books listed below are found in the Reference Area. When available, links to tables of contents (TOC) are made.
Books - General
- Better Legal Writing: 15 Topics for Advanced Legal Writers. KF250.S347 2005
- Clear and Effective Legal Writing, 4th ed. KF250.C52 2007
- Effective Lawyering: A Checklist Approach to Legal Writing and Oral Argument, TOC. KF250.P37 2007
- Effective Legal Writing: For Law Students and Lawyers, 5th ed. KF250.B56 1999
- Garner's Elements of Legal Style, 2d ed. KF250.G37 2002
- Garner's The Redbook: A Manual on Legal Style. KF250.G375 2002
- Guide to Legal Writing Style, 4th ed. KF250.L3913 2007
- The Lawyer's Guide to Writing Well, 2d ed. KF250.G65 2002
- Legal Writing: A Systematic Approach, 4th ed. KF250.P73 2004
- Legal Writing and Analysis, 2d ed. KF250 .E378 2007
- Legal Writing by Design: A Guide to Great Briefs and Memos. KF250.R36 2001
- Legal Writing: Getting It Right and Getting It Written, 3d ed. KF250.R39 2000
- Legal Writing: Process, Analysis, and Organization, 3d ed. KF250.E39 2002
- Plain English for Lawyers, 5th ed. KF250.W88 2005
Books - Special Topics
Academic Writing- Academic Legal Writing: Law Review Articles, Student Notes, Seminar Papers, and Getting on Law Review, 2d ed. KF250.V6 2005
- Scholarly Writing for Law Students: Seminar Papers, Law Review Notes, and Law Review Competition, 3d ed. KF250.F35 2005
Writing by International Students
- Legal Writing for International Students: A U.S. Legal Writing Textbook for ESL/ESP Students and Practitioners of Law and Business. KF250.R43 2005 at Classified Stacks
Opinion Letters and Memos
- Legal Opinion Letters: A Comprehensive Guide to Opinion Letter Practice. KF250 .D73 2003 at Reference Area
- Legal Opinions in Business Transactions. KF1425 .F53 2006 at Classified Stacks
- Writing a Legal Memo. KF250.B766 2006 at Course Reserve
For additional titles, search the Law Library catalog or another catalog with the phrase: legal composition.
Websites & Blogs
The Legal Writing Institute is a "non-profit organization dedicated to improving legal writing by providing a forum for discussion and scholarship about legal writing, analysis, and research." Holds an annual summer conference. Journal, newsletter, conference bibliographies, and a brochure on plagiarism.
The (New) Legal Writer is a blog with a "collection of resources for lawyers who write."
Legalwriting.net is a blog by the author of Writing for the Legal Audience and Better Legal Writing.
Plain Language Association International, Legal Resources contains articles and links.
Legal Thesauri & Dictionaries
All of the latest editions of the books in this list are found in the Reference Area, unless otherwise indicated. See also the Legal Dictionaries page for additional sources.
- Black's Law Dictionary, 8th ed. KF156.B53 2004. Westlaw: BLACKS
- Advocacy Words: A Thesaurus. K50.D74 2005
- Ballentine’s Thesaurus for Legal Research & Writing. KF156.L96 1994
- Burton's Legal Thesaurus, 3d ed. KF156.B856 1998
- Cornell Law School, Legal Information Institute, Wex is a legal dictionary and encyclopedia.
- Dictionary of International and Comparative Law, 3d ed. KZ1161.F69 2003
- Mellinkoff’s Dictionary of American Legal Usage. KF156.M45 1992
- Modern Dictionary for the Legal Profession, 3d ed. KF156.R42 2001 at Reference Office
- Parry and Grant Encyclopaedic Dictionary of International Law, 2d ed. KZ1161.P37 2004
- Real Life Dictionary of the Law: Taking the Mystery Out of Legal Language. KF156.H55 1995
For additional titles, search the Law Library catalog or another catalog by keywords: law and (terminology or dictionary).
Legal Citations
All of the latest editions of the books in this list are found in the Reference Area, unless otherwise indicated.
The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation, 18th ed. is the major legal citation guide in the United States. It is compiled by the editors of the Columbia Law Review, the Harvard Law Review, the University of Pennsylvania Law Review, and the Yale Law Journal. KF245.U5 2005 at Reference Area & Reference Office
Related resources include:
- The Bluebook summarizes changes in the 18th edition but does not include a copy of the text.
- User's Guide to the Bluebook. KF245.D853 2006
- Peter W. Martin, Introduction to Basic Legal Citation
- Bluebook Abbreviations of Law Review Titles, compiled by the editors of the Current Index to Legal Periodicals.
- Bieber's Dictionary of Legal Abbreviations: A Reference Guide for Attorneys, Legal Secretaries, Paralegals, and Law Students, 5th ed. KF246.B46 2001 at Reference Area & Reference Office
- Prince's Dictionary of Legal Citations: Reference Guide for Attorneys, Legal Secretaries, Paralegals, and Law Students, 7th ed. KF246.B45 2006 at Reference Area & Reference Office
- Bluebook 101, featuring PowerPoint slideshows used for Library Lifesaver training sessions
Other citations guides followed by some law reviews and other publications include:
- American Association of Law Libraries, Universal Citation Guide, 2d ed. KF245.A258 2004 at Reference Office
- Association of Legal Writing Directors, ALWD Citation Manual: A Professional System of Citation, 3d ed. KF245.A45 2006 at Reference Area & Reference Office
- TaxCite: A Federal Tax Citation and Reference Manual. KF245.T39 1995 at Reference Area & Reference Office
- U.S. Dept. of Justice, Tax Division, Citation and Style Manual. KF250.U58 1997 at Classified Stacks
- Washington Courts, Office of the Reporter of Decisions, Style Sheet specifies preferences for citing Washington legal sources that depart from the citation formats given in the Bluebook.
- The Inter-American Citator: A Guide to Uniform Citation of Inter-American Sources for Writers & Practitioners, 37 University of Miami Inter-American Law Review 339-85 (2006).
Hein Online
Covers citation formats for legal materials (constitutions, codes, legislation, gazettes, court reports, law reviews, and other publications) from Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Suriname, Uruguay, and Venezuela.
For additional titles, search the Law Library catalog or another catalog by the phrase: citation of legal authorities.
For citations to foreign legal materials and periodicals, see:
- Cardiff Index to Legal Abbreviations
- New York University School of Law, Guide to Foreign and International Legal Citations (2006)
- Afkortingenlijst voor Belgische tijdschriften
For citation practices in nonlegal publications, see:
- Cite Right: A Quick Guide to Citation Styles--MLA, APA, Chicago, the Sciences, Professions, and More. PN171.F56L55 2006 at Reference Area
- The Columbia Guide to Online Style, 2d ed. PN171.F56 W35 2006 at Reference Area
Other Legal Writing Resources
See the Gallagher guides on:
- Briefs and Oral Arguments
- Drafting Contracts: Formbooks and Drafting Resources
- A Guide to Using the Gallagher Law Library for Members of the Public
- Legal Dictionaries
- Washington Practice Materials
- Word Tips to Make Your Life Easier
Other useful material includes:
Law School Plagiarism v. Proper Attribution, a brochure from the Legal Writing Institute.
On the Art of Writing, a series of videorecorded interviews with judges and other prominent legal writers by Bryan Garner.
General Writing Resources: Grammar & Usage
Books
All of the latest editions of the books in this list are found in the Reference Area, unless otherwise indicated.
- The Chicago Manual of Style, 15th ed. Z253.U69 2003 at Reference Office
- A Dictionary of Modern English Usage, 2d ed. PE1628.F65 1983
- Garner's Modern American Usage. 2d ed. PE2827.G37 2003
- The New York Public Library Writer's Guide to Style and Usage. PE142.N46 1994
- On Writing Well: An Informal Guide to Writing Nonfiction, 3d ed. PE1429.Z5 1985
- Strunk & White's The Elements of Style, 4th ed. PE1408.S772 2000. First ed. (1918) on the web.
- Style: Lessons in Clarity and Grace, 9th ed. PE1421.W545 2007
For additional titles, search the Law Library or another catalog by keywords: english language and (style or usage).
Websites
- Common Errors in English provides an alphabetic guide to words and phrases commonly misused. Maintained by the the author of the same titled book.
- The Dartmouth Writing Program provides a wealth of material for students on writing academic papers, including sections on developing the thesis, structuring and organizing the paper, using logic and argument, and attending to style and grammar.
- Guide to Grammar & Style
- Guide to Grammar and Writing covers articles, clauses, commas, confused words, modifiers, paragraphs, parallel construction, phrases, plurals, possessives, pronouns, punctuation, sentences, and subject-verb agreement; with interactive quizzes.
- The International Writing Centers Association offers resources for writers, links to academic writing centers, and email discussion groups.
- The Internet Public Library, Style and Writing Guides
- Plain English Campaign, How to Write in Plain English
- University of Wisconsin-Madison, The Writing Center covers stages of the writing process, grammar and punctuation, and strategies for improving your writing style.
- Writing Research Essays in North American Academic Institutions--A Guide for Students of All Nations covers topic selection, the research question, structure, plagiarism, and form.
Thesauri & Dictionaries
Books
All of the latest editions of the books in this list are found in the Reference Area, unless otherwise indicated.
- The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 4th ed. PE1625.A54 2000 at Reference Office. Available on the web.
- The Dictionary of Bias-Free Usage: A Guide to Nondiscriminatory Language. PE1460.M26 1991
- The Elements of Nonsexist Usage: A Guide to Inclusive Spoken and Written English. PE1460.D78 1991
- The Handbook of Nonsexist Writing, 2d ed. PN218.M5 1988
- Roget A to Z. PE1591.R712 1994
- Roget's II: The New Thesaurus . PE1591.R737
- Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus in Dictionary Form. PE1591.K54 1992 at Reference Office
- Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary. PE1628.W5638 1984 at Classified Stacks
For additional titles, search the Law Library catalog or another catalog by keywords: english language and (dictionaries or synonyms).
Websites
Bartleby, Reference is a one-stop shopping for free online dictionaries, encyclopedias, quotation collections, thesauri, usage guides, and more.
The Merriam-Webster Online Language Center offers a dictionary and thesaurus.
OneLook Dictionaries lets users search dozens of dictionaries simultaneously, covering acronyms, computers and technology, economics, Latin, medical, military, real estate, religion, science, slang, and sports; includes Bouviers Law Dictionary (1856) and the International Law Dictionary and Directory.
UW Libraries, Reference Tools links to citation and writing guides, dictionaries, Britannica Online, the Oxford English Dictionary, and Roget's Thesaurus. Some sources are UW Restricted.