Brief-Writing Masterclass

An advocate submits a brief to a court or tribunal to persuade it to decide the cause or matter in favor of the advocate's client or position. The key word is "persuade." Too often, advocates forget this and write to please themselves. They write to themselves instead of to the court. They write in chest-thumping prose and style. Advocates will do well to keep in mind that in advocacy, persuasion is all that matters.

This book teaches persuasive written advocacy. It shows advocates--of all ranks, in all jurisdictions, in all proceedings, before all courts or tribunals--how to prepare and present winning and winsome arguments. Because of its emphasis on winning, the book's pedagogy blends law, linguistics, logic, psychology, rhetoric, and semantics.