Legalese 101

Learning to read, think, write, and speak
the language of lawyers

Students in Brian Larson's legal writing class at the University of Minnesota may find these resources useful. Others are welcome to use them for personal non-commercial purposes.

Available now

• Overview of Objectives and Grading. This document explains what we teach in this first-year class, how we do it, how we evaluate students' performance, and how grades are be assigned.
• Style sheet. This document provides instructions for formatting assignments and advice on avoiding the most common writing problems students have exhibited in the past.
• Obiter dictum and the ratio decidendi. This document explains part of the process in evaluating a case and comparing it to your client's situation.
• "Passive voice" made simple. (PDF file on UofM Writing Center web site) This excellent publication from the University's Writing Center explains what we mean by "passive voice" and how to avoid using it unnecessarily.
• U of M Writing Center Quick Tips. This link takes you to the Writing Center's quick tips site for students. It includes advice for punctuation, style, and revisions. (Legal writing students should not follow its advice regarding document format and big-picture writing styles, as we have specific requirements for these items.)
• Word Masters lecture. Get the PowerPoint and the handout for this class, which is intended to show how to make the best use of Microsoft Word for legal writing assignments and for the practice of law.
• Blue Book tips. Dealing with the citation manual from hell.
• Using star pagination when citing electronic documents.

Forthcoming items

Here are some resources that will be available in the near future and their anticipated release dates. (Note that some may merely be links to other locations that explain these items better than we can.)

• Proofing abbreviations we use in grading papers and which will refer back to the course S or the Blue Book.
• Understanding procedural postures (summary judgment, JNOV, dismissal for failure to state a claim/demurrer).
• Standards of review, burdens of proof and persuasion, etc.
• Using "unpublished" and "unreported" decisions.

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