Overview

When attorneys begin their latest motion or brief, they face a predictable set of questions and concerns, including how to start, how to draft winning headings, how to tell a story when the record is dry and dense, how to neutralize bad facts, how to be persuasive when recounting the governing law, how to confront adverse authority, how to analogize cases without drowning in detail, how to distinguish authority without sounding defensive, and how to make a brief interesting without seeming corny or coy. The answers to these questions are more science than art, and the best advocates-from Thurgood Marshall to John Roberts-have far more in common with each another than with their less-adept contemporaries. In Point Made, author Ross Guberman aims to break down the work of great advocates into a step-by-step writing strategy with practical examples. Each chapter focuses on a fundamental challenge that briefwriters face, and includes an overview incorporating insight from judges, followed by specific practice pointers in checklist form and annotated examples of how prominent advocates have resolved the challenge in a variety of trial and appellate briefs.

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9780195394870

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Reviews

The only way to teach students how to be effective legal writers is to immerse them in as much outstanding legal writing as possible. By concentrating so much great written advocacy so compactly--and by focusing readers' attention so precisely on the qualities that make the selected texts so compelling--this book supplies an indispensable tool to those engaged in the craft of making excellent lawyers. --Dan Kahan, Elizabeth K. Dollard Professor of Law, Yale Law School Effective advocacy consists of a skillful blend of clear language and a sense of dramatic structure. Guberman's exemplars demonstrate again and again how to transform an otherwise ordinary case into a morality tale with a happy ending. --Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson A must for the library of veteran litigators and aspiring moot court competitors. Ross Guberman teaches the art of persuasive legal writing with lively quotes from top-notch briefs, coupled with his own insights and recommendations. --Stephen Shapiro, Senior Member, Supreme Court and Appellate Litigation group, Mayer Brown I love this book and recommend it for everyone. Ross Guberman's bag of tricks will spiff up your writing. He shares 50 techniques, and then-the fun part-he offers choice nuggets to show you how the hot shots pull it off. --Ronald Marmer, Chair-Elect, ABA Section on Litigation; Partner, Jenner & Block Point Made is writing-nerd nirvana...It instantly won a place on my short list of favorite legal-writing books. --Jay O'Keeffe, DeNovo A Virginia Appellate Law Blog Entertaining and informative...a smart approach to writing persuasive legal briefs. Rather than lecturing the reader about what to do, Point Made shows you how the headline lawyers do it. --Steven R. Merican, Illinois Appellate Lawyer Blog [Guberman] doesn't just tell you what to do: he shows you...I learned a lot from reading Ross's book; I think you will too. --Raymond Ward, the (new) legal writer I've seen no other book so clearly provide concrete and diverse examples of 'what this stuff' should look and sound like when it's done right... [my] revision radically improved...incredibly helpful. --Wendy McGuire Coats, the Ninth I am loathe to come across so effusive in my praise of the book, as to appear biased. But I can't help but highly recommend the book, it's that good. If you want to improve your legal writing, pick up a copy of Point Made . --Keith Lee, An Associate's Mind Just by reading the book, lawyers and legal writers at all stages of their careers can cull from Guberman's advice valuable lessons that are easy to remember and simple to apply. For these reasons, Point Made would make an excellent addition to any law school, law firm, court, or academic library collection. -- Julie Graves Krishnaswami, Law Library Journal Both novel and helpful...Point Made provides much food for thought for the experienced advocate...Guberman provides sound advice supported by the practice of the best in the business. -- ABA Guberman has assembled example after example of creative, clever, clear, common-sense legal writing. He's compiled in one book the great writing that will cause a legal writer to sigh, 'I wish I'd written that.' But he did not stop there. Guberman has written a useable handbook that will aid the writer in crafting similar envy worthy moments of argument...Guberman's techniques provide immediate ways to improve, tighten, and enliven the language and persuasive force of your prose. --Wendy McGuire Coats, Appellate Issues Spring 2012, ABA

<br> The only way to teach students how to be effective legal writers is to immerse them in as much outstanding legal writing as possible. By concentrating so much great written advocacy so compactly--and by focusing readers' attention so precisely on the qualities that make the selected texts so compelling--this book supplies an indispensable tool to those engaged in the craft of making excellent lawyers. <br>--Dan Kahan, Elizabeth K. Dollard Professor of Law, Yale Law School <br><p><br> Effective advocacy consists of a skillful blend of clear language and a sense of dramatic structure. Guberman's exemplars demonstrate again and again how to transform an otherwise ordinary case into a morality tale with a happy ending. <br>--Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson<p><br> A must for the library of veteran litigators and aspiring moot court competitors. Ross Guberman teaches the art of persuasive legal writing with lively quotes from top-notch briefs, coupled with his own insights and recommend

<br> The only way to teach students how to be effective legal writers is to immerse them in as much outstanding legal writing as possible. By concentrating so much great written advocacy so compactly--and by focusing readers' attention so precisely on the qualities that make the selected texts so compelling--this book supplies an indispensable tool to those engaged in the craft of making excellent lawyers. <br>--Dan Kahan, Elizabeth K. Dollard Professor of Law, Yale Law School <br><p><br> Effective advocacy consists of a skillful blend of clear language and a sense of dramatic structure. Guberman's exemplars demonstrate again and again how to transform an otherwise ordinary case into a morality tale with a happy ending. <br>--Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson<p><br> A must for the library of veteran litigators and aspiring moot court competitors. Ross Guberman teaches the art of persuasive legal writing with lively quotes from top-notch briefs, coupled with his own insights and recommendations. <br>--Stephen Shapiro, Senior Member, Supreme Court and Appellate Litigation group, Mayer Brown<p><br> I love this book and recommend it for everyone. Ross Guberman's bag of tricks will spiff up your writing. He shares 50 techniques, and then-the fun part-he offers choice nuggets to show you how the hot shots pull it off. <br>--Ronald Marmer, Chair-Elect, ABA Section on Litigation; Partner, Jenner & Block<p><br> Point Made is writing-nerd nirvana...It instantly won a place on my short list of favorite legal-writing books. --Jay O'Keeffe, DeNovo A Virginia Appellate Law Blog <br><p><br> Entertaining and informative...a smart approach to writing persuasive legal briefs. Rather than lecturing the reader about what to do, Point Made shows you how the headline lawyers do it. --Steven R. Merican, Illinois Appellate Lawyer Blog <br><p><br> [Guberman] doesn't just tell you what to do: he shows you...I learned a lot from reading Ross's book; I think you will too. --Raymond W

The only way to teach students how to be effective legal writers is to immerse them in as much outstanding legal writing as possible. By concentrating so much great written advocacy so compactly--and by focusing readers' attention so precisely on the qualities that make the selected texts so compelling--this book supplies an indispensable tool to those engaged in the craft of making excellent lawyers. --Dan Kahan, Elizabeth K. Dollard Professor of Law, Yale Law School Effective advocacy consists of a skillful blend of clear language and a sense of dramatic structure. Guberman's exemplars demonstrate again and again how to transform an otherwise ordinary case into a morality tale with a happy ending. --Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson A must for the library of veteran litigators and aspiring moot court competitors. Ross Guberman teaches the art of persuasive legal writing with lively quotes from top-notch briefs, coupled with his own insights and recommendations. --Stephen Shapiro, Senior Member, Supreme Court and Appellate Litigation group, Mayer Brown I love this book and recommend it for everyone. Ross Guberman's bag of tricks will spiff up your writing. He shares 50 techniques, and then-the fun part-he offers choice nuggets to show you how the hot shots pull it off. --Ronald Marmer, Chair-Elect, ABA Section on Litigation; Partner, Jenner & Block Point Made is writing-nerd nirvana...It instantly won a place on my short list of favorite legal-writing books. --Jay O'Keeffe, DeNovo A Virginia Appellate Law Blog Entertaining and informative...a smart approach to writing persuasive legal briefs. Rather than lecturing the reader about what to do, Point Made shows you how the headline lawyers do it. --Steven R. Merican, Illinois Appellate Lawyer Blog [Guberman] doesn't just tell you what to do: he shows you...I learned a lot from reading Ross's book; I think you will too. --Raymond W

Author Information

Ross Guberman is president of Legal Writing Pro, an advanced legal-writing training and consulting firm. He has worked with thousands of attorneys at more than 100 of the world's largest and most prestigious law firms and for dozens of state and federal agencies and bar associations. Guberman is also a Professorial Lecturer in Law at The George Washington University Law School, and he holds degrees from Yale, the Sorbonne, and The University of Chicago Law School. Before founding Legal Writing Pro, Guberman worked as a musician, lawyer, translator, editor, and journalist. He has also commented on law, business, and lawyer development for major newspapers, radio stations, trade publications, and television networks, and he has addressed several major international conferences as well.

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