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Monday, June 11, 2012

Legal Writing


Legal Writing
Jacob De Camillis
2011, 2012 (c)


A more uncommonly considered specialization within technical communication is legal writing – the research, writing, editing, and maintaing of legal literature such as copyright discourse, legal information, criminal investigation and forensic reports, contracts, and intellectual property etc. Legal writers are employed in intelligence, the military, private investigation, government/civil services, the police, courts of law, patent offices, law offices etc.

What makes a good legal writer?
  • A firm academic background in law, criminal justice, accounting, the sciences, medicine, or philosophy would be an advisable base. Training in court reporting, policing, or private investigation is even better.
  • Natural inquisitiveness, plus the ability to be methodical, analytical, and persuasive.
  • Basic communications-related training post university study. Take courses in English and writing or consider doing a graduate degree or certificate programme in technical communication.
  • Seamless written fluency in a second (and possibly third) language wouldn’t hurt if working internationally or within officially multilingual bodies (i.e. Canada, Belgium, the United Nations, the European Union, the Hague etc). 
Keep in mind, a legal writer's readership/reading audience can range from highly experienced legal professions to Joe Average. The point being is to be mindful of who you, the writer, is writing to. Language must be concise, clear, and accurate to the slightest shade of meaning – in turn, have a natural vocabulary that exceeds a dictionary.  However, never write beyond the reader nor beneath the reader.

A note for legal writers dealing with international clients and especially translators, footnote every minute detail about the legal system backing your document(s) to make sure that rendering of information is thus equally accurate.  

NOTE:
I cannot stress enough, depending on the instance, a legal background may be an absolute qualification prior to specializing as a writer. It can be illegal by federal law to write or edit legal contracts and reports unless one is licensed prior (i.e. as a paralegal).

A massive ethical note concerning legal writing is confidentiality. Although no-less-than-exact use of language is a must, the content of legal discourse is (more often than not) cloaked as being highly classified. Therefore, one must be especially prudent of not openly discussing any aspect of your work as well as making sure all computer files and paper trails pertaining to your writing are well guarded.

Specialization:
Depending on your background and interest, legal writing is in itself broad and can be highly specialized: medical-legal, real estate, corporate, contracts, tort law, municipal law, import/export, international law, etc.   

Resources:
Your best resources depend on where and under whom you are (planning to) working for. You would be wise to contact law offices, local city halls, court houses, law schools within universities, as well other major institutions with respective communications and legal departments.


Citation/Bibliography:

"Kaplan Technical Writing: A Comprehensive Resource for Technical Writers At All Levels"; Martinez, Diane; Peterson, Tanya; Wells, Carrie; Hannigan, Carrie; Stevenson, Carolyn. pp 498 - 501.  Kaplan Inc., 2011, 2008.

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