The library has several resources that can help you to write your own legal briefs.
Winning on Appeal: Better Briefs and Oral Argument
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When the late Ruggero J. Aldisert wrote Winning on Appeal in 1992, it became an instant classic in law school classrooms and appellate law practices across the country. To celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of the book's release, Tessa L. Dysart and Leslie H. Southwick carry on the Aldisert tradition of revealing the "nuts and bolts" of how to prepare an effective brief with the nuanced art of a delivering a persuasive appeal to the court. Their meticulously rendered update is replete with dozens of interviews with leading appeals judges and practitioners--treasured guidance from a bona fide who's who of appellate advocacy in America--and escorts readers into the "wired" courtroom of the twenty-first century, where they explore the benefits and challenges of melding technology with appellate advocacy. With a Foreword penned by U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Samuel A. Alito, Jr., Winning on Appeal conveys the perfect blueprint for any lawyer who wants to win on appeal. Reviews "I argued before Judge Aldisert as a young attorney, and I learned from the experience of trying to hold my own in front of the former Marine. I will certainly never forget those occasions. Arguing before Judge Aldisert was the best (and therefore the most demanding) Socratic experience imaginable. Woe to the lawyer who was unprepared or, worse yet, tried to pull something on the court! But to paraphrase that famous Sinatra song, if you could make it arguing in front of Judge Aldisert, you could make it anywhere. I am very pleased that Rugi's teaching will live on after him in this new edition of Winning on Appeal. For new appellate advocates, this volume should be required reading. I wish that it had been available when I argued my first case. For more experienced attorneys, the book contains advanced tips and reminders that may serve as a corrective against the bad habits that are easy to acquire. For any attorney who wants to know how to win on appeal, this is where to look." -- Samuel A. Alito, Jr., Associate Justice, U.S. Supreme Court
The Winning Brief: 100 Tips for Persuasive Briefing in Trial and Appellate Courts
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Good writing wins court cases. Now, one of America's most sought-after experts on legal writing offers a tested guide to preparing successful briefs - the written arguments lawyers present to judges and juries.In 100 concise, practical, easy-to-use sections, Bryan A. Garner goes step by step through the art of effective legal writing. He covers it all - from the rules for planning and organizing a brief to openers that can capture a judge's attention from the first few words. "Never write a sentence thatyou couldn't easily speak," Garner warns - and he shows how to do that. He gives masterly advice on building sound paragraphs, drafting crisp sentences, choosing the best words ("Strike pursuant to from your vocabulary."), quoting authority, citing sources, and designing a document that looks asimpressive as it reads. Throughout, he shows how to edit for maximal impact, using vivid before-and-after examples that apply the basics of rhetoric to persuasive writing. Filled with examples of good and bad writing from actual briefs filed in courts of all types, the book also covers the newappellate rules for preparing federal briefs.An invaluable resource for attorneys, law clerks, judges, paralegals, and law students and their teachers, The Winning Brief has the qualities that make Garner's book so successful: authority, accessibility, and page after page of tips and techniques that work.
Brief Writing and Oral Argument
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From the all-important brief-concise, comprehensive and effectively written-to the delivery of powerful oral arguments, counsel's success is measured by the ability to persuade and win. This text clearly explains how to be an effective and persuasive legal writer and advocate. This work is designed to bridge the gap between law school and the practice of law and it is ideal for students and novice practitioners who want to brush up on their writing skills. The following topics are covered: Legal Writing and Preliminary Considerations; Opinion Letters and Claim or Demand Letters; Trial and Post-Trial Briefs; Memoranda of Law; Appellate Brief Writing; Respondent and Reply Briefs; Oral Argument; Legal Citation. Useful appendices contain illustrative examples of legal documents attorneys will likely be required to prepare, and are formatted to be easily adapted for legal writing exercises in course use.