Exercises from Legal Writing in Plain English.docx

Exercises from Legal Writing in Plain English.docx

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ExercisesfromLegalWritinginPlainEnglish

ExercisesfromLegalWritinginPlainEnglish

byBryanA.Garner

Copyright2001,BryanA.Garner

PublishedbytheUniversityofChicagoPress（www.press.uchicago.edu）

Section1.Havesomethingtosay--andthinkitthrough.

Exercises

Beginthefollowingexercisesbylookingupthecasescited.Thenwriteacasenoteforeachone--thatis,ashortcasesynopsisthatfollowsastandardform:

（1）casenameandcitation;

（2）brieffacts;（3）questionfordecision;（4）holding;（5）reasoning.Yourfinishedproductshouldfitonafive-by-seven-inchindexcard（frontandback）.Theexercisesareincreasinglychallengingforeitherorbothoftworeasons:

first,theincreasingcomplexityofthelegalprinciplesinvolved;andsecond,theincreasingdifficultyofthelanguageusedintheopinions.Whenyou'refinished,haveafriendassesshoweasyitistounderstandwhatyou'vewritten.

Here'sanexampleofacasenote:

Case:

Hendersonv.FordMotorCo.,519S.W.2d87（Tex.1974）.

Facts:

Whiledrivingincitytraffic,Hendersonfoundthat,despiterepeatedattempts,shecouldn'tbrake.Toavoidinjuringanyone,sheranintoapole.Aninvestigatorlaterfoundthatpartofarubbergasketfromtheairfilterhadgottenintothecarburetor.HendersonsuedFordonvarioustheories,includingdefectivedesign.Herexpertwitnessdidn'tcriticizethedesignofthegasket,carburetor,orairfilter,butdidsaythatthepositioningofthepartsmighthavebeenbetter.Noonetestifiedthattheair-filterhousingwasunreasonablydangerousfromthetimeofinstallation.Yetthejurydeterminedthattheair-filterhousingwasdefectiveandthatthisdefecthadcausedHenderson'sdamage.

Question:

Theexpertwitnessdidn'ttestifythatthedesignwasunreasonablydangerous--onlythatitcouldbeimprovedon.Isthistestimonysufficienttosupportajuryfindingthataproduct'sdesignisunreasonablydangerous?

Holding:

Mereevidencethatadesigncouldbemadebetter--withoutevidencethatthedesignitselfwasunreasonablydangerous--isinsufficienttoimposeliabilityonamanufacturer.

Reasoning:

Apersonsuingonadesigndefectmustprovidesomeevidencethatthedesignoftheproductmadeitunreasonablydangerous.Specifically,theevidencemustshowthataprudentmanufacturerwhowasknowledgeableabouttheriskswouldnothaveplacedtheparticularproductinthestreamofcommerce.Merespeculationthataproductmightbeimprovedondoesnotconstituteevidenceofadesigndefect.Amanufacturerisnotrequiredtodesignthebestproductscientificallypossible.

Basic

WriteacasenoteforSerrano-Moranv.Grau-Gaztambide,195F.3d68（1stCir.1999）.Ifyoubelongtoawritinggrouporclass,bringacopyofyourcasenoteforeachcolleague.

Intermediate

WriteacasenoteforFloudiotisv.State,726A.2d1196（Del.1999）.Ifyoubelongtoawritinggrouporclass,bringacopyofyourcasenoteforeachcolleague.

Advanced

WriteacasenoteforAtlasFoodSystems&Services,Inc.v.CraneNationalVendors,Inc.,99F.3d587（4thCir.1996）.Ifyoubelongtoawritinggrouporclass,bringacopyofyourcasenoteforeachcolleague.

Section2.Formaximalefficiency,planyourwritingprojects.Trynonlinearoutlining.

Exercises

Basic

Whileplanningandresearchingalegalmemo,filloutawhirlybird.（You'rereadytobeginonceyouknowenoughabouttheproblemtohaveanideaortwo.）Useunruledpaper.Takeyourtime.Fillasmanymajorandminorbranchesasyoucan,andfeelfreetoaddmorebranches.Then,whenthepaperstartsgettingfull--andonlythen--createalinearoutlineusingbullets.Rememberthatyou'reworkingonthebasicunitoforganization:

onceyouhavethat,you'llorganizefurtheraccordingtoissuesandanswers.

Intermediate

Dothesamewithatrialorappellatebrief.

Advanced

Dothesamewithajournalarticleorcontinuing-legal-educationpaper.Forthisone,youmightneedalargesheetofbutcherpaper.

Section3.Orderyourmaterialinalogicalsequence.Usechronologywhenpresentingfacts.Keeprelated

materialtogether.

Exercises

Basic

Improvethesequenceofideasinthefollowingsentence.Startlikethis:

"InMarch2000,GilbertSpauldingappliedtotheWorkforceCommissionforextendedunemploymentbenefits."Thenuseoneortwoextrasentences.

*ThelowercourtdidnoterrbyaffirmingtheWorkforceCommission'sdenialofSpaulding'srequestforextendedunemploymentbenefits,sincethosebenefitswerenotavailableduringtheperiodforwhichhesoughteligibility.

Improvethesequenceandphrasingofideasinthesesentences,perhapsbybreakingthemintoseparatesentences:

*Thestatesupremecourtreversedtheintermediateappellatecourt'saffirmanceofasummaryjudgmentgrantedtoPilsenCorporation,theplaintiff,whichhadonlyrequestedapartialsummaryjudgmentonthediscreteissueoffraud.

*TheissueiswhetherDavisEnergyhasgranteditsneighborsaneasementtouseaprivateroadthatentersaDavisfuel-storageyard,whenforthreeyearsDavishashadaguardattheroad'sentrancebuthaspostednoothernoticeaboutprivatepropertyorpermissiontoenter,andforsevenyearstheownersofadjacentpropertyhaveusedtheroadtoreachtheirownproperty.

*ThePlaintiffLosAngelesDodgers,acorporationwithofficesanditsprincipalofficeinLosAngeles,California,istheownerofaprofessionalbaseballteamthat,since1958,hasplayedbaseballinLosAngeles,California,andbefore1958playedbaseballinBrooklyn,NewYork,underthename"theBrooklynDodgers,"butinthatyearmovedthesiteofitshomegamesfromBrooklyntoLosAngeles.

Intermediate

Rewritethefollowingpassagestoreassembletheelementsinchronologicalorder.Again,youmightneedtobreakoneormoresentencesintoseparatesentences.

*ThisactionaroseoutofarequestbyPan-AmericantocancelitssuretybondpostedwiththeLandReclamationCommissiontoensurereclamationonaportionofthePrelanciaFuelsminesite.TheCommissionfiledapetitionfordeclaratoryjudgmentandapplicationforatemporaryrestrainingorderandpreliminaryinjunctiononFebruary16,1996,todeterminewhetherPan-Americancouldlawfullycancelitssuretybond.Pan-Americanmadeitsrequestafterlegislationhadbeenpassedthat,accordingtoPan-American,wouldincreaseitsliabilityunderthebonds.ThetrialjudgedisagreedwithPan-American.AttherequestoftheCommission,afterabriefevidentiaryhearing,atemporaryrestrainingorderandpreliminaryinjunctionweregrantedonFebruary16,1996,preventingPan-Americanfromcancelingthebondatissueuntilfinaljudgmentonthedeclaratory-judgmentaction.

*InSinclair,thecourtawardedthenieceofSinclairaconstructivetrust.Sinclair'sniecewassuingPurdy'sestateforone-halfinterestinpropertythatsheclaimedheruncleownedandhadpromisedtobequeathtoherinexchangeforcaringforhimuntilhisdeath.Thecourtobservedthatthepropertywaspurchasedinhissister'sname.Thiswasdoneforbusinesspurposesandbecauseheandhissistersharedacloserelationship.Therewasalsoanagreementbetweenthesiblingsthatthesisterwouldbeallowedtokeeponlyhalftheproperty.Thecourtruledthatwithholdingthepropertyfromtheniecewouldbeabreachofpromise;hence,aconstructivetrustwasawardedinfavoroftheniece.

*KathcartfiledtheinstantpatentapplicationonApril11,2000,morethanoneyearafterhefiledcounterpartapplicationsinGreeceandSpainonNovember21,1998.KathcartinitiallyfiledanapplicationintheU.S.onNovember22,1997,claimingmostofthesamecompoundsasintheinstantapplication.Whenhefiledabroad,however,in1998,heexpandedhisclaimstoincludecertainesterderivativesoftheoriginallyclaimedcompounds.Itistheclaimstotheseesters,whichKathcarthasmadethesubjectofasubsequentcontinuation-in-partapplication,theapplicationnowbeforethecourt,thataretheissuehere.BothforeignpatentsissuedpriortotheinstantapplicationintheU.S.,theGreekpatentonOctober2,1999,andtheSpanishpatentonJanuary21,1985.

Advanced

Findapublishedcaseinwhichthepresentationofthefactsismarredbydisruptionsinchronology.Writeashortexplanationspecifyingwhytheunchronologicalnarrativewasdifficultforyoutoread.Rewritethefactualstatementasbestyoucan,omittingirrelevantfactsandputtinginbracketsanyfactsyoumightwanttoadd（butweren'tgiveninthecaseitself）.Ifyoubelongtoawritinggrouporclass,bringacopyofyourbefore-and-afterversionsforeachcolleague.

Section4.Dividethedocumentintosections,anddividesectionsintosmallerpartsasneeded.Use

informativeheadingsforthesectionsandsubsections.

Exercises

Basic

Findapre-1950law-reviewarticleortreatisewithlongstretchesoftextuninterruptedbyheadings.

Deviseappropriateheadings.If,asaresultofthisexercise,youfindthattheorganizationispoor,notetheorganizationaldeficiencies.Ifyou'reamemberofawritinggrouporclass,bringacopyoftherelevantpagesandbepreparedtoexplainwhereyourheadingswouldgoandtodiscussanyorganizationalproblemsyouuncovered.

Intermediate

Inastateadministrativecode,findaregulationhavingatleastthreesectionswithheadingsthatdon'tadequatelydescribethesections'contents.Devisebetterheadings.Ifyou'reamemberofawritinggrouporclass,bepreparedtoexplainwhyyoureditswouldimprovetheregulation.

Advanced

Findaproxystatementorprospectuswithlongstretchesofuninterruptedtext.Breakupthelongparagraphsintosmallerparagraphsandaddheadingswhereappropriate.Foramodelofthisapproach,seeGarne