法律英语如何撰写律师函.docx

法律英语如何撰写律师函.docx

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法律英语如何撰写律师函

法律英语如何撰写律师函？

（英）

TOWRITELETTERSNONLAWYERSWILLREAD

　　Note:

Thisarticleisforbackgroundpurposesonlyandisnotintendedaslegaladvice.

　　Whydopeoplehatetogetlettersfromlawyers?

Theycarrybadnews.Theymeanseriousbusiness.They'rehardtounderstand.Theyusestrangewords.Theycarrytheinherentthreatofsuit.

　　Whydolawyerssendsuchletters?

Theymeanseriousbusiness,andtheyintendtosue.

　　Butmusttheyusethoseancient,strangewordsandbesohardtounderstand,orcanlawyersexpressseriousbusinessandimminentsuitusingwordseveryoneknows?

　　Whetherwritingademandlettertoacontractbreacher,anadvicelettertoaclient,oracoverlettertoacourtclerk,theletterfailsifthepersonreceivingitcannotunderstandwhatitsays.

　　Alloftheselettershaveonethingincommon:

Theyarenotgreatliterature.Theywillnotbereadinahundredyearsandanalyzedfortheirwit,charmorflowerywords.Withanylucktheywillbereadjustoncebyafewpeople,followedquicklybytheirintendedresult,whetherthatbecompliance,understandingoragreement.

　　LawyersareLetterFactories

　　Lawyerswritemany,manyletters.Anaverageformemightbefivelettersaday.Thisincludesadviceletters,coverletters,demandletters,allsortsofletters.Somedayshavemore,somehaveless,butfiveisafairlyconservativeaverage,Iwouldthink.Fivelettersadayforfivedaysaweekforfiftyweeksayearis1,250lettersayear.Thisismy25thyearinpractice,soitisquiteconceivablethatIhavewritten31,250letterssofar.

　　Whydolawyerswritesomanyletters?

Aprimaryreasonlieswithintheethicsofourprofession.FloridaBarRulesofProfessionalConductRule4-1.4says:

　　"Alawyershallkeepaclientreasonablyinformedaboutthestatusofamatterandpromptlycomplywithreasonablerequestsforinformation."

　　"Alawyershallexplainamattertotheextentreasonablynecessarytopermittheclienttomakeinformeddecisionsregardingtherepresentation."

　　Whileclientscanbekeptinformedandgivenexplanationsorally,lawyerscertainlyknowthevalueoftheprintedwordoverthespokenword:

itisnotaseasilyforgottenormisunderstood.Lettersalsocreatearecordofadvicegiven,whichisusefultoboththelawyerandtheclient.Thatiswhylettersarethepreferredmethodofkeepingclientsinformedandgivingclientsexplanations.

　　SomeThingsToDoBeforeWriting

　　Beforeyoustartwritingtheletteritmakessensetodosomepreliminarybackgroundwork.

　　Findaletterform.Findasimilarletteryouhavesentinthepast,orseetheAppendixtothisarticleforsampleengagement,cover,demand,contractnegotiation,contractadvice,andfaxletters.

　　Reviewpriorletterstothisrecipient.Inabusyworld,itiseasytoforget.Reviewpriorletterstoremindyourselfwhereyouareintheworkprocess,whathasalreadybeensaid,andwhatremainstobesaid.Thiswillgiveyourletterdirectionandpurpose.

　　Donotsendalettertoanotherlawyer'sclientwithoutthatlawyer'sconsent.Beforesendingtheletter,findoutifthenonlawyerisrepresentedbysomeoneelse.Startbyaskingyourclient.FloridaBarRulesofProfessionalConductRule4-4.2says:

　　"Inrepresentingaclient,alawyershallnotcommunicateaboutthesubjectoftherepresentationwithapersonthelawyerknowstoberepresentedbyanotherlawyerinthematter,unlessthelawyerhastheconsentoftheotherlawyer."

　　Outlineyourthoughtsinachecklist.Beforeturningonyourcomputerordictatingmachine,pulloutayellowpadandjotdownthemainpointsforyourletter.Listwhatyouwantthelettertosay.Writethepointsinanyorder;writethemastheycomeintoyourmind.Youcanrearrangethemwhenyouwritetheletter.Rightnowyou'rejustmakingachecklistforwritingtheletter.

　　Keepthelegalpadcloseathand.Whenyourunoutofideasforthechecklist,putthepadatthesideofyourdesk.Newideasalwaysspringforthwhenwriting.Jotthesedownonthepadasyouwritetheletter;theyareeasilyforgotten.

　　SimpleStuffThatWillMakeYouLookDumbIfIt'sWrong

　　Lettersbeginwithboringthingslikethedateandrecipient'snameandaddress,butifanyofthesearemissingorwrongtheletterwriterwilllookprettycareless,tosaytheleast.Sobecarefulwhenstartingtheletter,andyoucanevenincludesomeextrathingsthatwillmaketheletterevenbetterthantheregularletterstherecipientreceives.

　　Dateyourletter.Dateyourletterthedayyouwriteit,andsenditthesameday.Undatedlettersaredifficulttoreplyto.Iusuallyreplytothembysaying,"ThisisinreplytoyourundatedletterthatIreceivedinthemailon24June1999."

　　Considerusingtheinternationaldatingconventionofday-month-yearratherthantheU.S.conventionofmonth-day-year.Asreportedint