“Good writing is lean writing.” For decades, Richard J. Blood drilled this mantra into the minds of his students in his notoriously grueling Reporting and Writing 1 class at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism. The renown trainer of journalists…
We Need to Talk About Your Special Interrogatories
This month, I’ve seen three sets of poorly written special interrogatories from different attorneys. These are not inexperienced, first year attorneys, but seasoned family law attorneys with an average of 15 years of experience. I get it, it’s easy to…
The Simple Elegance of a Semicolon
When you mean to suggest a close relationship between two separate statements, consider joining them with this highly effective punctuation mark. As we have discussed in this column, a comma may be used to combine two sentences into one. But…
Avoiding Comma Confusion, Part II
When constructing sentences, be sure to correctly use this frequently abused punctuation mark.
In January, we discussed several frequently forgotten rules concerning correct placement of commas. This month, we continue with that topic by looking at a few ways this punctuation mark should be used in sentence construction. Place a comma after an…
Avoid comma confusion
Remember these frequently bungled rules
Using punctuation correctly and to best effect is essential to achieving clarity and readability in writing. In legal writing, this is especially so when it comes to the comma. For example, failing to use a serial comma after the second…
Passionate Pursuit for Justice: SF-Marin LRIS Attorney Nikolaus W. Reed Settles Case for $1.3 million
In the fall of 2019, the SF-Marin LRIS received a phone call from a 60-year-old client seeking a trusted attorney. What they were seeking was a way to hold their apartment complex accountable for the life-altering injuries that the client…
What Technology is the Best Fit for Your Law Firm?
As with most professional service providers, legal professionals have a tendency to fall into the “If it ain’t broke…” camp. But over the past two years, attorneys have been put in a position where choosing not to implement new legal…
Legal Billing Dos and Don’ts: Your Quick Reference for Getting Paid
Whether you work for a large firm or you run your own private practice, getting your billing right is absolutely crucial. After all, your business can’t thrive without steady payments. Bad billing habits can lead to confused or frustrated clients…
4 Ways Lawyers Can Minimize Outstanding Receivables
Every pragmatic legal professional expects that some percentage of their billed services won’t be paid. But even small fluctuations in a law firm’s collection rate can have a huge impact on its bottom line. So how can you improve your…
Home in on this commonly botched expression
Shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court denied injunctive relief to the opponents of Texas’ anti-abortion law, a post appeared on a popular legal news website describing the forcefulness of the four dissents. The article states, “Justice Breyer’s [] hones…
Don’t say bold-faced when you mean bald-faced
When addressing the court, be sure not to bungle common expressions When U.S. Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-Ga) told the American people that the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol could not accurately be called an “insurrection,” he not only…
Legal Billing Language to Help Reduce Payment Delays
This article originally appeared on the LawPay blog. Clearly defining all expectations related to fees, billing, and payments during client intake can go a long way toward preventing payment delays and chargebacks. Here are a few valuable examples of sample…