Four Ways To Help Your Legal Writing Skills Improve

As a solicitor operating in 2023, it is vital that you keep up with your CPD points to remain compliant and at the top of your game. Thankfully, you can get CPD on demand from Legalwise Seminars all year round thanks to the many online seminars that we offer, which you can attend at your convenience.
Several compulsory CPD points law are geared towards professional development. Among the aspects of this category is the writing of persuasive submissions and letters – a skill that every solicitor needs to keep developing.
As a caveat, it is important to put every effort into avoiding spelling, punctuation, and grammar mistakes, as this can undermine the professionalism of the submission.
Here are four things to consider that will help ensure that your written submissions improve:

Format

When writing a submission of any kind, it is important to adopt the correct format. The more important the issue that you are addressing is, the more time should be dedicated to writing the submission and finding the correct format.
There are generally a variety of templates available to assist you with your writing, depending on what you are writing, whether it is a policy document, a court submission, or a legal letter. An incorrect format that does not meet industry norms is likely to be met with derision and not taken seriously. It can also affect your reputation.

Audience

As with any kind of writing, knowing whom you are writing for is important. Persuasive writing requires a good understanding of your target audience, whether it is a judge, associates, other lawyers, or a client.
It is important to know who your reader is because this will also determine how much and what kind of information should be included, the type of language used, and the level of explanation required for the reader. Clients might require simpler language and more explanations than judges, for example, who will be well-versed with the concepts being discussed.
Persuasive writing hinges on having your target audience remain engaged, which is why you need to consider them carefully when drafting a document so as not to bore or overwhelm them.

Outlines

Without an outline, you are very likely to write something that meanders, is filled with repetition, and has internal logic errors. An outline will help you create a structure to follow, including an introduction, background, arguments, and conclusion.
When responding to something that has already been written, it is generally advised to respond with the same structure as the original document. Outlines can be planned in various ways, using bullet points or mind maps, for example, to help you.

Headers

Headers and subheaders help the reader digest content more easily by breaking it up into sections that make it simpler to comprehend what is being put forward.
As it stands, the better your arguments can be understood and digested, the more persuasive they are likely to be. You want to make it as easy as possible for the reader to follow your text. Therefore, you should not hesitate to break it up as much as possible. It is a common fault amongst legal professionals that they overcomplicate language to make arguments difficult to comprehend.
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