Elegant Legal Writing

Elegant Legal Writing

Home
Notes
Order the Book
Rushing McCarl LLP
LinkedIn
Archive
About
AI cannot replace legal-writing expertise.
Legal writing skills will continue to differentiate the best attorneys in the age of AI.
 • 
Ryan McCarl
Turn Admitted Facts into Credibility Anchors
The most powerful evidence isn’t what your witnesses say — it’s what your opponents admit.
Show respect for judges even when they are wrong.
Referring to judges correctly and deferentially is a nonnegotiable requirement of strong legal writing.
 • 
Ryan McCarl
How to write briefs that judges want to read
How can attorneys earn judges’ attention and motivate them to read briefs? Understanding the principles of readability can help.
Tips for undergraduates on writing, learning, and life
Here are some practical writing tips that are equally useful for nonlawyers, plus a handout I distribute whenever I get a chance to present to college…
 • 
Ryan McCarl
Using AI as an editor and writing coach
Here is a prompt I designed to get tailored editing and feedback from AI software like ChatGPT and Claude.
 • 
Ryan McCarl
2
Read widely to tune your ear for language
Reading literary prose can refresh your mind and improve your writing by exposing you to fresh language, new ideas, and unfamiliar vocabulary.
Elegant Legal Writing
Elegant Legal Writing
Practical tips for writing clear, logical, and inviting legal prose. Order the book at bit.ly/elw-book.
Related links
Buy Elegant Legal Writing
Preorder the ELW book from Amazon
Rushing McCarl LLP
Second Stage
Ryan McCarl's personal blog
Ryan McCarl on LinkedIn
Ryan McCarl's homepage
University of California Press

Elegant Legal Writing

AboutArchiveRecommendationsSitemap
© 2025 Ryan McCarl
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start writingGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture