Library Blog: The Gothic Column

Tuesday, January 29, 2013 @ 2:56 pm

New Title: The Legal Writing Survival Guide

Posted by Janis Fusaris

Are you facing a legal writing problem and looking for some common sense advice?

Then check out Rachel H. Smith’s The Legal Writing Survival Guide, which has just been added to the library’s new book shelf.

Written for any law student or lawyer working on a legal writing assignment, the book starts out with “How to Survive” legal writing in general and then moves on to memos, briefs, and correspondence.  It also includes a “Survival Tool Belt” of tips, tricks, checklists, and FAQs. 

Smith, a legal writing instructor at the University of Miami School of Law, has also developed a series of legal writing podcasts called “Perk Up Your Pens.”  Click here for an archive of the podcasts along with companion exercises.

Friday, January 25, 2013 @ 3:22 pm

Top Supreme Court Advocates of the 21st Century

Posted by Janis Fusaris

Which lawyers have argued the most times before the U.S. Supreme Court since October 2000?

These attorneys are identified in Top Supreme Court Advocates of the Twenty-First Century by Kedar S. Bhatia.

The article names the litigators who have argued at least 5 times since the October 2000 term and then breaks them down by certain demographic factors such as gender, ethnicity, law school attended, and past clerkships.

The author discusses some of the demographic trends that emerged from his analysis on his blog, DailyWrit.

Hat tip to How Appealing.