The (Not Too Serious) Grammar, Punctuation, and Style Guide to Legal Writing

There is no doubt that students' proficiency in grammar and punctuation has declined over time, and this book is designed to help resolve that problem. What can be a serious and boring topic has been recast into an entertaining yet informative guide to punctuation, grammar, and other style issues. This book goes beyond the black letter rules that students must follow—it also tells the story behind those rules, making it relatable and more likely to stick with the student. Unlike other style guides, it uses caselaw to help convince students that these issues are important—even to the Supreme Court (and other courts) where winning or losing can turn on the placement of a comma.

The book also is unique in that it strives to be humorous and includes cartoons for each chapter with the goal of having the concepts adhere to the students' brains. It is a well-rounded resource in that it goes beyond legal writing guides and incorporates information from other sources, giving a more holistic view of each issue. Although this book was designed primarily for law students, it has a much broader reach and could be a valuable resource to any legal writer—judges, law clerks, lawyers, paralegals, and people who are either learning about or involved in drafting contracts or legislation.

Professor Diana Simon … has written an entertaining and informative guide to grammar and punctuation for legal writing. I've read it cover to cover, and I loved it. It's a reference—but it's more. It has solid explanations (the why of grammar and punctuation)—but it has more. It recounts the stories—the real cases—that show that grammar and punctuation matter. It's readable, practical, and engaging. I recommend it to legal-writing faculty, practicing lawyers, paralegals, judges, judicial clerks, and anyone who cares about legal writing." — Wayne Schiess, Legible