Download Point Made How to Write Like the Nation Top Advocates Ross Guberman 8601416728537 Books

Product details Paperback 416 pages Publisher Oxford University Press; 2 edition (April 4, 2014) Language English ISBN-10 0199943850

Point Made How to Write Like the Nation Top Advocates Ross Guberman 8601416728537 Books Reviews

• This book is legitimately a Godsend in terms of its efficacy. I would recommend this book to other lawyers or law students for three reasons (1) this book outlines, in step format, what is required of a solid brief to persuade the court; (2) the book does a great job of providing real-world examples from briefs submitted by everyone from C.J. John Roberts and J. RBG to Joe Jamail to help illustrate his points; and (3) the writing is really easy to read and quick to get through.
  
  Moving onto my first point, the book outlines the components of a well-structured brief from beginning to end. The front and back covers contain an "outline" not dissimilar to a table of contents, and that outline effectively gives you a checklist to go through while writing your brief or motion. If you are stuck on a particular section like the introduction or the statement of facts, you can easily hop into the table of contents and just jump to the relevant section.
  
  Onto my second point, as you are reading through each chapter in the book, the author will supply excerpts from actual briefs while bolding and emphasizing the concepts that particular section is teaching you so that you may see the lesson in action. He then expands on those points immediately following the excerpt and goes on to explain why he emphasized certain words or phrases. This makes following along very easy, even if the actual subject matter of the brief goes over your head (I admire IP lawyers more now than I did before I read this book). Furthermore, the brief excerpts are from heavy hitters who definitely know their way around Microsoft Word, so the examples you're being taught with are written by some of the best advocates in the country. The author even gives grammatical lessons or suggestions to help get a point across more clearly which is really nice because it humanizes the big shot advocates. I am happy to know that even the Chief Justice of the SCOTUS sometimes makes grammatical errors in his writing too.
  
  Lastly, the book is so well written that it's just really easy to get through. I got through a hundred pages or so within the first day, and should be finishing the book in a couple of days.
  
  All in all, I would suggest this book to anyone who wants to improve their legal writing. The first way to win in court is through your brief, and the second way is through oral arguments. If an attorney can persuade the court before they even appear in front of the judge, half the battle has already been won. Five out of five stars.
• One of the most influential books I've read in quite some time. As a young lawyer, writing is becoming increasingly important to me. This is my new bible on legal writing. Guberman's ability to identify great and immediately useful writing tips, and to show examples of them applied correctly, is transformational. I've given this book to several colleagues. I can't recommend it strongly enough.
• This is the second edition of Guberman’s book. He has also written a companion book called ‘Point Taken’, which is about writing good judgments. The basic points about good writing overlap in the two books. The difference, which justifies the two different books, is that persuasion is more important in a lawyer’s writing than a judge’s judgment for several reasons. The main one being that the lawyer is concerned mainly with one point of view. The judge has to balance both views. Rhetoric sounds acceptable and often useful in a lawyer’s argument, but less so in a judgment.
  
  Guberman not only teaches good writing styles, but also gives useful tips on citations and footnotes in the lawyer’s submissions (or briefs). If all lawyers read and practise what this book advises, archaic and often dull and unintelligible legal writing will disappear.
• Using actual excerpts from motions and appeals, the author not only provides examples of excellent writing, but also explains why the techniques work. The first example, taken from a brief written by Chief Justice John Roberts while he worked as a government lawyer, is brilliant. Justice Roberts compares the selection of technology to the selection criteria used to select a vehicle by drivers in different states to make the point that differing environmental conditions will likely call for different features in car selection. Not every driver will have the same needs. A Floridian might need a convertible; whereas, a Minnesotan would select 4-wheel drive. This drives home the point that technology selection will go the same way. It shows how to take a dry topic and bring it to life.
  
  I like how the author has carefully thought about the entire writing process from beginning till end and has addressed each stage of the process. Thus, if you find yourself in need of inspiration anywhere in the writing process from developing the theme to stating the conclusion, an example is available in this book to help get your creative juices going again. Well done.
• Guberman does an excellent job of explaining the methodology and thought process behind legal writing. His simplification of such a foreign style of literature it impeccable and makes it accessible for everyone. The writing is not monotonous and maintains interest in the reader. As someone who is preparing to go to law school, I was intimidated by the form of writing that lawyers utilize. Guberman, however, gives the reader confidence. Overall, an amazing read!
• I'm an engineer and have done a lot of writing to sell my proposals and ideas. Many of us with technical backgrounds have great ideas but have trouble selling them simply because our writing is often not very persuasive. And if you can't be persuasive your ideas aren't worth anything. I've taken various technical writing seminars but this book is hands down the best tool I've come across for improving my writing. This book offers lots of help, and showed me how to write about the facts using more compelling and varied sentences. It's very practical, easy to read and offers great ideas for getting your point across. Unlike many "how to write" books, this one is enjoyable to read and educational, with a lot of stories about well-known legal disputes. It will definitely make you a better writer and enable you to sell your ideas more effectively.
• As advertised. Breaks down excerpts from the writings of well-known advocates to show tricks and techniques to that can make your writing easier to read and, ultimately, more persuasive.