Legal Writing, Briefly.

Good legal writing isn’t about sounding smart. It’s about being clear. At Briefly Written, I break down strategies that help you cut through the jargon, organize your arguments, and say exactly what you mean—whether you’re drafting a memo, polishing a brief, or writing your very first law school outline.

Here, you’ll find videos on core legal writing skills—how to tighten your sentences, structure analysis, and make your writing work harder for you. For even more, you can follow along on my social media pages where I share weekly quick tips and examples from practice.

If you’re in law school or about to begin, I also created resources designed specifically for you:

  • Surviving 1L: The Insider Playbook — a 40-page crash course that walks you through the toughest year of law school. (Available as a digital guide.)

  • Lawyer Up: Intern Edition (The Cheat Sheet for Crushing Your Summer Internship) — a free guide to thriving in your first legal job and making a lasting impression.

  • Plus: quick, digestible series like Surviving 1L: 30 Tips in 30 Days and If I Could Do My Summer Associate Job All Over Again and The Insider Playbook Add-Ons with advanced tips for outlines, cold calls, and memos.

You’ll find both free and paid resources on my Resources Page , but I wanted to highlight them here too—because learning to write well in law school sets the foundation for everything that comes after.

Your words are your reputation in this profession. The sooner you learn to write less and say more, the stronger your reputation will be.

Activate the Active Voice.

Who did what to whom? If your sentence doesn’t make that clear, you might be in the passive voice.

  • Make the subject do the action.

  • Don’t let your verbs play hide-and-seek.

Want your writing to be clear, direct, and powerful? Use the active voice.

Using Analogies in Legal Writing.

Analogies aren’t fluff. They’re legal power tools.

When you compare an abstract issue to something relatable, you make your argument memorable. If your reader gets your analogy, they’re more likely to get your case.

Legal arguments shouldn’t feel like a riddle. Want to make yours land? Use analogies.

Legal Writing Fundamentals

Surviving 1L Series

Day 14: Don’t Burn Out in the First Two Weeks.

You can’t win 1L in the first two weeks, but you can lose it by overextending. It’s easy to go all-in the first two weeks and crash. Instead, build sustainable habits.

Plan for 14 weeks, not just the first two. Your grades, your sanity, and your health will all benefit. This is a marathon. The smartest students pace themselves.

Day 6: Build Your Hypo Bank Early.

Collect practice problems for each topic as you go. When exam season hits, you’ll have a ready-made test prep library.

Insider Tip: Keep a digital doc organized by topic so you can drill exactly what you need before an exam.

Summer Associate Series

Tip #11: Leave like You’re Already on the Team

It sends a message. You’re ready.

Your last week isn’t just about wrapping up. It’s about showing them what it would be like to work with you full-time.

Tip # 4: Keep a “How to be Helpful” List

Every time you hear:

  • “I hate formatting these.”

  • “This should really be a chart.”

  • “I wish someone could summarize this.”

Write it down. Then volunteer for it next time. You’ll look proactive, thoughtful, and easy to work with.

That’s how you go from “extra help” to essential. Check out more of these tips on @briefly.written across social media.