Articles on
Get a broad overview of our articles by category.
Get a more granular view of our articles by tag.
A single day at the Supreme Court generated three perfect composite BriefCatch scores. What can the rest of us borrow or steal? From Justice Kagan, how to punch up your prose by starting a series of sentences with one-syllable words. From Justice Gorsuch, how to start your brief or opinion by juxtaposing what
In one of the greatest patent cases of all time, Apple v. Samsung, Apple won a stunning billion-dollar verdict. But did Apple prevail on the writing front as well? Let’s see how many points each party racked up in the opening paragraph of its respective trial brief. Apple’s Opening Paragraph Samsung
Justices Scalia and Kagan once joined forces on deer-hunting trips. They share the same gift for writing as well. In only a few years’ time, Kagan’s engaging yet biting opinions have astonished a once-skeptical Left—and have catapulted her to the top of the liberal bloc, if not the entire Court. How does
It’s a new school year, and the economy’s on the uptick! With change in the air, let’s try to solve three of the most common legal-writing mistakes. Mistake 1: The opening of the document is topical or circular, not substantive. What goes wrong. Although nearly all legal documents start with a
Ted Olson and David Boies, opponents of California’s Prop. 8 had some unlikely allies to thank. Although the two men famously faced off in Bush v. Gore, their differences don’t end there. Olson argued against allowing women into the Virginia Military Institute; Boies once represented filmmaker Michael Moore. Olson served
It’s hard to get lawyers and judges to agree on much these days, but here’s one exception: that Justice Elena Kagan is a terrific writer. Take her majority opinion in Allen v. Cooper. Kagan’s opening facts might already reel you in:
Craft a concise, effective, and persuasive introduction in little time by looking at your dispute through these four lenses: The Narrative Lens. Begin with a paragraph or two that covers what many attorneys never explain at all: who the parties are; when, where, and how the dispute arose; what question the dispute is over and why your client is in the right
Writing is vital to every part of your legal career. BriefCatch empowers you to stand out above the rest.