Welcome to the BriefCatch Content Library, a brand-new repository of insight and innovation for legal professionals, scholars, and enthusiasts. In this Library, we are excited to present a comprehensive collection of articles authored by the renowned legal writing expert, Ross Guberman.
The articles included in the BriefCatch Content Library span across an array of topics, including persuasive legal writing, strategic argument structure, and innovative rhetoric. These pieces are not just theoretical discussions, but practical guides that are infused with illustrative examples, tips, and tricks that have proven successful in practice. Every piece is a potential masterclass in legal writing.
Browse our articles below. Happy reading, learning, and growing with BriefCatch!
Article Categories
Get a broad overview of our articles by category.
Article Tags
Get a more granular view of our articles by tag.
Just Between You and Me
Looking to start a fight between two corporate attorneys? Ask whether an agreement is made between Tom, Dick, and Harry—or among Tom, Dick, and Harry. Many lawyers cling to junior-high grammar rules, which would dictate agreements between two parties and among three or more. Think metaphorically instead: Is…
Kagan’s Power of Examples
“Kagan May Be Dangerous,” wrote the Wall Street Journal’s “Best of the Web” early on in her tenure. More politics as usual? Not at all. The popular right-leaning blog meant “dangerous” as a grudging compliment to the left-leaning Justice, who…
Splitsville
Your seventh-grade English teacher told you never to split an infinitive: no adverb between “to” and a verb. Never mind that the Starship Enterprise sought to boldly go where no man had gone before: You, an ordinary kid, had to obey…
Stop Cutting “That”
When I ask my audiences which words or phrases they like to cut from their drafts, someone often mentions the word “that.” Not so fast, I suggest. I plucked the example below from the first pages of an Illinois Court…
Four Usage Fights
Lawyers love to quibble about everything. But of all the the potential topics to debate, grammar provides the best fodder for the persnickety legal practitioner. Here are four grammar topics certain to energize your next round of office icebreakers. 1….
Are “Indemnify” and “Hold Harmless” the Same?
Drafting reformers hate couplets. They say, for example, that “terms and conditions” means nothing more than “terms.” But can couplet aversion go too far? Take “indemnify” and “hold harmless.” Double trouble? Or a distinction with a difference? Double Trouble: At…
Avoid These Clichés Like the Plague
While a well-placed allusion can enliven your prose, the use of trite, uninspired clichés will detract from your message and distract your reader. Here are five clichés you should avoid like the plague. 1. An Apple a Day Example: “The…
Five Ways to Write Like Warren Buffett
Each year, the world awaits Warren Buffett’s letter to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders. Investment insights and macroeconomic musings? Check. But the letter also showcases Corporate American writing at its best. On BriefCatch, in fact, Buffett’s latest missive garners a staggering 100/100 in overall Reader Engagement and…
Five Ways to Write Like Then-Solicitor General Elena Kagan—United States v. Stevens
As the nation’s first female Solicitor General, current Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan has signed her name to several first-rate briefs. One of her best was in United States v. Stevens. The case began when Congress decided to ban the distribution of “crush…
Writing to Clients and the Public in the COVID-19 Era: Some Clarity Tips
So many are clamoring for guidance from lawyers right now. And so many lawyers are clamoring to be trusted advisors. Time pressure, high stakes, and ever-evolving rules make clear writing invaluable these days. But are we doing all we can? Let’s…