Most practicing attorneys would be thrilled if the judges before whom they appear would voluntarily provide tips on effective advocacy and writing. It would certainly remove a lot of the guess work.
Bryan A. Garner, Founding Editor of The Scribes Journal of Legal Writing, has taken it upon himself to do that leg work for those who don’t have time or access. He conducted over 200 interviews of federal and state court judges (including 8 Supreme Court Justices) as well as professional writers and law firm partners and has made videotapes of these interviews available at no charge. Please click here to view.
Thanks to www.thelaw.net for uploading the complete, 168 page transcript of these interviews. Click here to view the transcript.
Sample Excerpt:
“I think the biggest snoot on the Court used to be Harry Blackmun, and Harry and I joined forces to try to police the Court’s opinions [laughter]. On the current Court, I think probably David Souter is a snoot. Ruth is too polite to be a snoot, but she cares a lot about proper use of the mother tongue.” - Antonio Scalia
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Although I am a seasoned and licensed practitioner, I no longer actively engage in the practice of law and do not render legal advice to anyone. Nonetheless, I love the law and read various legal journals, blogs and books on a daily basis. I gladly share these resources with my clients, colleagues, CLE students as well as readers of my website and other social media outlets.