Sunday, October 20, 2013

Why are writing skills important to becoming an Attorney/Lawyer?

My favorite television show is Law & Order S.V.U and with that being said I want to become an Entertainment Attorney. Yes, I will be representing celebrities in areas of law such as Bankruptcy, Immigration, Criminal, Foreclosure and Real Estate. Becoming an Attorney is very challenging because writing skills are very important. Law schools across the globe place a great emphasis on developing the writing skills of students. The capacity to express thoughts, legal opinions and conclusions is a fundamental aspect of being a good lawyer.

Words are a lawyer’s tools, so in all aspects of a lawyer’s work, words are chosen cautiously. Whether drafting a legal document or simply writing a response to an inquiry, a lawyer has to write in a clear and concise manner. A lawyer’s writing can lead to an array of possible interpretations and, in law, this is undesirable. In court, a lawyer must debate with the opposition, often using pre-written material.

Aside from the preparation of courtroom speeches, writing skills are necessary in drafting legal documentation. An example of this would be a patent lawyer creating a patent for a client. She must write in such a way as to make sure there are no “errors” in the patent, as it would then be redundant. Writing skills also play a major role in the drafting of contracts. The words of a contract are legally binding, so people usually hire experienced lawyers to draft them. This is because experienced lawyers tend to have a very high standard of writing, so undesirable flaws can be avoided.


These are some of the reasons why writing is an Attorney’s best friend.

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