Friday, June 14, 2013

The Recorder on Appellate Brief Writing

Not to be outdone by the DJ -- which recently ran four articles on federal appellate practice in a single issue -- The Recorder today features has a six-article "Your Skills" bonanza on "Appellate Brief Writing":

* Appellate Writing Tips from the Bench, collecting wisdom from Chief Justice Cantil-Sakauye, Justice Pollak, and Judge Bea.

* Basics of a Sound Appeal (by Michael Reedy): Tell a compelling story; undestand the framework of the story; trim the fat and build the trust; think like an appellate lawyer.

* Appellate Brief Writing: Before, During and After (by Gary Watt): Before Writing: Chase all the rabbits; While writing: Always build trust; After writing: Edit, edit, then edit again.

* The Key to Persuasion is Credibility (by Charlie Bird).

* Writing a Brief -- Lessons from Literature (by Tami Fisher): Tell all the truth, but tell it slant; The elements of style.

* Four Keys to Gaining and Holding Credibility (by Stephen Larson, Jonathan Phillips, Karen Van Essen): Effective and credible briefs are essential.