Top 10 Legal Writing Tips for Lawyers
Legal writing is the backbone of effective law practice. It shapes client communication, influences case outcomes, and even impacts your firm’s online visibility. Strong legal writing can also boost your site’s SEO, driving traffic and engagement (see Perfoptim’s Legal SEO Services).
In this post, we discuss Legal Writing Tips for lawyers, from clarity to web optimization.
1. Keep Your Purpose in Mind
Every piece of legal writing serves a specific goal, and identifying it upfront shapes your approach. Are you drafting a contract to safeguard all parties, persuading a judge in litigation, or educating clients about recent legal changes? Perhaps you’re building a content library to improve SEO or establishing authority in a niche. Defining your purpose sets the tone, structure, and content.
For example, a client newsletter demands a conversational style, while a legal brief requires precision and formality. Write your purpose at the top of your draft and revisit it regularly to maintain focus.
This practice prevents tangents and ensures every word aligns with your objective. By anchoring your writing to its purpose, you create concise, impactful documents that resonate with readers and achieve intended outcomes.
Staying purpose-driven also streamlines decision-making. If your goal is to update clients on new regulations, avoid delving into unrelated case law. If persuading peers, emphasize compelling arguments over excessive detail.
This clarity enhances efficiency, saving time in drafting and editing. A purpose-focused approach also strengthens your credibility, as readers appreciate content that respects their needs and expectations.
Also read: Content Marketing for Law Firms
2. Focus on Your Audience
Understanding your audience is critical to effective legal writing. A judge or fellow attorney expects technical precision and formal tone, while clients or the public need accessible, jargon-free explanations. Tailoring your style ensures your message lands.
For legal professionals, use precise terms like “res ipsa loquitur” confidently, but for laypersons, explain concepts in everyday language, such as “the thing speaks for itself.” Emails, newsletters, and blog posts should prioritize clarity, using relatable examples and minimal complexity.
Consider your audience’s knowledge level and context. A client reading a contract may feel overwhelmed by dense legalese, so simplify where possible without sacrificing accuracy. Conversely, a regulatory filing demands meticulous detail to satisfy expert scrutiny. By anticipating your reader’s perspective, you build trust and engagement.
For public-facing content, such as website blogs, assume a general audience and avoid insider jargon. This audience-centric approach not only improves comprehension but also enhances your firm’s reputation as approachable and client-focused.
Also read: Top 15 Legal Marketing Strategies to Grow Your Law Firm
3. Research Thoroughly
Accuracy is paramount in legal writing, particularly for content subject to Google’s “Your Money, Your Life” standards, which prioritise trustworthiness in high-stakes fields like law. Errors undermine credibility and can harm SEO rankings.
Just as you’d verify case law or statutes, double-check facts, dates, and references in all writing, from blog posts to briefs. At Perfoptim, our content undergoes rigorous review by legal professionals to ensure precision and reliability.
Thorough research also strengthens your arguments. When drafting persuasive filings, cite authoritative sources and anticipate counterarguments. For client communications, verify details like deadlines or regulatory changes to avoid confusion. Use reputable databases, such as Westlaw or LexisNexis, and cross-reference web sources for accuracy.
This diligence not only bolsters your work’s quality but also protects your professional reputation. Accurate, well-researched writing inspires confidence and positions you as a trusted authority.
Also read: The Best AI Tools for Lawyers
4. Start with an Outline
An outline is a roadmap for clear, organized writing. Facing a blank page can be daunting, but sketching a structure first simplifies the process. Begin by jotting down your main topic, purpose, and key points.
For a blog post, include an introduction, background, and subheadings for each tip. For a legal brief, outline your argument, supporting evidence, and conclusion. This framework ensures comprehensive coverage and logical flow.
Outlines also enhance readability. Break complex topics into digestible sections, guiding readers smoothly through your content.
For example, a contract outline might include parties, terms, obligations, and remedies, making drafting and review easier. Outlining saves time by highlighting gaps in research or logic early, allowing you to refine before drafting.
It also keeps your writing focused, preventing irrelevant tangents that could dilute your message. A strong outline is the backbone, transforming ideas into polished, navigable documents.
Also read: 5 Best Answering Service for Lawyers
5. Just Get Started
Overthinking can stall writing. To break through, start with a rough draft, accepting that it won’t be perfect. Begin by listing facts, case details, or key arguments, even worrying about structure or tone.
If a section feels overwhelming, skip it and write another part first—tackle the conclusion before the introduction if inspiration strikes. The goal is momentum; a messy draft is progress.
This approach reduces pressure, letting ideas flow naturally. For example, in a client letter, jot down the client’s issue, relevant facts, and your advice, then refine later. Don’t agonize over transitions or word choice initially—just get words on the page.
Writing out of order can also help; drafting a compelling fact section might spark ideas for a strong opening. A rough draft is a foundation to build upon, paving the way for focused editing and a polished final product.
Also read: Boost Law Firm Website Traffic Without a Big Budget
6. Write from the Top Down
Organize your writing to prioritize key points for maximum clarity. Start each section with a thesis or main idea, followed by supporting details. This “inverted pyramid” style, borrowed from journalism, ensures readers grasp your core message immediately.
For example, in a brief, lead with your argument—“The defendant breached the contract”—then provide evidence and analysis. Within paragraphs, begin with a claim, then elaborate with facts or citations.
This structure enhances skimmability, especially for busy readers like judges or clients. It also improves comprehension, as the main point sets context for supporting details.
For blog posts, open each section with a clear takeaway, such as “Outlines improve organization,” then explain why. By front-loading critical information, you cater to readers who skim while maintaining depth for those who read closely. This approach keeps your writing focused and persuasive.
7. Prioritize Clarity
Clear writing is persuasive writing. Avoid verbosity and complexity that obscure meaning. Use active voice for directness: “The lawyer filed a motion” over “A motion was filed by the lawyer.”
Embrace the Oxford comma for precision: “Meetings, calls, and filings.” Choose specific, concrete words—“negotiated” instead of “handled.” Avoid double negatives, such as “We didn’t fail to act” (use “We acted”). Maintain consistent tenses and use “they” as a singular, gender-neutral pronoun for inclusivity. Replace jargon like “aforementioned” with plain English “earlier mentioned.”
Clarity also means concise sentences and varied sentence lengths. Break long sentences to improve flow, and avoid vague adjectives like “very” or “significantly.” These practices ensure your writing is accessible and engaging, whether drafting a contract or a blog post for clients.
Also read: Fix Slow Website Speed for Lawyers in 2025
8. Use Jargon Sparingly
Jargon alienates non-lawyers, eroding trust and clarity. With clients or the public, avoid or explain terms like “estoppel” or “voir dire.” Instead, use plain language: “stopping someone from denying a fact” or or “jury selection.”
Accessible writing builds confidence, encouraging clients to engage with your services. Even with legal professionals, use technical terms only when necessary to maintain precision.
For public-facing content, such as blogs or newsletters, prioritize relatability. Explain concepts with analogies or examples, and define any unavoidable legalese in context.
This approach not only improves understanding but also enhances your firm’s approachability, fostering stronger client relationships with clients and boosting engagement.
9. Edit Your Work
Editing transforms a rough draft into a professional document. Start by addressing common grammar pitfalls: avoid commas splices (e.g., “It’s a contract, it’s binding” becomes “It’s a binding contract”).
Ensure sentences are complete, avoiding fragments like “Because the case settled.” Restrict capitalization to proper nouns and maintain consistent number styles (e.g., “two” vs. “2”). Watch for homophones like “their” vs. “they’re.”
Use editing tools like Grammarly for typos and style suggestions or Hemingway Editor to simplify complex sentences, aiming for ~9th-grade readability. Reading aloud catches awkward phrasing and unnatural tone, revealing errors missed on the page.
Multiple editing passes—first for content, then grammar, then tone—ensure polish. Thorough editing elevates credibility and impact.
Also read: 5 Reasons Your Law Firm Website Isn’t Generating Leads
10. Read Others’ Work
Great legal writers learn by example. Study top legal blogs, newsletters, and briefs to absorb effective techniques. Note how authors structure arguments, simplify complex laws, or adopt persuasive tones. For instance, SCOTUSblog’s clear case summaries balance depth and accessibility, while Above the Law’s wit engages readers. Analyze their transitions, hooks, and audience engagement strategies.
Regular reading also sharpens your instincts for tone and style. Subscribe to legal publications or follow thought leaders on platforms like X to stay inspired. By emulating strong writers, you refine your voice and stay current, crafting compelling content that stands out in a competitive field.
These ten tips—keeping purpose and audience in mind, researching diligently, outlining, drafting freely, structuring top-down, prioritizing clarity, minimizing jargon, editing rigorously, and learning from others—empower you to produce legal writing that informs, persuades, and engages effectively.
