The Legal Writer by Judge Mark Painter—a review

This is a fantastic book. I was an editor for more than 13 years when I decided to go back to school for paralegal. This was one of the textbooks for my Legal Research and Writing 2 class. Judge Painter shows in common-sense ways how to be an effective writer. You would never know this is a legal writing book. It reads like The Elements of Style by Strunk & White. The only part I would take issue with is Rule 39: Use the Possessive Before Gerunds. Frankly, if you have a construction in which you need a possessive before a gerund, I think you need to recast your sentence. "His following the man did not help prove his innocence" sounds affected. Better: "Following the man did not help prove his innocence." Aside from that, I think every lawyer, judge, and paralegal should take Judge Painters 40 rules to heart. It will definitely make you a better writer because you well be understandable. And that is always the goal of writing.