Chapter 1: What you need to know before you start writing
1.1 Introduction
In law school you will be asked to write various kinds of documents, including legal advice, academic essays, legislative provisions, law reform submissions, ministerial briefings, legal documents (such as contracts and wills), and so on. Each will require a different approach and you may find yourself overwhelmed by the different tasks, but if you follow the advice in this guide, you will soon get the hang of what you need to do. In any event, and regardless of what you have been asked to write, if you ask yourself these four very important foundational questions about your writing task before you start, your task will be much more manageable:
- Who am I, as the author of this document?
- Who is my audience?
- What is my purpose in writing this document?
- What am I writing about?
The more clearly you understand your role, audience, purpose and subject matter, and how they interrelate, the better you will understand your task. This will in turn help you choose the most appropriate forms of language. Note that there is not just one form of legal writing. Different tasks can involve different styles of writing. In all tasks, however, it is crucial to write clearly and effectively.
This chapter will cover:
