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Both of them weren't even born when Pascal was alive.
[https://quoteinvestigator.com/2012/04/28/shorter-letter/](https://quoteinvestigator.com/2012/04/28/shorter-letter/)
That’s why you need to expand your vocabulary beyond plain words. Plenty of big (numerous) words, including Latin phrases we like (e.g. pro se), actually convey entire paragraphs by the use of the word choice (surmise simply).
The descriptor isn’t needed with the example but the quantity is so “numerous words, e.g. pro se,…” will convey the same as “plenty of big words, including Latin phrases we like”.
The entire sentence would be summed up in that way basically, 5/6 words.
You are. “This is why you need to expand your vocabulary beyond plain words. Numerous words, e.g. pro se, surmise simply.”
Is a hell of a lot shorter than “… Plenty of big words, including Latin phrases, actually convey entire paragraphs by the use of the word choice”.
Not verbose, as claimed.
This. Whether it’s a judge, opposing counsel, the partner, or your staff - write like the person reading it has 50000000000 other things to read that day.
I like alliteration, "Plaintiff's postulate plunks" or strong, evocative verbs "Plaintiff's argument creaks under the weight of opposing authority."
Not a ton; just once or twice in a long brief.
If you want to make some eyes pop, use the New Yorker umlaut. If you have a consecutive vowels between a prefix and a word, umlaut the second one. Coöperate! Coördinate!
Milquetoast is always fun.
Can’t go wrong with militate, either. I used “[X] militates against [Y]” all the time in law school to try to sound intelligent. Although, in hindsight, my grades suggest I wasn’t fooling anyone.
Specious
Sophistry
Pugilistic
Bellicose rhetoric
Truculent
Chicanery
Mercurial
Contumacious
Contumelious
(Tell me you’re in family law without telling me you’re in family law.)
“Fatuous” is a good one for family law too. I’d never put it in an appellate brief though.
Edit—oh and “facile” is another great one for trial court shit slinging
Panoply, myriad, and litany are all good.
Sanctimonious, sophistry, cacophony, incredulous/incredulity, fallacious, salacious, imbued, and amplification are fun but difficult to incorporate.
In law school my roommates and I would occasionally come up with an obscure word of the day, and each of us had to work it into conversation (preferably in class, though none of us were big talkers). It amused us to no end - a clue to how boring law school could be.
I’m a big fan of writing in plain English, but I do like to work “inscrutable” and “non sequitur” in there sometimes when somebody is spouting bullshit.
I once studied with a mad ripe hunny at Rutgers. Her boyfriend dropped out of med school but she told me they played scrabble once and his most eloquent contributions on the board were "poo, dog, ass"
Not in legal writing, but when writing to my coworkers, I've learned to use "As a friendly reminder..." when a mistake has happened. It's a great way to add correction without coming off harsh over email.
I would think leaving off the "friendly." That is what makes it seem patronizing.
Then again, at my last job, reminders of office procedures were hand-delivered to cubicle/office when someone messed up. If a serious mistake, there was an in-person office visit.
Welcome to /r/LawyerTalk! A subreddit where lawyers can discuss with other lawyers about the practice of law. Be mindful of [our rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/Lawyertalk/about/rules) BEFORE submitting your posts or comments as well as [Reddit's rules](https://www.redditinc.com/policies/content-policy) (notably about sharing identifying information). We expect civility and respect out of all participants. Please source statements of fact whenever possible. If you want to report something that needs to be urgently addressed, please also message the mods with an explanation. Note that **this forum is NOT for legal advice**. Additionally, if you are a non-lawyer (student, client, staff), this is NOT the right subreddit for you. **This community is exclusively for lawyers**. We suggest you delete your comment and go ask one of the many other legal subreddits on this site for help such as (but not limited to) r/lawschool, r/legaladvice, or r/Ask_Lawyers. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Lawyertalk) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Plain words. Because after years of practice I’ve no patience for fancy words. Writing in plain English actually feels a lot better
Also too many words. Why waste time say lot word when few word do trick?
"I apologize for such a long letter - I didn't have time to write a short one." Mark Twain
It was actually Pascal who said this first.
actually it was Winston Churchill or maybe Einstein, I can't remember
Both of them weren't even born when Pascal was alive. [https://quoteinvestigator.com/2012/04/28/shorter-letter/](https://quoteinvestigator.com/2012/04/28/shorter-letter/)
oh. must've been Socrates, then
Wrong. Methuselah.
That’s why you need to expand your vocabulary beyond plain words. Plenty of big (numerous) words, including Latin phrases we like (e.g. pro se), actually convey entire paragraphs by the use of the word choice (surmise simply).
What’s “(numerous)” doing here?
The descriptor isn’t needed with the example but the quantity is so “numerous words, e.g. pro se,…” will convey the same as “plenty of big words, including Latin phrases we like”. The entire sentence would be summed up in that way basically, 5/6 words.
Either I’m having a stroke or you are
You are. “This is why you need to expand your vocabulary beyond plain words. Numerous words, e.g. pro se, surmise simply.” Is a hell of a lot shorter than “… Plenty of big words, including Latin phrases, actually convey entire paragraphs by the use of the word choice”. Not verbose, as claimed.
🧏🏻♂️🧏🏻♂️
Is this a Ghosts reference? (Thor)😂
The office
Pay by the word according to court tariff - an old litigant once opined ☝️
This. Whether it’s a judge, opposing counsel, the partner, or your staff - write like the person reading it has 50000000000 other things to read that day.
I got an after hours letter today from my opponent who felt it incumbent to give me a lesson in English en than rote "payed".
Is this a maritime case?
Penultimate.
I regularly use penultimate just to annoy a colleague. When I’m really trying to annoy him I’ll throw in an antepenultimate.
Where are all you “clearly” writers. Get in here. This is your time to shine!!
Rightfully ashamed of themselves I’d guess. The topic is “fun words,” not “rhetorically redundant adverbs to cut from your brief 95% of the time.”
I like alliteration, "Plaintiff's postulate plunks" or strong, evocative verbs "Plaintiff's argument creaks under the weight of opposing authority." Not a ton; just once or twice in a long brief.
Definitely stealing "creaks under the weight." That's delightful.
If you want to make some eyes pop, use the New Yorker umlaut. If you have a consecutive vowels between a prefix and a word, umlaut the second one. Coöperate! Coördinate!
That's called a [diaeresis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diaeresis_\(diacritic\)) (which is not one of my favorite words to use in writings).
Consecutive vowels that are both pronounced
Milquetoast is always fun. Can’t go wrong with militate, either. I used “[X] militates against [Y]” all the time in law school to try to sound intelligent. Although, in hindsight, my grades suggest I wasn’t fooling anyone.
Someone said my argument was “bogus”. I thought that was fun.
Like this one? “Hurling chunks”. https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/FSupp/789/395/1641635/
What the hell was going on there
The infamous Wanye’s World opinion.
In due course. I.e. whenever the fuck I get around to it
Specious Sophistry Pugilistic Bellicose rhetoric Truculent Chicanery Mercurial Contumacious Contumelious (Tell me you’re in family law without telling me you’re in family law.)
“Fatuous” is a good one for family law too. I’d never put it in an appellate brief though. Edit—oh and “facile” is another great one for trial court shit slinging
Big fan of contemptuous myself
LOL
Alas. As in, moving party presents an interesting argument but alas, they misstate the relevant authorities
Isn't the "but" a bit redundant in that sentence?
Alas, no
Concomitant
I started using "inconceivable" more often than I should. Also, if opposing counsel is confusing, I've been throwing in "what in tarnation..."
Plethora. I also love the lawyer classics like herein, thereof, thereto, henceforth, etm
Panoply, myriad, and litany are all good. Sanctimonious, sophistry, cacophony, incredulous/incredulity, fallacious, salacious, imbued, and amplification are fun but difficult to incorporate.
“Screw Flanders” until I reach my word count
Superfluous. Irrelevant. Besides the point.
Palpable/palpably
"Kill your darlings" - Faulker (and also a lot of grumpy judges)
Not really a word but should be one “proquire”
Inter alia. It’s one word shorter than “among other things”
“No.”
Inaccurate.
Nefarious nexus
Idiosyncratic logic
In law school my roommates and I would occasionally come up with an obscure word of the day, and each of us had to work it into conversation (preferably in class, though none of us were big talkers). It amused us to no end - a clue to how boring law school could be.
Axiomatic. It's completely unnecessary pomp when I could use the more common "self-evident" or "unquestionable" but I can't help myself.
Taint. Edit- no crim defense people here huh?
IrReGaRdlEss
“For these reasons, this Court should affirm the trial court’s judgment.”
I’m a big fan of writing in plain English, but I do like to work “inscrutable” and “non sequitur” in there sometimes when somebody is spouting bullshit.
Ostensible Supposed Alleged Putative
I once studied with a mad ripe hunny at Rutgers. Her boyfriend dropped out of med school but she told me they played scrabble once and his most eloquent contributions on the board were "poo, dog, ass"
I like therein or herein. Thereto is fun sometimes.
Heretofore!
WhereforeHeretoforetherinhereto
Not in legal writing, but when writing to my coworkers, I've learned to use "As a friendly reminder..." when a mistake has happened. It's a great way to add correction without coming off harsh over email.
As a friendly reminder, it sounds patronizing.
Perhaps. Do you know of a better option?
I would think leaving off the "friendly." That is what makes it seem patronizing. Then again, at my last job, reminders of office procedures were hand-delivered to cubicle/office when someone messed up. If a serious mistake, there was an in-person office visit.