写作练习legalwritinginplainenglish.docx
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写作练习legalwritinginplainenglish
ExercisesfromLegalWriting
inPlainEnglish
byBryanA.Garner
Copyright2001,BryanA.Garner
PublishedbytheUniversityofChicagoPress(www.press.uchicago.edu)
Section1.Havesomethingtosay--andthinkitthrough.
Exercises
Beginthefollowingexercisesbylookingupthecasescited.Thenwriteacasenoteforeachone--
thatis,ashortcasesynopsisthatfollowsastandardform:
(1)casenameandcitation;
(2)brief
facts;(3)questionfordecision;(4)holding;(5)reasoning.Yourfinishedproductshouldfitona
five-by-seven-inchindexcard(frontandback).Theexercisesareincreasinglychallengingfor
eitherorbothoftworeasons:
first,theincreasingcomplexityofthelegalprinciplesinvolved;and
second,theincreasingdifficultyofthelanguageusedintheopinions.Whenyou'refinished,have
afriendassesshoweasyitistounderstandwhatyou'vewritten.
Here'sanexampleofacasenote:
Case:
Hendersonv.FordMotorCo.,519S.W.2d87(Tex.1974).
Facts:
Whiledrivingincitytraffic,Hendersonfoundthat,despiterepeatedattempts,shecouldn't
brake.Toavoidinjuringanyone,sheranintoapole.Aninvestigatorlaterfoundthatpartofa
rubbergasketfromtheairfilterhadgottenintothecarburetor.HendersonsuedFordon
varioustheories,includingdefectivedesign.Herexpertwitnessdidn'tcriticizethedesignof
thegasket,carburetor,orairfilter,butdidsaythatthepositioningofthepartsmighthavebeen
better.Noonetestifiedthattheair-filterhousingwasunreasonablydangerousfromthetimeof
installation.Yetthejurydeterminedthattheair-filterhousingwasdefectiveandthatthis
defecthadcausedHenderson'sdamage.
Question:
Theexpertwitnessdidn'ttestifythatthedesignwasunreasonablydangerous--onlythat
itcouldbeimprovedon.Isthistestimonysufficienttosupportajuryfindingthataproduct's
designisunreasonablydangerous?
Holding:
Mereevidencethatadesigncouldbemadebetter--withoutevidencethatthedesignitself
wasunreasonablydangerous--isinsufficienttoimposeliabilityonamanufacturer.
Reasoning:
Apersonsuingonadesigndefectmustprovidesomeevidencethatthedesignofthe
productmadeitunreasonablydangerous.Specifically,theevidencemustshowthataprudent
manufacturerwhowasknowledgeableabouttheriskswouldnothaveplacedtheparticular
productinthestreamofcommerce.Merespeculationthataproductmightbeimprovedon
doesnotconstituteevidenceofadesigndefect.Amanufacturerisnotrequiredtodesignthe
bestproductscientificallypossible.
Basic
WriteacasenoteforSerrano-Moranv.Grau-Gaztambide,195F.3d68(1stCir.1999).Ifyoubelongtoa
writinggrouporclass,bringacopyofyourcasenoteforeachcolleague.
Intermediate
WriteacasenoteforFloudiotisv.State,726A.2d1196(Del.1999).Ifyoubelongtoawritinggroupor
class,bringacopyofyourcasenoteforeachcolleague.
Advanced
WriteacasenoteforAtlasFoodSystems&Services,Inc.v.CraneNationalVendors,Inc.,99F.3d587
(4thCir.1996).Ifyoubelongtoawritinggrouporclass,bringacopyofyourcasenoteforeach
colleague.
Section2.Formaximalefficiency,planyourwritingprojects.Trynonlinearoutlining.
Exercises
Basic
Whileplanningandresearchingalegalmemo,filloutawhirlybird.(You'rereadytobeginonceyou
knowenoughabouttheproblemtohaveanideaortwo.)Useunruledpaper.Takeyourtime.Fillas
manymajorandminorbranchesasyoucan,andfeelfreetoaddmorebranches.Then,whenthepaper
startsgettingfull--andonlythen--createalinearoutlineusingbullets.Rememberthatyou'reworking
onthebasicunitoforganization:
onceyouhavethat,you'llorganizefurtheraccordingtoissuesand
answers.
Intermediate
Dothesamewithatrialorappellatebrief.
Advanced
Dothesamewithajournalarticleorcontinuing-legal-educationpaper.Forthisone,youmightneeda
largesheetofbutcherpaper.
Section3.Orderyourmaterialinalogicalsequence.Usechronologywhenpresentingfacts.Keeprelated
materialtogether.
Exercises
Basic
Improvethesequenceofideasinthefollowingsentence.Startlikethis:
"InMarch2000,Gilbert
SpauldingappliedtotheWorkforceCommissionforextendedunemploymentbenefits."Thenuseoneor
twoextrasentences.
*ThelowercourtdidnoterrbyaffirmingtheWorkforceCommission'sdenialof
Spaulding'srequestforextendedunemploymentbenefits,sincethosebenefitswerenotavailable
duringtheperiodforwhichhesoughteligibility.
Improvethesequenceandphrasingofideasinthesesentences,perhapsbybreakingthemintoseparate
sentences:
*Thestatesupremecourtreversedtheintermediateappellatecourt'saffirmanceofa
summaryjudgmentgrantedtoPilsenCorporation,theplaintiff,whichhadonlyrequestedapartial
summaryjudgmentonthediscreteissueoffraud.
*TheissueiswhetherDavisEnergyhasgranteditsneighborsaneasementtouseaprivateroadthat
entersaDavisfuel-storageyard,whenforthreeyearsDavishashadaguardattheroad'sentrance
buthaspostednoothernoticeaboutprivatepropertyorpermissiontoenter,andforsevenyearsthe
ownersofadjacentpropertyhaveusedtheroadtoreachtheirownproperty.
*ThePlaintiffLosAngelesDodgers,acorporationwithofficesanditsprincipalofficeinLos
Angeles,California,istheownerofaprofessionalbaseballteamthat,since1958,hasplayed
baseballinLosAngeles,California,andbefore1958playedbaseballinBrooklyn,NewYork,under
thename"theBrooklynDodgers,"butinthatyearmovedthesiteofitshomegamesfromBrooklyn
toLosAngeles.
Intermediate
Rewritethefollowingpassagestoreassembletheelementsinchronologicalorder.Again,youmightneed
tobreakoneormoresentencesintoseparatesentences.
*ThisactionaroseoutofarequestbyPan-Americantocancelitssuretybondpostedwith
theLandReclamationCommissiontoensurereclamationonaportionofthePrelanciaFuelsmine
site.TheCommissionfiledapetitionfordeclaratoryjudgmentandapplicationforatemporary
restrainingorderandpreliminaryinjunctiononFebruary16,1996,todeterminewhetherPan-
Americancouldlawfullycancelitssuretybond.Pan-Americanmadeitsrequestafterlegislationhad
beenpassedthat,accordingtoPan-American,wouldincreaseitsliabilityunderthebonds.Thetrial
judgedisagreedwithPan-American.AttherequestoftheCommission,afterabriefevidentiary
hearing,atemporaryrestrainingorderandpreliminaryinjunctionweregrantedonFebruary16,
1996,preventingPan-Americanfromcancelingthebondatissueuntilfinaljudgmentonthe
declaratory-judgmentaction.
*InSinclair,thecourtawardedthenieceofSinclairaconstructivetrust.Sinclair'sniecewassuing
Purdy'sestateforone-halfinterestinpropertythatsheclaimedheruncleownedandhadpromised
tobequeathtoherinexchangeforcaringforhimuntilhisdeath.Thecourtobservedthatthe
propertywaspurchasedinhissister'sname.Thiswasdoneforbusinesspurposesandbecausehe
andhissistersharedacloserelationship.Therewasalsoanagreementbetweenthesiblingsthatthe
sisterwouldbeallowedtokeeponlyhalftheproperty.Thecourtruledthatwithholdingtheproperty
fromtheniecewouldbeabreachofpromise;hence,aconstructivetrustwasawardedinfavorof
theniece.
*KathcartfiledtheinstantpatentapplicationonApril11,2000,morethanoneyearafterhefiled
counterpartapplicationsinGreeceandSpainonNovember21,1998.Kathcartinitiallyfiledan
applicationintheU.S.onNovember22,1997,claimingmostofthesamecompoundsasintheinstant
application.Whenhefiledabroad,however,in1998,heexpandedhisclaimstoincludecertainester
derivativesoftheoriginallyclaimedcompounds.Itistheclaimstotheseesters,whichKathcarthasmade
thesubjectofasubsequentcontinuation-in-partapplication,theapplicationnowbeforethecourt,thatare
theissuehere.BothforeignpatentsissuedpriortotheinstantapplicationintheU.S.,theGreekpatenton
October2,1999,andtheSpanishpatentonJanuary21,1985.
Advanced
Findapublishedcaseinwhichthepresentationofthefactsismarredbydisruptionsinchronology.Write
ashortexplanationspecifyingwhytheunchronologicalnarrativewasdifficultforyoutoread.Rewrite
thefactualstatementasbestyoucan,omittingirrelevantfactsandputtinginbracketsanyfactsyoumight
wanttoadd(butweren'tgiveninthecaseitself).Ifyoubelongtoawritinggrouporclass,bringacopyof
yourbefore-and-afterversionsforeachcolleague.
Section4.Dividethedocumentintosections,anddividesectionsintosmallerpartsasneeded.Use
informativeheadingsforthesectionsandsubsections.
Exercises
Basic
Findapre-1950law-reviewarticleortreatisewithlongstretchesoftextuninterruptedbyheadings.
Deviseappropriateheadings.If,asaresultofthisexercise,youfindthattheorganizationispoor,notethe
organizationaldeficiencies.Ifyou'reamemberofawritinggrouporclass,bringacopyoftherelevant
pagesandbepreparedtoexplainwhereyourheadingswouldgoandtodiscussanyorganizational
problemsyouuncovered.
Intermediate
Inastateadministrativecode,findaregulationhavingatleastthreesectionswithheadingsthatdon't
adequatelydescribethesections'contents.Devisebetterheadings.Ifyou'reamemberofawritinggroup
orclass,bepreparedtoexplainwhyyoureditswouldimprovetheregulation.
Advanced
Findaproxystatementorprospectuswithlongstretchesofuninterrupt
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