Law Practice,
Judges and Judiciary,
Appellate Practice
Oct. 11, 2017
Legalish: let us abolish it when we can
You know these words, phrases and constructions that would never be found in writing outside the law. They're used to make things sound legal-like and official; perhaps to carry great persuasive weight. As Bryan Garner has said, these terms "make beginners feel as if they belong to a club."
Curtis E.A. Karnow
Judge (ret.)
San Francisco County Superior Court
Judge Karnow is author of "Litigation in Practice" (2017) and current co-author of Weil & Brown et al., "California Practice Guide: Civil Procedure Before Trial" (Rutter).
I could have been a judge, but I never had the Latin for the judgin'. I never had it, so I'd had it, as far as being a judge was concerned...
-- Peter Cook, "Sitting on the Bench" Beyond The Fringe (1961)
Recently I went through another edit of an article from a law review. They ...
For only $95 a month (the price of 2 article purchases)
Receive unlimited article access and full access to our archives,
Daily Appellate Report, award winning columns, and our
Verdicts and Settlements.
Or
$795 for an entire year!
Or access this article for $45
(Purchase provides 7-day access to this article. Printing, posting or downloading is not allowed.)
Already a subscriber?
Sign In