<p> WRITING TO WIN</p><p>By: Benjamin R. Norris</p><p>I. WHY WRITING MATTERS</p><p>1. We are professional writers </p><p>2. Legal writing is especially difficult </p><p>3. We (generally) have not been taught to write well </p><p>4. Writing is composition – and thinking </p><p>5. Communication 6. So there is a need for a writing process. . . . </p><p>II. THE FIRST DRAFT </p><p>1. The first challenge: getting going </p><p>2. How? Divide and conquer </p><p>3. Starting the first draft </p><p>4. What this accomplishes </p><p>2 III. THE SECOND DRAFT</p><p>1. OK, now what? </p><p>2. The first step to organizing – Create topics/arguments </p><p>3. Organize your topics/arguments </p><p>4. Organize within each topic/argument </p><p>5. You know you’re done with the second draft when . . . </p><p>3 IV. THE THIRD DRAFT</p><p>1. The purpose of the third draft </p><p>2. Consider your audience </p><p> a. Judges </p><p> b. Clients </p><p>3. The polishing process </p><p>4. Presenting the facts </p><p>4 5. Choosing your arguments </p><p>6. Words – the simpler the better </p><p>7. Sentences – the simpler the better </p><p>8. Paragraphs </p><p>9. Deal with each element of an argument or issue separately </p><p>10. Use careful, precise language </p><p>5 11. Watch your connecting words and phrases </p><p>12. Use a consistent and readable format </p><p>13. Make it a practice to perform "ruthless edits" </p><p>V. MOTIONS</p><p>1. The big picture </p><p>2. Preliminary Statement </p><p>6 3. The Argument section </p><p>4. The Conclusion </p><p>VI. PLEADINGS</p><p>1. Affirmative pleadings</p><p> a. Beginning the process </p><p> b. The format </p><p> c. Tell your client’s story </p><p>7 2. Responsive pleadings </p><p>VII. LEGAL MEMORANDA</p><p>1. Memo writing is particularly difficult </p><p>2. Beginning the process </p><p>3. Organizing your writing </p><p>VIII. CONCLUSION</p><p>5523118.1</p><p>8</p>