As many students have memos or research papers due in the coming weeks, this installment of the new book series focuses on a text meant to help you elevate the appearance of your writing.
Typography for Lawyers
By Matthew Butterick
Law Treatises Z246 .B98 2010
Typography is the visual component of the written word. In Typography for Lawyers, Matthew Butterick explains that typography is important because it helps conserve the most valuable resource you have as a writer — reader attention. An ugly document does not entice a reader to continue through it. Butterick clearly lays out in ensuing chapters how you can make your legal writing stronger by utilizing typography, with the tools you already have. He addresses type composition, text formatting, line length, point size, font choice, headings, and page layout. He also provides a number of sample documents for examples of good and bad typography.
Butterick’s book will help you make your writing stand out from that of your classmates. After following Butterick’s guidelines, your memo or research paper will be more professional looking and aesthetically pleasing. Be sure to also check out www.typographyforlawyers.com, the companion website to this book.
