Rhetoric for Legal Writers: The Theory and Practice of Analysis and Persuasion (Coursebook)

This new book is intended for use by writing professors who want to inject more substance into their first-year legal research and writing course, as well as advanced legal writing students and upper-class students taking a seminar on rhetoric. The book is divided into two main sections: The first section examines rhetorical theory and its impact on legal argument from the time of ancient Greece to date. The second section, organized by the canons of classical rhetoric, discusses practical applications of rhetorical theory to the specific task of learning to think and write like a lawyer in the twenty-first century. By fusing theory and practice, a legal writer acquires depth—the ability to analyze an issue effectively using all available resources—as well as breadth—the ability to transfer her talent from one context to another. Each chapter includes questions for consideration by the students as well as samples exercises and suggested answers.