Part 4 of 7—Read the best books

If you’re really serious about improving, you’ll have to do more than consult references. You’ll have to study the principles of good writing and good legal writing. But how, when you’re busy?

Set a goal to read one book on writing every year. One per year. You can do that, right?

There are lots of good books on legal writing out there, and here are some I like:

• Lifting the Fog of Legalese, by Joseph Kimble
• The Lawyer’s Guide to Writing Well, by Tom Goldstein & Jethro K. Lieberman
• Legal Writing: Sense and Nonsense, by David Mellinkoff
• The Elements of Legal Style, by Bryan A. Garner
• Writing with Style, by John R. Trimble

These books are great sources of legal-writing knowledge, and they’re also well written. That’s why:

Reading the best books teaches you writing and exposes you to good writing.

Next: Practice what you learn