JS Tip 602: Clear Writing and the Law

Our nation is choosing a new Supreme Court Justice.

Our friend Darrell Harmon sent us an article about judges, lawyers, the law, and writing: 

On 4 March 2004, the New York Times published a story about a federal judge in Philadelphia who reduced a lawyer’s request for fees because his papers were filled with typographical errors. “If these mistakes were purposeful,” Magistrate Judge Jacob P. Hart ruled, “they would be brilliant.”

Typos were not the only problem. The lawyer’s filings, the judge wrote, were “vague, ambiguous, unintelligible, verbose and repetitive . . . . Mr. Puricelli’s complete lack of care in his written product shows disrespect for the court . . . . Mr. Puricelli’s lack of care caused the court and, I am sure, defense counsel, to spend an inordinate amount of time deciphering the arguments.”

The judge credited the attorney for the successful conduct of the plaintiff’s case. However, he reduced the lawyer’s writing fees from $300 to $150 an hour, reducing his total fee by $31,000.

Clarity means honesty.

Honesty means clarity. 

We love this stuff. 

Thank you, Darrell.