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Clear and Convincing: Modern Legal Writing, First Edition

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Authors
  • David H. Spratt
  • Heather Ridenour
Series / Aspen Coursebook Series
BOOKMARK
Book length
630 pages
Publication Date
2026-02-18
Edition
First Edition
Description
Table of contents
Preface

Buy a new version of this textbook and receive access to the Connected eBook with Study Center on Casebook Connect, including academic lifetime access to the online ebook with highlight, annotation, and search capabilities. Access also includes practice questions, an outline tool, and other helpful resources. Connected eBooks provide what you need most to be successful in your law school classes.

Clear and Convincing: Modern Legal Writing, by David H. Spratt and Heather E. Ridenour, “meets students where they are” through concise explanations, humor, and visual aids that keep students engaged and focused as they learn to write for every form of legal advocacy with clarity, credibility, and confidence — like lawyers.

The authors' building-block approach introduces legal writing skills in stages, beginning with foundational concepts and progressing to more complex forms of analysis and advocacy in both objective and persuasive legal writing. A modular organization of topics by chapter offers optimal versatility for teaching and course design. The comprehensive coverage in Clear and Convincing: Modern Legal Writing extends to legal research strategies, grammar, editing, oral argument, and professional development. Numerous examples and writing samples illustrate legal writing. Exercises throughout develop students' skills. Integrated coverage of digital research and generative AI in legal writing and practice prepares students to use these tools responsibly and ethically. 

Professors and students will benefit from:

  • Professional communication in a modern context that includes client emails, texting, virtual arguments, and the use of generative AI
  • ProTips and Caution notes in every chapter that connect content to practice with valuable insights
  • Encouraging students to adopt a professional growth mindset that views legal writing as reflective of the writer's professional credibility
  • Online checklists for organizing tasks to ensure consistently excellent results
  • Annotated sample briefs and motions in the Appendix
  • A variety of digital content and online resources for teaching and learning
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Table of contents

SUMMARY OF CONTENTS

Contents 
Available on the Casebook Connect Resources Page
Preface 
Acknowledgments 
Introduction: Why Legal Writing Is Important 


Part One. Building a Legal Writing Foundation 
Chapter 1 The United States Legal System 
Chapter 2 Legal Authority/Sources of Law 
Chapter 3 Working with the Law: Rule Structures and Statutes 
Chapter 4 Working with the Law: Cases and Types of Legal
Reasoning 
Chapter 5 Citation 
Chapter 6 Legal Research 
Chapter 7 Strategies for Writing Success 
Chapter 8 Outsmarting Artificial Intelligence 
Part Two. Objective Writing 
Chapter 9 The Office Memorandum: Audience, Purpose, Overview,
Heading, Question Presented, Brief Answer 
Chapter 10 The Office Memorandum: Facts Section 
Chapter 11 The Office Memorandum: Discussion — Umbrella
Sections 
Chapter 12 The Office Memorandum: CREAC and Point Headings
(First C of CREAC) 
Chapter 13 The Office Memorandum: Stating the Rule
(R of CREAC) 
Chapter 14 The Office Memorandum: Rule Explanation
(E of CREAC) 
Chapter 15 The Office Memorandum: Rule Application (A of CREAC)
and Conclusion (Second C of CREAC) 
Chapter 16 The Office Memorandum: Conclusion Section and Other
Office Memo Pointers 
Chapter 17 Professional Correspondence: Letters, Emails, and Text
Messages 
Part Three. Persuasive Writing 
Chapter 18 The Basics of Written Advocacy 
Chapter 19 Characterizing Facts Persuasively
Chapter 20 Writing a Persuasive CREAC 
Chapter 21 Trial Court Motions 
Chapter 22 Trial Court Briefs 
Chapter 23 Appellate Briefs
Part Four. Introduction to Oral Argument 
Chapter 24 Rules of Effective Public Speaking 
Chapter 25 The Players, Setting, Costumes, and Stage Direction 
Chapter 26 The Script, Rehearsal, and Director’s Notes 
Chapter 27 Before the Bench — How to Treat Judges and Answer Questions 
Chapter 28 Virtual Oral Arguments 
Beyond the Book: Supplemental Online Content *
Part Five. Writing Mechanics 
Chapter 29 Grammar for Legal Writers 
Chapter 30 Punctuation 
Chapter 31 Editing and Proofreading 
Part Six. Leave ‘Em Wanting More — Next Steps 
Chapter 32 Writing Samples, Cover Letters, and Resumes 
Chapter 33 Law School Exams 
Chapter 34 Getting the Most from Your Summer Work Experience 
Appendices
1. Annotated Evans Sample Single Issue Office Memo 
2. Annotated Evans Sample Multiple Issue Office Memo 
3. Annotated Evans Sample Client Advice Email 
4. Annotated Sample Trial Court Brief in Support of Evans’ Motion
to Dismiss 
5. Annotated Sample Trial Court Brief in Opposition to Evans’ Motion
to Dismiss 
6. Annotated Stimpson Sample Appellate Brief 


Glossary 
Index 
 

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Preface
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About the authors
David H. Spratt
Professor
American University, Washington College of Law

David H. Spratt is a professor at American University, Washington College of Law, where he teaches Contracts, Legal Rhetoric, and Family Law Litigation and Practice. David received a B.A. degree in Government and Psychology from The College of William and Mary and graduated summa cum laude from The American University, Washington College of Law.

Before joining WCL as a full-time faculty member in Fall 2006, David taught Legal Writing and Research at the George Washington University School of Law, Legal Analysis and Writing at Concord School of Law, and Legal Methods at the Washington College of Law. David is a member of the Virginia and District of Columbia bars, and he is an active participant in state, local, and national bar associations and organizations. He is a past chair of the Virginia Bar Association, Domestic Relations Section, and the Northern Virginia Regional Advisory Committee.

In the past, he has moderated and/or presented continuing legal education programs on attorney impairment, vocational rehabilitation experts, defined duration support, imputation of income, amendments to the Virginia child support statute, legal ethics, legal writing, academic support, research and citation, the use of electronic evidence in litigation and family law cases, and child custody evaluations.

In 2001, David was a founding partner of Schwartz & Spratt, PLC, a family law firm in Fairfax, Virginia. Previously, David worked as an associate at the Law Office of Betty A. Thompson, Ltd., and at The Lewis Law Firm, in Washington, D.C. Professor Spratt writes a regular column, “Writer’s Block,” for the Virginia Bar Association News Journal.

In January 2013, David was appointed to the Virginia State Bar Section on Education of Lawyers Task Force on Legal Writing and planned and implemented a Legal Writing Bootcamp for practicing Virginia attorneys, which now continues annually. David served as the Civil Reporter of Decisions for the Virginia Court of Appeals for more than three years, stepping down in October 2021, and he currently serves as the Chair of the Virginia State Bar Section on Education of Lawyers. David is the 2021 recipient of the Washington College of Law Excellence in Teaching Award.

Heather E. Ridenour

Professor Heather Ridenour joined the full-time faculty at American University Washington College of Law in 2008, where she teaches Legal Research & Writing I and II, Advanced Legal Methods, and several courses designed to prepare students for bar passage and law school examinations. She also serves as the Academic Support Liaison for the Legal Rhetoric Program, is the former Director of the Legal Analysis Program, and is an inaugural and primary speaker for the Legal Writing Bootcamp cosponsored by the Virginia CLE, the Virginia State Bar Section on the Education of Lawyers, and the Washington College of Law Legal Rhetoric Program, now in its eighth year. She is also an occasional guest columnist for Writer’s Block, in the Virginia Bar Association News Journal.

Before joining the WCL faculty, Professor Ridenour worked with the Academic Support Program at Texas Wesleyan University School of Law (now Texas A&M University School of Law), where she was Instructor of Academic Support and Legal Writing Specialist. Before that, she maintained a probate and guardianship practice in Texas and served as the Guardianship Auditor for the Tarrant County Probate Court under Judge Patrick Ferchill from 2005 to 2007.

Professor Ridenour graduated cum laude from Texas Wesleyan University School of Law in 2004, where she was Associate Editor and Articles Editor of the Texas Wesleyan Law Review. She is a member of the Legal Writing Institute and is a frequent national and international speaker on legal writing, academic support, rhetoric and Shakespeare, and advocacy.
Product Information
Edition
First Edition
Publication date
2026-02-18
Copyright Year
2026
Pages
630
Print + eBook
9798892070942
eBook
9798892070966
LLPOD
9798894107646
Subject
Legal Writing
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