Legal Writing

To be effective, a piece of writing must be organized. It must present its information in the order that best serves the writer's purpose and the reader's needs.

A friend of mine, Lee Wood, a writer at Resort Condominiums International, once told me that she loves reading documents in which "the writer was so kind as to put himself in my shoes and give me the information in the order I can use it." Most readers are like Lee. A little extra work for the writer will save a lot of extra work for the reader--and increase the reader's goodwill.

This week, be kind to your readers. Before you draft each message, think about your readers, and about the best order to give them information.