Legal Writing

I came across this section of 

Posted on November 13, 2009
I came across this section of  Boxes and Arrows blog postWhat design researchers can learn from hostage negotiators By Bryan McClain, Demetrius Madrigal on Learning From Others with the same name as this blog. Let's see what we can learn from hostage negotiators:  Building RapportRapport is established through trust, open communication and empathy...

ClearMark Awards Launched in US

Posted on November 02, 2009
The US Center for Plain Language has released a set of criteria for plain language. To date this represents the most authoritative guideline for producing plain language.This set of criteria supports the Center's launch of annual awards for documents and websites using plain language...

Halloween Weekend Creativity Post

Posted on October 31, 2009
Masks.This is one of a set of three masks I prepared to commemorate Galliano Island. This is "Night Sky".I got stuck because I can't find commercial shadow boxes deep enough to accommodate their depth.

Martin Cutts' presentation to PLAIN2009 Conference

Posted on October 24, 2009
 ?Instructions for consumer products: as easy as 1?2?3??presented toPlain Language Association InterNational conferenceSydney, Australia, October 2009Martin Cutts, research director, Plain Language Commission, UKavailable free from http://www.clearest...

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Free Plain Language Consult, Training, Resources from Webcontent.gov

Posted on October 21, 2009
This information is from the blog of Leslie O'Flahavan: Webcontent.gov will celebrate World Usability Day November 12, 2009 with a great offer for web managers and usability analysts: Build your Plain Language skills and celebrate the sustaining power of Usability + Plain Language on Thursday, November 12, 2009 at this year?s World Usability Day! Sign up for a FREE ?mini-consultation? by phone with a usability or plain language expert to improve your government webpage or document Register to attend a FREE in-person plain language training on Nov...

A Summary Report on the Florida Plain Language Initiative

Posted on October 04, 2009
In the latest  issue of Plain Language at Work, William DuBay discusses the hard work and resources involved  in plain language communication. This is his report:Planning Plain-Language Projects: Connecting with ResourcesONCE you have been given the go-ahead for a plain-language project, the first thing you should do is evaluate and plan resources...

Attitude adjustment software for the mind

Posted on October 01, 2009
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtL8gTEuwvU

Conference presentation

Posted on October 01, 2009
from the brochure at http://www.insightforums.com/scs09agenda.php#2_breakout_b1 SEC Requirements for Compensation Disclosure Analysis: How Transparency is Good for Corporations and ShareholdersThe U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) requires that public corporations explain to shareholders (and the public) how their executives are compensated: salaries, benefits, stock options, etc...

On the evolution of linguistics

Posted on September 28, 2009
Christine Kenneally's 2007 book The First Word is the subject of a series of columns in Lex Talk! by Norbert Cunningham. These are just highlights.Meaningful study of language just beginningSeptember 21, 2009http://timestranscript.canadaeast.com/search/article/790935 ...

Executive Summary ?Improving Health Begins with Understanding? A CIGNA Foundation Thought Leadership Forum

Posted on September 21, 2009
In 2007 CIGNA Foundation's Thought Leadership Forum hosted Improving Health Begins with Understanding, which reached these conclusions about literacy and health.People avoid what they don?t understand. Fear, shame, anxiety and confusion often drive personal health care decisions...

How do we know what other people are thinking?

Posted on September 16, 2009

Don't waste your breath

Posted on September 03, 2009
David Dunning and Justin Kruger of Cornell confirmed: ? Incompetent individuals tend to overestimate their own level of skill. ? Incompetent individuals fail to recognize genuine skill in others. ? Incompetent individuals fail to recognize the extremity of their inadequacy"Unskilled and Unaware of It: How Difficulties in Recognizing One's Own Incompetence Lead to Inflated Self-Assessments" Journal of Personality and Social Psychology...

Clear your path

Posted on September 03, 2009
?Naïve realism is the conviction that one sees the world as it is and that when people don?t see it in a similar way, it is they that do not see the world for what it is. "Lee Ross characterized naïve realism as ?a dangerous but unavoidable conviction about perception and reality?...

Week-end Creativity Post

Posted on August 08, 2009
Home PlanetArt using melted crayons and glitter

Good advice on technical terms

Posted on August 04, 2009
The right advice, from a recent accounting training assignment:  If accounting terms are to be used, you must  explain what those terms mean in plain English.  Avoid accounting jargon, but use  accounting terms correctly where appropriate, so long as it is explained clearly to the  reader...

UK plain language movement

Posted on August 03, 2009
Halifax Council to choose jargon-busting team of 2003 August 2009from the Evening CourierHead of communications at the council Louise Tonkinson said that from October all council publications would have to be reviewed and approved before they were published...

Weekend Creativity Post

Posted on August 01, 2009
This is an anonymous woman I saw in the news last week.I finally have drawn a face that I am willing to show you. I am using techniques I learned from this video series by Sharon Tomlinson: http://allnorahsart.blogspot.com/2009/06/faces-with-crayons.htmlTry it; it is addictive.

Top Language Blogs 2009

Posted on July 31, 2009
Well, fans, thanks for your votes but I did not make it to the top ten language professionals blogs or into the top 100 language blogs. But it was an honour to be nominated for an Oscar...You should find some very interesting reading on any of the winning blogs...

The Effect of Color on Your Web Site

Posted on July 31, 2009
This is interesting info about the associations people make with color. Yet the web site itself makes odd choices...http://www.internet-copywriting-secrets.com/Website-Colors-Boost-Response.html

The power of common memory

Posted on July 31, 2009
The language of musicWorld Science Festival 2009: Bobby McFerrin Demonstrates the Power of the Pentatonic Scale from World Science Festival on Vimeo.

Victorian simplicity

Posted on July 20, 2009
In 1840 Queen Victoria appointed Captain Hobson as the first governor of New Zealand. His commission directed him to see that all laws written by the Legislative Council were:"in a simple and compendious form, avoiding as far as may be all prolexity and tautology...

Working the right brain hemishphere, Sunday's Creativity Post: My Facebook

Posted on July 19, 2009

A Quote, first in a series

Posted on July 18, 2009
"If I take refuge in ambiguity, I assure you that it is quite conscious." Kingman Brewster, former president of Yale University and ambassador to Britain

More Testimony on Voter Access through Plain Language

Posted on July 15, 2009
AAPD Testimony for the Election Assistance Commission Hearing onDisability Access and Voting Technologies, July 14, 2009Kelly Buckland Executive Director National Council on Independent LivingSimplified Language: People with learning and comprehension difficulties find themselves at a disadvantage at the poll when the language used on a machine is difficult to understand...

Testimony on voting access

Posted on July 14, 2009
AAPD Testimony for the Election Assistance Commission Hearing onDisability Access and Voting TechnologiesSubmitted by Sarah PetersonJuly 14, 2009 Regarding voter education, website and other materials provided to voters by elections boards must be accessible for all forms of disability...

I am in the running to be one of the top 100

Posted on July 09, 2009
This blog has been nominated for the top 100 language blog 2009 competition but  Building Rapport mustoutdistance most of the other 99 blogs in the 'Language Professionals' category to make the grand finale top 100 overall.We (Cheryl and the personified blog) would really appreciate your vote...

Art to inspire

Posted on July 05, 2009
This is my latest art purchase,by Lisa Oceandreamer

Are you stuck in your rut or open to new points of view?

Posted on July 02, 2009
People are twice as likely to choose to read information that supports their own point of view as they are to consider an opposing idea. Those with close-minded personalities are even more reluctant to expose themselves to differint perspectives.People are most resistant to new points of view concerning political, religious, or ethical values...

Classic Larry Ragan on saying it like it is

Posted on June 22, 2009
http://www.ragan.com/ME2/Audiences/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&type=MultiPublishing&mod=PublishingTitles&mid=5AA50C55146B4C8C98F903986BC02C56&tier=4&id=A2A7714B2C7B40C187806FA25DF0BBF8&AudID=3FF14703FD8C4AE98B9B4365B978201A

Visual language, a new tool

Posted on June 16, 2009
As for future development of plain language, I think we would benefit from what Dave Gray of VizThink describes as ?cross-pollination between visual thinking disciplines like information design, information architecture, data visualization, geographers, graphic facilitation/graphic recording, comics/graphic novels, architecture, etc...

Unleash Your Inner Muse

Posted on June 14, 2009
Violette is a folk artist who has created a community through her blog at www.violette.ca I recommend to you Violette's new book, Journal Bliss: Creative Prompts to Unleash Your Inner Eccentric, that you can buy from Amazon at http://tinyurl.com/lxg9ug Violette, thank you for agreeing to talk to us non-artists...

Another Perpective on Plain Language

Posted on June 07, 2009
Click Media discusses proposal writing, adding: "Plain language, especially English, is not always simple.  Not only do your words need to be efficient and easy to understand, but they need to be warm and engaging as well.  Your words need to compel your reader to carry on...

Reading for STC members only (not me however)

Posted on June 03, 2009
If you are a member of STC, take a look at this month's Intercom onlineWriting Questions That Are Easy to Answer By: Caroline Jarrett, Associate FellowHave you ever found it difficult to fill out a seemingly simple form? Jarrett explains how to create questions that are easy to understand and accessible by all, focusing on details, the difference between prompts and fully formed questions, questions that need more explanation, and other aspects...

I want this hair

Posted on June 02, 2009

All Hail the Grassroots Campaign

Posted on June 01, 2009
PRNewswire/ -- PlainTaxTalk, a grassroots group announced it has launched a campaign to urge the IRS to use plain language in all its public documents and forms to help the average American taxpayer comply with the tax laws. "The idea behind our movement is simple," says the group's founder John Klotsche, a former Senior Advisor to the IRS Commissioner, "vastly improve American taxpayers understanding of their tax reporting responsibilities...

Clear and conspicuous credit card info required now in U.S.

Posted on May 24, 2009
The web buzzes with talk about the new U.S. credit reform law (there is mostly silence on Canada's new law).A quick look at this tells me that there is no actual mention of "plain language" in the final version of the bill that was endorsed into law last week...

National Institutes of Health Awards

Posted on May 20, 2009
The 2008-2009 NIH Plain Language Award Ceremony will be held Tuesday, June 2, 2009, 1:00 p.m. Lipsett Auditorium, Bethesda, Maryland and will feature Pulitzer Prize winner Jonathan Capehart, editorial writer for The Washington Post...

News

Posted on May 20, 2009
A collection of Internet tidbitsA good blog post on plain language from Monica on Marketing who "looks at the simple difference between a paragraph from GE and a paragraph from Apple talking about their technology innovations".*********************Clear and personable introduction to business purpose:What do you find at Click Media Works? Clear & clever communications for real-life people in real-world business, that's what...

Visual language, a new tool

Posted on May 10, 2009
Public Lecture in Toronto, May 14Neil Cohn of Tufts University and Emaki Productions will give a public lecture at the University of Toronto on Thursday, May 14th at 5pm. His will be the first talk in the Visual Thinking lecture series  More information here...

Stuff worth reading--tell me what you think about it

Posted on May 09, 2009
How to Write for a Global Audience If you're advertising or writing about a carbonated beverage, what do you call it? Soda? Pop? Fizzy drink? Mineral? All of these terms are "correct" depending on where your readers are. Today, there is a greater chance of your work being read by someone on a different continent, especially if you write online...

Plain Language for the Health Field

Posted on May 06, 2009
This resource was brought to my attention again, and I figure I should share it with you this time around. Plain Language Thesaurus For Health Communications"This Plain Language Thesaurus has been put together by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention?s National Center for Health Marketing...

Plain Language Version ISO Standards

Posted on April 08, 2009
... a plain language translation of the International Standards Organization Standards prepared by Praxiom.The plain language definitons might prove useful as a resource.

Practice Audience Awareness

Posted on April 06, 2009
Matthew Stibbe of the blog Bad Language posted this:[This poster] should read:Psychic FestivalYou know where it is.You know when it is.And we know you?re coming.

Perceptions of Audience Awareness

Posted on April 06, 2009
When you want to write in plain language, it is important to distinguish between your concept of plain language and your reader's.A reader decides whether to read your material based on the reader's judgement whether the material:looks interestingappears usefulseems easy to readPutting aside the reader's search for interesting and useful, what will seem easy to read?As the reader scans the page and picks out a phrase here and there, the decision is reached according to the reader's idea of easy reading...

Fabulous new product for plain language translation

Posted on March 31, 2009

Using is knowing

Posted on March 18, 2009
We talk about writing in plain language so that a person can understand and use the information. Someone said something a while back that suggested a person could "use" information if it was in a brochure that they could refer to when needed. This led me to thinking about my different perspective...

Use plain English, appear smarter (and more persuasive)

Posted on March 10, 2009
In case you need evidence, Ray Ward summed it up awhile ago:I just finished reading Yes! 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive (hat tip to the [non]billable hour). One of the 50 ways confirms something Bryan Garner says in The Winning Brief (p...

A liitle bit about commas

Posted on February 16, 2009
Since everyone seems to be arguing over punctuation these days, I'd like to share this resource with you.Three new rules for handling commasBy Don Ranly ranlyd@missouri.edu or www.ranly.com.http://www.ragan.com/ME2/Audiences/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&type=MultiPublishing&mod=PublishingTitles&mid=5AA50C55146B4C8C98F903986BC02C56&tier=4&id=C85B28BBC6394773A57BF442451F7464&AudID=3FF14703FD8C4AE98B9B4365B978201AFor the explanation, you need to read his post...

Making a Crisis Worse

Posted on February 04, 2009
From the International Association of Business Communicators, http://www.iabc.com/cwb/archive/2004/0504/mistakes.htmMaking a Crisis Worse: The Biggest Mistakes in Crisis Communicationby Jonathan Bernstein One of eleven mistakes discussed:Use language your audience doesn't understand...

How to integrate your message, audience and channel

Posted on February 03, 2009
Ragan Communications provides a real-world, practical report onHow to integrate your message, audience and channel

Blogs on Legal Writing, via Squidoo

Posted on January 28, 2009
Remember Molly DiBianca? Her list of the top 30 writing blogs listed several blogs on legal writing. Most are on my Squidoo Lens on Legal Writing Blawgs. The Squidoo Lens provides the headlines to the most recent postings on each law blog, so you could subscribe to my Legal Writing Blawgs to get a quick overview of them...

Clear Language - plain language by Workplace Education Manitoba (2009)

Posted on January 27, 2009
An adaptation of one of my articles has been created by Workplace Education Manitoba. My original is available here or here.

New way to gather information on topic

Posted on January 20, 2009
A new approach to information gathering is available from Alltop. This service collates the top blogs on a given subject. I really like their set up better than I like using a blogfeed such as Bloglines. But I do use both, since Alltop does not have every category that interests me...

More on Writing Blogs

Posted on January 17, 2009
Molly DiBianca listed her top 30 writing blogs and I have been commenting on her picks. The writing blogs I keep reading:Confident Writing is from Joanna Young, a writing coach, who organizes theme months and participates widely in blogger-world events...

More top 30 blogs on writing, plus a 31st

Posted on January 16, 2009
Molly DeBianca's selection of writing blogs... It is difficult to draw a line between writing style and grammar and usage but I'll try to comment on the different types of blogs in separate dispatches. Blogs about grammar and usage:I like ProWritingTips, which is not on her top 30 list, but I don?t subscribe to the blog itself...

One of the 30 Best Writing Blogs

Posted on January 15, 2009
Molly DiBianca has collected her list of 30 best blogs on writing. She has kindly included this blog:Building Rapport, The Plain Language Blog, is written by Canadian Cheryl Stephens. The blog's mantra sums up Stephens' philosophy quite well. The purpose of the blog is to "advocat[e] plain language, clear design, sensitivity to audience concerns, and civility...

A new perspective: Teaching ESL in Plain English

Posted on January 08, 2009
I think Ms. Lucy is a real Ms. Sweetie. She has permitted me to reprint her whole post below. She makes learning English easier by teaching plain English: Communication flows when all parties clearly understand the message. In companies, translating numerous documents to Plain English (often called Plain Language), can help employees better understand company rules, procedures, product information, sales strategies, employee benefits and more...

VIA strengths

Posted on January 07, 2009
Clearing out files, I found the report on my strengths according to the VIA Survey. I don't sound very serious, but don't I sound like someone you want to know?1. Zest, enthusiasm, and energy Regardless of what you do, you approach it with excitement and energy...

Visual presentation on plain language

Posted on January 06, 2009
Here is great piece on the benefits of simplicity in communication. Delivered last year at the Symposium of the US Plain Language Center, it is from Irene Etzkorn, Group Director of Simplification, Siegel+Gale, Amazingly Simple Stuff. (It is PowerPoint and takes awhile to download at 32MB)Find it on this page http://www...

Looking back on 2008

Posted on January 03, 2009
Some of the note-worthy events for the plain language movementInternationalMexico City conference of Clarity, the international lawyers' group, exhibited the growing influence of plain language in Latin America. Clarity celebrated its 25th Anniversary in 2008...

3rd Anniversary Reassessment

Posted on December 30, 2008
I started this blog 3 years ago today. I am still interested in the same concerns, so this blog will continue "advocating plain language, clear design, sensitivity to audience concerns, and civility". I will be semi-retired in 2009, so I may have more time to devote to blogging...

No wonder I am confused

Posted on November 26, 2008

Visit Raymond Ward's blog to view

Posted on November 26, 2008
Visit Raymond Ward's blog to view a rendition of rap in fairly clear legal language:http://raymondpward.typepad.com/newlegalwriter/2008/11/freestyle-rap-duel-translated-into-legal-language.html

Plain Language Workshops

Posted on November 24, 2008
Linda Dessau reports on a session she attended, sponsored by the Editors' Association of Canada called Plain Language: Building Results and was presented by Frances Peck.Frances shared this definition of plain language: "The orderly and clear presentation of complex information...

Life lists

Posted on November 17, 2008
I decided to do something I saw on Janet's blog. If you want to play along just copy this and then bold the things you've done.I HAVE?.1. Started my own blog2. Slept under the stars3. Played in a band4. Visited Hawaii5. Watched a meteor shower6. Given more than I can afford to charity7...

Le'go that LEGO

Posted on November 15, 2008
LEGO is in the news, having lost its trademark in a European tribunal.Makes this a good time to share with you the very plain language product description filed with the Canadian court by LEGO's lawyers here:A rectilinear array of uniform, smooth-sided, flat-topped, cylindrical, co-planar protuberances,the proportions of height, diameter and center-to-center spacing of which are approximately 2 : 5 : 8...

An example of a simple list

Posted on November 02, 2008
I just came across this sentence on a website for a service center for people who cannot afford a lawyer. The problems with it are (at least):1. the sentence is left-handed (three items consented to)2. the sentence is too long3. the sentence cries out for a list...

Fall in Vancouver

Posted on November 02, 2008
A place where there a real seasons...

What Can We Do as Communicators?

Posted on October 27, 2008
What can we do?Eliminate Systemic DiscriminationThe legal system is text- based and antique. Yet the words affect our lives. Most people find legal documents difficult both for the language and the unfamiliar concepts. The CBA Task Force on Legal Literacy found this to be true...

What is literacy in general??the

Posted on October 25, 2008
What is literacy in general??the ability to understand and employ printed information in daily activities, * at home, at work and in community, * to achieve one?s goals, and * to develop one?s knowledge and potential.? International Adult Literacy Survey, 1993 - 1998 Since 1993 the Internet and other developments require us to ignore the ?printed? in this definition...

Legal rights and literacy.

Posted on October 24, 2008
Do you really know your rights? Canadian Charter of Rights & Freedoms, 1982, http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/const/annex_e.html#I Guarantee of Rights and Freedoms Rights and freedoms in Canada 1. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees the rights and freedoms set out in it subject only to such reasonable limits prescribed by law as can be demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society...

The misinformed are often committed to the misinformation

Posted on October 08, 2008
AlterNet news discusses the fact that misinformation is hard to shake off--a particularly disturbing fact in the current election season.There is discussion of the issue and a link to the research paper on this:Why It's Hard to Change People's Minds By Sean Gonsalves, AlterNet...

Updated reosurce on plain language

Posted on September 30, 2008
I have just updated the info on my Squidoo Lens for "Plain Language aka Plain English".This lens provides an overview of resources on the subject.

Happy Birthday, Confucius

Posted on September 28, 2008
Confucius (551-479 BC) was a famous philosopher and teacher who lived in China nearly 2,500 years ago. His teachings were based on treating others in the same way as you treat yourself. He believed that peace and harmony are achieved by avoiding drastic action or wild thinking...

Rally Support for Plain Language Law

Posted on September 24, 2008
Support the U.S. Plain Language ActA proposed law requiring the US federal government to use plain language on certain forms and documents is stuck in a Senate committee, due to the opposition of the legal staff of Utah Senator Robert Bennett.The Plain Language in Government Communications Act of 2008 (S-2291) requires some federal government agencies to write some documents in plain language in the future...

Illiteracy: Democracy?s Invisible Threat

Posted on September 08, 2008
International Literacy Day, September 8, 2008Since 1966, International Literacy Day has been celebrated every September 8. Yet there are still millions who cannot read and write well enough to make well-informed decisions. What does it mean for democracy when half the electorate cannot read their daily paper?Literacy matters, says Adama Ouane of the UNESCO Institute for Education, ?because it?s the key to the toolbox that contains empowerment, a better livelihood, smaller and healthier families, and participation in democratic life...

Word order schmoder, break the chains

Posted on August 24, 2008
I have three links to share with you on the topic of word order of adjectives before nouns. As I came across each of these postings, I thought they were very helpful. But, as usual, the brain keeps working on the concept and now I have a different opinion: they are useful to those dedicated to verbosity...

Reading the reader's mind

Posted on August 23, 2008
A busy week of business travel behind me, I will resume posts soon.This cartoon is an apt representation of my work as a plain language consultant: http://www.comics.com/comics/fminus/index.html.

Creative inspiration is a basic need!

Posted on August 17, 2008
Having talked with a few left-brain types in my day, I know we all crave inspiration and creativity, when we stop to think about it! I think we need a creative outlet or source of stimulation in order to avoid left-brain burn-out.But many people hesitate to take up a creative activity because they "won't be any good at it"...

Props for Plain Language

Posted on August 13, 2008
If you find it difficult to write in plain language because of long-established habits, try writing with one of these pens from IWOOT. Dare you to write jargon with one of these!

A new logo for information literacy

Posted on August 11, 2008
A new, international, logo has been developed to represent information literacy.The sponsor, Information Literacy Section of IFLA, for UNESCO, says:The aim of creating this Logo is to make communication easier between those who carry out information literacy projects, their communities, and society in general...

Creativity is a need

Posted on August 09, 2008
I have been meaning to write about creativity. I have also bewen meaning to do a regular week-end post about creativity.... Any person engaged in a profession that draws heavily on left-brain activity, will come to appreciate the need for some counter-balancing right-brain activity...

More stories from the public speaking wars

Posted on August 07, 2008
Continuing my comments on Lisa's post.You're afraid the audience will see how nervous you areFirst of all, they won't. You are 100 times more aware of your own body and physical condition than your audience is. Remember this quote:"I stopped worrying about what people would think about me, when I realized how seldom people think about anyone but themselves...

Strange days in Canada

Posted on August 04, 2008
Today is a holiday of some sort across most of Canada.Saskatchewan (Saskatchewan Day) Ontario (Simcoe Day + others) British Columbia (British Columbia Day) Alberta (Heritage Day) New Brunswick (New Brunswick Day) Manitoba (Civic Holiday) Nunavut (Civic Holiday) Nova Scotia (Natal Day) Northwest Territories (Civic Holiday) Prince Edward Island (Natal Day)At my house it is this kind of holiday: Boys will be boys on planes, trains, and automobiles

Public speaking and me and you and Lisa

Posted on August 04, 2008
I found out about Lisa Braithwaite's Speak Schmeak blog and this post: What if your worst public speaking fear comes true? through Business Communication Headline News.Preparing to share some of it with you, I discovered I have not addressed public speaking on this blog...

Postcard from the ledge

Posted on July 28, 2008
Dropping in on Wayne Schiess of Legalwriting.netthen I'm off to see Allision C. Shields of the Legal Ease blog Having lots of fun on my blog tour. Wish you were here--oh, you are!

Oral culture: people doing

Posted on July 28, 2008
Think on it: In the absence of elaborate analytic categories that depend on writing to structure knowledge at a distance from lived experience, oral cultures must conceptualize and verbalize all their knowledge with more or less close reference to the human lifeworld, assimilating the alien, objective world to the more immediate, familiar interaction of human beings...

Raymond Ward Gets It

Posted on July 27, 2008
Today I am visiting Raymond Ward's the (new) legal writer. Check out both Ray's legal writng blog and Minor Wisdom where he explores modern culture and the blues.

Keeping the faith

Posted on July 26, 2008
At some point in her life, every woman --as a member of the Sisterhood-- (even a presidential candidate) must host a Tupperware party.On Saturday, July 26, 2008, every member of the Glitter Power Sisterhood must post a photo of her glitter toes. These are mine.

We'll always have Paris

Posted on July 24, 2008
My current stop is with Terry Kaufman of Your English Success. Terry's approach to improving communication in the English language is exemplified in this graphic from his website:Thanks for the visit, Terry. I am honored to be a member of your advisory board.

A few stops along the way

Posted on July 23, 2008
Golly! I am having some kinda fun on my blog tour. Here are some blog stops I've made today:The regularly scheduled stop, at Lawsagna where Anastasia Pryanikova explores the world.And a couple other stops:Writers Editing Workshop Library Boy

Stop 3 on my tour--Steve Matthews

Posted on July 22, 2008
Steve has posted the interview with me. His interest is very much appreciated. Steve writes the Vancouver Law Librarian blog.An addenda to the interview, my book is also available in paperback.Cheryl

Plain Language Wizard on blog tour

Posted on July 21, 2008
Here is the Plain Language Wizard, all set for her blog tour.Well, this is it. Today is the start of my blog tour with an interview by Jennifer N. Sawday. I'm honored to be invited to such terrific blogs, like Anastasia Pryanikova's Lawsagna, and Terry Kaufman's Your English Success...

Day 2 of my blog tour

Posted on July 21, 2008
My world-wide blog tour continues:Helping Clients Who Have Language Challenges (Personal Injury and Social Security)Robert A. Kraft bloghttp://www.typepad.com/t/trackback/367487/31371718

Calls to action

Posted on July 15, 2008
One of the features of a letter is (or should be) the "call to action" at the end. This is one of the things that I discuss in my newly-released book that focuses on legal correspondence.Today Allison C. Shields at Legal Ease Blog explores the role and offers examples of these calls in different types of writing.

Enter my contest

Posted on July 14, 2008
Want to try plain language on impenetrable law? Now?s your chance. Tackle a section of U.S. Copyright law that ordinary people hate to ponder.Enter the Plain Language Legal Writing Contest, and rewrite the Fair Use section of the U.S. Copyright law. To see the law and get contest info, go to http://plainlanguagelegalwriting...

Finding the right voice

Posted on July 14, 2008
On occasion, I hire a ghostwriter to produce a first draft that I can "personalize". Last week, Ace Ghostwriter raised with me the issue of "voice". A new client (that I referred) was concerned whether Ace could write in "newclient voice". Ace told me she had not realized she had been "channelling" my voice, but now was certain she could channel another...

Keep it short and simple, silly

Posted on July 13, 2008
Decision by U.S. District Court Judge Ronald Leighton:"Plaintiff has a great deal to say,But it seems he skipped Rule 8(a). His complaint is too long, Which renders it wrong,Please rewrite and refile today."...Lawyer?s complaint is too longFrom CNN?s Bill MearsWASHINGTON (CNN) ? Keep it short, keep it simple...

Have you been puzzled by the garbled

Posted on July 10, 2008
Have you been puzzled by the garbled words that appear in some conversations on the Internet--especially on photo captions? Me, too. Well, today I came across an explanation.Since you must be into the use of language--your are reading this blog--learn about the relatively new language LEET, or l33t...

The Whodunit Rule?

Posted on July 09, 2008
Dr Rosemary Camilleri of Writing at Work offers up a new name for the sentence based on Sentence-Verb-Object order: The Whodunit Rule. I like it.Dr. Camilleri also reports on new research to support the value in this sentence structure.

5 benefits of adopting plain language

Posted on July 02, 2008
David Siecker calims to be America's best communicator... Well, he does a fine job of explaining the good in plain language:5 Benefits of adopting plain language: * Reduce the amount of time it takes for individuals or organizations to comply with your instructions...

Foresight--the gift of composure

Posted on June 27, 2008
Yesterday I was in a professional office waiting room. A woman came in and exchanged a few words with the receptionist, then she said, "I didn't know what to expect". That hit me in the gut. Most of us would never say it aloud, at least not those with insecurities, anxieties, or parents with alcoholism...

Different strokes for different folks

Posted on June 20, 2008
A single post by Megan Casey offers several examples of adapting the delivery of a single message for readers with different needs or information processing styles.

National Aboriginal Day in Canada

Posted on June 20, 2008
June 21 is National Aboriginal Day because of the cultural significance of the summer solstice. The first day of summer and longest day of the year, is celebrated as the rebirth of Mother Earth. The many Aboriginal communities mark this day as a time to celebrate their heritage...

Define corporate-speak

Posted on June 14, 2008
"corporate-speak" -- language that is bland, undifferentiated, hard to read with meaning obscured by jargon, waffle, hype, verbiage, legalese and conventionality.adapted from "Writing as branding" by Matthew Stibbe of Articulate Marketing on BadLanguage http://www...

Wrestling with Rudeness: Advice for Addressing Incivility

Posted on June 14, 2008
Just want to share this press release about a new book on civility:Rude behavior can make you want to scream, but confronting a rude person can make you squirm. Given the choice between standing up to a bully and seething in silence, many people pick the latter, at a loss for how to deal with a rude person without intensifying an emotionally charged situation...

"Transparency" is murky

Posted on June 13, 2008
"Transparency" is one of the vogue words in government that I hate, along with "embed" and "empower". Not to mention "environmental scan".Yesterday the word came up on a listserve and was explained as "It has to do with making processes clear -- how decisions get made, for example, or how money gets spent...

One headline at a time

Posted on June 12, 2008
While I was travelling on business last month, I had little time for the news. So I scanned a lot of headlines, and decided to suggest that the headline writers are making things abstruse. How our endorsees fared TuesdayPlainer:How our picks did Tuesday.

And an "L" for "listless"

Posted on May 25, 2008
The Word of the Day at Dictionary.Com is "listless":Having no desire or inclination; indifferent; heedless; spiritless.Reading the definition this Sunday morning, I saw this interpretation: without a list.I had been traveling and working so much in the past 2 months that I could not keep up with my posting here and, as time went by, I felt even more listless about posting...

Language Log and Canadian Dept of Justice Endorse Singular "They"

Posted on April 13, 2008
Read the Language Log post here.

"L" Is for Lists

Posted on April 08, 2008
Wizard Lists Lists can make text items easy to read. Lists are a visual way to focus information. Review your draft for suitable lists embedded in the text.The standard rule is that the items listed must be similar in nature, parallel in grammatical form and of equal importance...

Kindly for "K"

Posted on April 03, 2008
Be kind to others. Be considerate of your readers.So when you write, take care to include all the dates, facts, and figures that the person may need to handle your query or request or instruction.In business letters, include everybody's file reference numbers if you have them...

Humour at work, Workopolis

Posted on March 31, 2008
Workopolis' Humour Classification Report:This year Workopolis provides information about who is doing the jokingand how to do humour right this April Fool's Day. - Sarcastic/witty jokester: This workplace comedian may appear to have it easy with a punch line for every situation, but humour isn't always the right solution...

"Just" for "J" Week

Posted on March 27, 2008
Well, lucky for me that Seth Godin blogged about writing this week and gave me my inspiration. Here is his full post: Sort of, just and Donald TrumpI noticed a little while ago that I was using the word "just" and the phrase "sort of" in my writing. All the time, in fact...

"I" Is for Impact

Posted on March 23, 2008
I missed doing the ABCs Wednesday posting because I was in Thunder Bay Ontario, engaged in a two-day training session. But here comes the "I" for impact.The Nishnawbe-Aski Police Services invited the Literacy and Policing project to deliver our program on how low literacy, amongst victims, witnesses, and accused persons, impacts the criminal justice system...

Blogging and Meetings. What is the connect?

Posted on March 16, 2008
Blogging as a phenomena is old enough to have developed its own rules of behaviour.Well, it is nice that some standards have developed, but I am not happy about all the expectations.Let me digress.About 10 years ago, I offered to help out a committee of a professional association I belonged to at the time...

Haiku for the Week of "H"

Posted on March 14, 2008
A little poetry and a picture for your week-end enjoyment.

Wednesday ABCs: Higher Order Concerns

Posted on March 12, 2008
Purdue University's Online Writing Lab offers a list of Higher Order Concerns to guide your writing work. These concerns resemble a list of plain language guidelines. They certainly help put into perspective the lower order concerns.

Basic Techniques for Building Rapport

Posted on March 10, 2008
Dummies UK site (click on title) provides the article below, adapted from the book, Neurolinguistics for Dummies. Seven quick ways to sharpen your rapportFor starters, try some immediate ways to begin building rapport: * Take a genuine interest in getting to know what's important to the other person...

"G" is for Grammar

Posted on March 05, 2008
Wonderful coincidence: My "G" day is also U.S. National Grammar Day! Stuart Froman argues at In Search Of in favor of a National Clarity Day: "Perfect grammar?whether written or spoken?never solves a problem (except the problem of imperfect grammar )...

More for "F" Week

Posted on March 03, 2008
from the blogThe Party of the First PartWord of the WeekBy Adam FreedmanFighting Words DoctrineThe First Amendment doctrine that holds that certain utterances are not constitutionally protected as free speech if they are "inherently likely to provoke a violent response from the audience" (Black's)...

Framing Your Message

Posted on February 29, 2008
Framing Your MessageHelp your reader get the picture... Make your communication more effective but paying attention to more than vocabulary and grammar. By filtering out distractions and barriers to effective communication, some writing techniques ensure that your message is received as sent...

"F" is for links

Posted on February 28, 2008
F is for lazy? Here a some links.Foreign"The language of law must not be foreign to the ears of those who are to obey it." - Judge Learned Handthanks to the legal writing prof FeedbackFeedback technique: Stop, Start, Continuefrom Genuine Curiosity Giving & Receiving Feedbackfrom Leadership for Lawyers

Employee Engagement

Posted on February 26, 2008
Another "E" post before the week is gone... I want to share this post from David Zinger--mostly for the poem by Moshe Safdie!Employee Engagement Extra: Making Projects Unique By David Zinger on Employee Engagement Welcome to the Employee Engagement Extra...

E is for efficient, effective, economical writing

Posted on February 20, 2008
Plain language techniques can help you get the message through efficiently and effectively. It takes effort but it?s worth it. Poorly written documents contribute to inefficiencies, management problems, higher administrative costs, and poor public relations...

D is for drafting, legal drafting

Posted on February 12, 2008
What is legal drafting? It involves writing that deals with rights and responsibilities in the form of contracts, deeds, and such. Legislative drafting is a segment of it that deals with writing laws.Wayne Schiess, on his blog in 2005, said legal drafting is an independent area of expertise [http://www...

Here's a thought

Posted on February 08, 2008
from the Christian Monitor and the Washington PostWe're on information overload Kids can't focus these days, and neither can I. By Thomas Washington from the February 6, 2008 edition As a school librarian, I wind up reading all sorts of damning reports on students' lack of reading skills...

C is for Consent

Posted on February 06, 2008
The Wall Street Journal report "The Informed Patient" starts with this unsurprising info:"Informed consent may be the biggest misnomer in medicine: Studies show that most patients don't read the forms they sign before undergoing surgery or medical treatment...

B is for Boilerplate

Posted on January 30, 2008
Everybody wants to use shortcuts whenever possible. So boilerplate came to be to allow lawyers (and other professions, I presume) to save time when producing legal documents. In other fields, one might have "standard forms" or "precedents" or form letters, and so on...

Write Like Seth

Posted on January 29, 2008
If Seth Godin can translate from legalese, anyone can do it. Check out his rewrite of a florist's legal notice.

In Honor of Lego's 50th Anniversay

Posted on January 28, 2008
The legal description: A rectilinear array of uniform, smooth-sided, flat-topped, cylindrical, co-planar protuberances, the proportions of height, diameter and center-to-center spacing of which are approximately 2 : 5 : 8. Where there is more than one row of protuberances, they are arranged in mutually orthogonal rows and columns...

Sunday Blues

Posted on January 27, 2008
Starting a new tradition of weekend entertainment posts:Visit MySpaceTV for Randall Crow's Rocking Blues Bandhttp://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=26909457

Weekly ABCs

Posted on January 23, 2008
I need somebody to kick me in the behind to get me to post to this blog.My sister has done it (metaphorically).She has participated in a group project to post to one's own blog every Wednesday on a subject arising from the weekly letter of the alphabet...

Wishing You All Success in 2008

Posted on December 31, 2007
SuccessTo laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived...

A few useful posts from 2007

Posted on December 30, 2007
Writing to Control Center Stage Control the actors and the story by controlling the point of view? Don't assume common knowledge Some people face their biggest problem with communication when sharing new information with people they know well? Diversity in Communication vs Universality For a framework?, there is a movement called Universal Design? Universal design is the design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design? Civility We (plain language advocates) always advise that you avoid negative sentence constructions and seek the positive form of your message...

Now, Be Civil

Posted on December 28, 2007

How to make sense of nonsense

Posted on December 22, 2007
First, this from Texas: Say What?!A weblog of classic legal humor from U.S. District Judge Jerry Buchme July 2004 - The Winner: Most Confusing Document TitlePaul J. Van Osselaer of Austin (Van Osselaer, Cronin & Buchanan) and Robert Slovak of Dallas (Gardere Wynne Sewell) ? who are opposing counsel in a case on my docket ? jointly submitted the following:?Paul Van Osselaer of Austin ? was hoping that the alternative relief would be granted just to figure out what is going on...

Beware the AutoAntonym

Posted on December 22, 2007
Today's post is inspired by a recent Word of the Day from dictionary.comWord of the Day ArchiveWednesday December 19, 2007discursive \dis-KUR-siv\, adjective: 1. Passing from one topic to another; ranging over a wide field; digressive; rambling.2. Utilizing, marked by, or based on analytical reasoning -- contrasted with intuitive...

Remember you have readers, not just viewers

Posted on December 18, 2007
I wan to share this report form the Publicity Hound:Thanks to Publicity Hound Meryl K. Evans for reminding us not to use YouTube or podcasting as a replacement for any written content we currently provide."If you do, you could neglect a small but important audience-- those with disabilities...

Why I drive some people crazy--a diversity post

Posted on December 13, 2007
Left Brain Right Brain 45% 55% This was my score on the test for dominance of the left or right brain...

Plain Thoughts

Posted on December 05, 2007
?Don?t have too complicated a mind,? he said. ?Think in ten-word sentences.?--philosophy of the guy who writes the fortunes in most Chinese fortune cookies.Read Cookie Master in the New Yorker

Tights are not pants

Posted on November 20, 2007
LET'S BE CLEAR The wearing of tights as pants is an abomination. TIGHTS ARE NOT PANTS. Sure in the context of sports, ballet, hair metal, and renaissance fairs, tights function as suitable leg coverings, but still they are not pants...

Is there a more effective framework for teaching writing?

Posted on November 04, 2007
There is a program in elementary schools is called 6 Trait writing developed by NorthWest US educators (see: http://www.thetraits.org/about). It was developed to replace a simple grading system and provide teachers with a more effective method for evaluating and giving feedback on student writing...

Mahar Receives Apology from U.S. Democrats

Posted on October 18, 2007
I wrote a series of posts about public apologies awhile back. Yesterday I saw a riff on apologies in the NY Times and wondered whether to bring it to your attention.Today there is an apology from the U.S. House of Representatives to Mahar Arar. This is an apology that is owed by the U...

The Rule to Follow Even If It does Not Apply!

Posted on October 15, 2007
General Rules and Regulationspromulgated under theSecurities Exchange Act of 1934 Rule 13a-19 -- Plain English Presentation of Specified Information Any information included or incorporated by reference in a report filed under section 13(a) of the Act that is required to be disclosed pursuant to Item 402, 403, 404 or 407 of Regulation S-B or Item 402, 403, 404 or 407 of Regulation S-K must be presented in a clear, concise and understandable manner...

Blogging for Action on the Environment and Writing as Action

Posted on October 15, 2007
I had planned to blog about writing with clarity under the monthly campaign by Joanna Young at Confident Writing . But when I started scanning items in my blog reader, I was reminded that today is Blog Action Day to save the environment.My mind was working on the problem of relating writing with clarity, integrity, and authenticity to the environment, which was raising something about a post I saw which draws a distinction between the market and the audience for public relations writers...

In a pig's eye

Posted on October 08, 2007
Will technology change language? Carmen Laethem, 2007 Trabecular meshwork cells from a pig?s eye (20x)http://209.85.101.200/images/gallery2007/fourbythree/Laethem-10603-3.jpgMicroscopic photographyhttp://www.nikonsmallworld.com/gallery.php?grouping=year&year=2007

Personality and Communication Style

Posted on October 04, 2007
I have been intending to introduce you to a writing blog that I have enjoyed reading for quite awhile now. Here now you get the blogger, Kenneth W. Davis, who says: "In this knowledge economy, writing is the chief value-producing activity. But you may not be writing as well as you could...

Plain Language: A Health Strategy

Posted on September 28, 2007
Thanks to Dr Aniruddha Malpani, MD, The Patients Doctor of Bombay for bringing this brief to our attention. The full report is very useful: Plain Language: A Promising Strategy for Clearly Communicating Health Information and Improving Health Literacy "Conclusion:Plain language makes health information easier to understand Our nation faces an enormous challenge to ensure that people with low health literacy skills have the opportunity to receive and understand the health information they need to make sound decisions...

Raise-A-Reader Day: Thursday, Sept. 27

Posted on September 26, 2007

Plain Language measure sets guidelines for tax, college aid and other forms

Posted on September 24, 2007
THonline.comBraley bill would reduce government legalese By MARY RAE BRAGG TH staff writerDubuque's congressman, Rep. Bruce Braley, introduced a bill last week that would require the federal government to communicate in easy-to-understand language...

Personality and Style Affects Communication

Posted on September 17, 2007
As year-end nears, the time is now to clear out [publish] all those drafts in my toolbox.Law Practice TodayBuilding Blocks: The Interpersonal Communication Toolbox By Stewart Levine September 2007Instruments Demonstrate Differences There are many different instruments that reveal style differences in different aspects of communication...

Target Crime with Literacy

Posted on September 14, 2007
September is National Literacy Month and the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP) is targeting crime with literacy. Raising literacy rates in the community contributes toreducing crime and lowering re-offending. The CACP?s Crime Prevention Committee launched their "Literacy and the Police in Canada" project in March 2007...

Intelligence Analyst on Plain Language

Posted on September 09, 2007
If you think this is a cheap shot, then I am sorry--that you think it.It seems odd that the use of plain language is worthy of comment--by an intelligence analyst. Even more reason that plain language should be the norm..."At times, bin Laden speaks directly to Americans, using plain language that "appears to be crafted in a way as to be understood by the average person on the street in Europe or in the US," said intelligence analyst Ben Venzke...

I Remember You; Oh, Excuse Me.

Posted on September 07, 2007
Negative sentence constructions are difficult for people to process. Their minds first construct the positive version, then reverse it. Like teen-agers who used to accomplish this verbally in this style: I love school, not!A fairly recent study now suggests another reason to avoid the negative: long term memory loses the negative and remembers the positive construction...

Business Communication

Posted on September 07, 2007
Business Communication Headline News provides news about communication for instructors of business communication. It is a companion to three college texts on business communication.I have find it very helpful, and at the moment I have ten items sitting in my blog feed waiting for me to have the time to read them carefully...

Res Ipsa Loquitor

Posted on September 05, 2007

Scientist makes funny--it can happen

Posted on September 05, 2007
Guide to translating scientific papers into plain English.This post by T. Ryan Gregory offers a guide to scientific bafflegab.