Business Writing: Legal Writing

Home -> Law Blog Directory -> Legal Writing Blogs

OR PHONE (866) 635-1838 for Bankruptcy Help, (866) 635-6190 for Divorce,
(866) 635-2689 for Personal Injury or (866) 635-9402 for Criminal Defense

Find a Local Lawyer

Bankruptcy (866) 635-1838
Divorce (866) 635-6190
Personal Injury (866) 635-2689
Criminal Defense (866) 635-9402

Legal Writing

Business Writing

By Lynn Gaertner-Johnston, founder of Syntax Training in Seattle, Washington, and a fan of business writing.

Post Frequency: 3.2/day

Last Entry: April 01, 2011 at 02:31:44

"Subordinates"--a Word to Avoid

Posted on April 07, 2009
I recently led a business communications class for a group of global executives in Seattle, Washington. Many of them spoke English as a second, third, or fourth language. When I asked them about their learning goals, several mentioned wanting to...

Errors on a Hawaiian Holiday

Posted on April 06, 2009
We have returned from a heavenly week of vacation on the island of Hawaii. Warm weather, relaxation, the tropical landscape, and the Hawaiian people were grand. Although I wasn't working, I could not stop my eyes from spotting written errors....

Practice Makes Perfect

Posted on March 27, 2009
I gave six presentations and programs this week--two for a national insurance conference in Seattle and four for a support staff conference in Tacoma, Washington. Presenting to these groups, I relearned something I have noticed many times before: Practice makes...

What's Wrong With a Long Sentence?

Posted on March 26, 2009
Yesterday when I was presenting at a national insurance conference, we talked about this sentence, taken from a letter to customers: Believing that a specialized approach and focus for recovering from uninsured individuals is most effective, we use a professional...

To access this complete feed in the blog feed reader login or register for free.

Clear, Error-Free Writing--What Is It Worth?

Posted on March 19, 2009
At the close of a recent Better Business Writing workshop, a participant who works for a consulting firm asked a question I had never heard before. It went something like this: If my employer bills $150 an hour for my...

The Evolution of a Sentence

Posted on March 12, 2009
I was just writing a comment on a discussion board when I noticed the evolution of one of my sentences: First version: I find your progress inspiring. Second version: Your progress is inspiring. Third version: Your progress inspires me. The...

Paragraphs in Email--To Indent or Not to Indent?

Posted on March 11, 2009
Early one recent morning I got a phone call from someone whose name, let's say, was Adam. Adam called because he and a coworker were having a disagreement about whether paragraphs should be indented in email. I said, "No, paragraphs...

The Principle Investigator? Help!

Posted on March 10, 2009
I was reading a scientific recommendation the other day when I came upon the phrase "principle investigator." It had me worried. Did the project require someone to investigate our principles? Were we guilty of ethical lapses? Were our rules in...

Face to Face, Phone, and Email--Which Is the Best Communication?

Posted on March 05, 2009
In a recent class in British Columbia, a director spoke about the company's focus on better communication. He said, "Face to face is always best, then phone, then email. Whenever you can, choose face to face." I disagree, at least...

Hot Tip on a Microsoft Office Feature

Posted on March 02, 2009

Parallel Structure and the New Samsung Propel

Posted on February 24, 2009
On Saturday I bought a new Samsung Propel mobile phone. As someone over 40, I love reading the manual to learn about the phone. My behavior contrasts with that of my 14-year-old daughter, who got a new phone on Saturday...

Condolences to Friends in Australia

Posted on February 22, 2009
Australians remembered the victims of the tragic bushfires today in a national day of mourning. I send condolences to our neighbors on the other side of the globe. I am sorry for your heartbreaking losses of loved ones, property, and...

When a Joke Is Not a Joke

Posted on February 17, 2009
In response to my monthly newsletter, I just received this automatic out-of-office email response: I will be unable to delete all the emails you send me until I return from holiday (2nd of March). Please, be patient, and your mail...

Who Is "The Undersigned"? Me!

Posted on February 10, 2009
I am working on my presentation "Business Writing for Claims Professionals" for the PLRB/LIRB Claims Conference next month in Seattle. (PLRB=Property Loss Research Bureau; LIRB=Liability Insurance Research Bureau.) Among my examples of insurance writing is this letter sent to a...

When Is Confidence Presumptuous?

Posted on February 06, 2009
In a business communications class last night, we discussed a closing sentence in a cover letter--that is, a letter of application for a job. Here is the sentence: I look forward to being interviewed for the position. We argued about...

An Error We Can All Avoid

Posted on February 02, 2009
Today I received a contract for an upcoming program I will lead. In the contract, my last name is spelled wrong. On the program flyer, my last name and company name are both spelled wrong. In a recent list of...

Don't Ban the Apostrophe!

Posted on January 31, 2009
The apostrophe has been banned from street signs in Birmingham, England. The reason? According to a story by Jon Swaine, published online at Telegraph.co.uk, city council members spent too much time arguing over that punctuation mark. Debate apparently snarled over...

Watch Your Language--and Theirs

Posted on January 30, 2009
This week in a Better Business Writing class in Tacoma, Washington, an information systems manager was writing an announcement about certain servers being down for routine maintenance. Her message was going to go to several thousand people. In it, she...

Background: To Keep It or Delete It?

Posted on January 27, 2009
"Get rid of background" is advice I often give writers. Too frequently, background gets in the way of the meat of a message, and readers wade through thick details in search of the main point. And so it was last...

Deconstructing the Inaugural Address

Posted on January 21, 2009
Many commentators around the world have no doubt already weighed in on the strengths, content, and feeling of U.S. President Obama's inaugural speech. Here is a look at the mechanics: Number of words: 2414 (according to Microsoft Word) Number of...

Community Service: No Replies to All

Posted on January 19, 2009
In the United States, it is a national holiday: Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Inspired by Barack and Michelle Obama, many individuals and organizations will perform community service in food banks, shelters, and other places of need. When I finish...

A Sweet Surprise from the Pan Pacific Hotel

Posted on January 13, 2009
For the past two days I have taught in Vancouver, British Columbia, where I stayed at the Pan Pacific Hotel. When I walked into my hotel room late on Sunday, I found an envelope with my name on it (handwritten...

Dear John Doe: A Sad Lesson

Posted on January 11, 2009
I was saddened to read about the U.S. Army's error in sending 7,000 letters addressed to "Dear John Doe" to family members of soldiers who had died in Iraq and Afghanistan. Elisabeth Bumiller of The New York Times wrote the...

Ideas for Blog Posts

Posted on January 06, 2009
In a professional discussion board I am a part of, there has been talk lately about coming up with topics for blogs. Some people are not posting to their business blogs as often as they want to, because they can't...

Resolutions for 2009, Simple and Sublime

Posted on January 02, 2009
Happy 2009! With the new year, it's the time of making resolutions, commitments to change our behavior. I have made three that apply to my work as a business communicator. Here are my two simple resolutions: I resolve to spell...

The Commonest Proofreading Error of 2008

Posted on January 02, 2009
I just received an email that reminded me of the commonest error I have been seeing in content--not in punctuation or grammar, in content. The email begins this way: ***Correction***The original message to you had an error regarding the day...

The Commonest Punctuation Error of 2008

Posted on December 30, 2008
Of all the punctuation errors I saw this year, the most prevalent offender was this one: Thanks Lynn.Happy holidays Lynn!Okay Lynn! Sorry to use my name so often, but the error involves direct address, that is, writers addressing the reader...

Give Yourself Credit

Posted on December 21, 2008
In a business writing class I taught recently, a participant shared a performance appraisal he had written about his work during the fourth quarter. He repeatedly included statements like "The deadline was met" instead of "I met the deadline," and...

Sales Messages in Holiday Greetings?

Posted on December 11, 2008
Jessica wrote to ask about the etiquette for sales letters in holiday greetings. She wanted to know whether sales letters should be included in holiday greetings, and if so, how long they should be. Here's the answer: No sales messages...

Ban Acronyms From Holiday Parties

Posted on December 10, 2008
I attended a holiday event yesterday where everyone was given a preprinted nametag. Every tag included the person's name and association (how they belonged). Every association was abbreviated. As a newcomer to the group, I had no idea what the...

Previous | Next