Legal Writing

What Can an Editor Do for an Attorney?

That’s our perpetual question. Here’s another answer to it.

Consider the following copy — the intro to an article titled ?Letters of Credit May Not Last as Long as Expected” posted at the Banking & Finance Law Report blog:

Parties to a letter of credit following the Ninth Circuit?s opinion in Golden West Refining v. SunTrust Bank, 538 F.3d 1233 (9th Cir. 2008) may be surprised to learn some letters of credit are not necessarily ?perpetual.?

Had a skilled and experienced editor touched it, it might have become this:

Following the Ninth Circuit?s opinion in Golden West Refining v. SunTrust Bank, 538 F.3d 1233 (9th Cir. 2008), not all ?perpetual? letters of credit are truly perpetual.

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If writing can be considered thinking on paper (even if it can’t), then an attorney doesn’t want to show others he’s a careless writer.

Careless writing is a warning to potential clients.

Full post as published by Set in Style on August 24, 2009 (boomark / email).