And be sure you have addressed all relevant questions and issues; in other words, ensure your document is complete.
Edit for structure. Is the overall structure of your document logical? Is the information presented in the order in which the audience expects to see it? Is the order apparent to the reader? Include headings and subheadings to help the reader see the order. Insert roadmaps and signposts. Check topic sentences and paragraph cohesion. Add transitions between arguments.
Polish for precision. Strengthen your sentences by varying their length and structure. Eliminate needless words and phrases. Watch out for passive-voice constructions and clunky nominalizations. Check your legal citations. Then look for any spelling, grammar, or punctuation mistakes.
To change your perspective, change something else.
One of the most challenging aspects of editing is the need for a fresh perspective with which to approach the same document. To see new errors, you need a new perspective. But how do you change your perspective? You do it by changing something else about the editing process.
and clarity in a different way. You can also change the font, size, color, or spacing of the document— anything that makes the text feel different. Changing your physical location can work, too. If you usually edit in your office, try going to a conference room or a nearby coffee shop. Because when we change something about the editing process, no matter how subtle that change may be, we begin to see the document through a new perspective. And that new perspective helps improve our writing and enhances its impact.
Read, revise, repeat. That’ s the formula for effective editing and a polished product. There are no shortcuts.
1. Anne M. Enquist, Unlocking the Secrets of Highly Successful Legal Writing Students, 82 ST. JOHN’ S L. REV. 609, 633-34( 2008).
2. See, e. g., Georgia Gowing, Reading on Screen instead of on Paper is a Less Effective Way to Absorb and Retain Information, Suggests Research( Feb. 6, 2024), available at: https:// phys. org / news / 2024-02-screens-paper-effective-absorb-retain. html. 3. Bryan A. Garner, Legal Writing in Plain English, 48-49( 2001). 4. Id.( stating that writers should make everything they write speakable). 5. Robert J. Kapelke, Some Random Thoughts on Brief Writing, 32 COLO. L. 29, 29( 2003). 6. To access the“ Read Aloud” function in Microsoft Word, click on“ Review” and then“ Read Aloud.” Once the feature is activated, you can change both the voice and reading speed to fit your personal preferences.
A useful technique to changing your perspective is to edit“ backwards,” reviewing one paragraph at a time in reverse order. Reading a document out of order forces you to look at coherence
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