Welcome to my blog -- Research & Writing Law Blog. I am Susan McDonald and, since 1998, I have limited my law practice to research and writing for other lawyers. I feel fortunate that I have been able to put together a successful practice where I can focus on what I like -- research and writing -- and avoid things about law practice that I do not like, things like clients and law offices and inflexible schedules.
Even though I obviously prefer that all lawyers would hire me to write their briefs, I believe that every lawyer can improve his or her research and writing skills with just a few tips here and there. Also, especially for lawyers, improving those skills is a career-long venture, and I hope this blog will be a resource for a broad range of lawyers who research and write.
I also believe I can improve my own legal research and writing skills by taking some time to think about why I do what I do. For example, how do I decide how to articulate the issues in an appellate brief? How do I proofread? What processes do I use to formulate the structure and theme of a brief? Why do I use passive voice sometimes, but usually active voice? How do I locate and incorporate new research resources for my practice?
With this blog, I want to share some practical hints that I think will help you improve your research and writing and, at the same time, improve my own skills. It may take awhile for me to find my blogging voice and, in the meantime, the entries may seem helter-skelter. I hope my readers (I hope I have some readers) will comment and respond and guide me in this research and writing exercise.
So, here goes.