More True Confessions of a Legal Writing Professor: Ridding Your Writing of Zombies

Abstract

This lively article by a legal writing professor tackles the problem of nominalizations—sometimes called “zombie nouns”—in legal writing. Like passive voice’s overly formal cousin, nominalizations drain clarity and energy from prose, replacing vivid verbs with abstract nouns. Through real examples from court opinions and briefs, the author demonstrates how these constructions bloat sentences and obscure meaning. She offers concrete strategies for spotting and revising nominalizations, with tips grounded in grammar and humor. The article encourages legal writers to breathe life back into their writing by choosing strong, active verbs—and banishing the zombies.

Keywords: nominalizations, passive voice, zombie nouns, legal writing, clarity, brevity