What Plain English Really Is

Scribes Journal of Legal Writing, Vol. 9, p. 43, 2003-2004

33 Pages Posted: 19 Jan 2009 Last revised: 12 Mar 2014

See all articles by Wayne Schiess

Wayne Schiess

University of Texas School of Law

Abstract

This article responds to the article Against Plain English: The Case for a Functional Approach to Legal Document Preparation by Professor David Crump of the University of Houston Law Center. In this article, I first highlight some insights and suggestions that Professor Crump got right - things he wrote that I agree with. Next, I suggest several authors, articles, and books that Professor Crump should have dealt with, discussed, or at least cited in an article that criticizes plain English. Then I address six of Professor Crump's points that I disagree with. Finally, I try to give a fuller picture of plain English; I hope to correct some mistakes and debunk some myths.

Keywords: plain English, plain language, legal writing, legal drafting, myths, sources, Crump

Suggested Citation

Schiess, Wayne, What Plain English Really Is. Scribes Journal of Legal Writing, Vol. 9, p. 43, 2003-2004, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1329051

Wayne Schiess (Contact Author)

University of Texas School of Law ( email )

727 East Dean Keeton St.
Austin, TX 78705
United States

HOME PAGE: http://www.utexas.edu/law

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
852
Abstract Views
3,298
Rank
52,517
PlumX Metrics