Achieving Clarity: Eight Data-Driven Tips for Legal Communication

Abstract

This article includes eight data-driven tips that all lawyers should consider when communicating with clients or the public. After all, the goal of such communications should be communicating information clearly so that non-lawyers can understand and act accordingly. The data supporting these tips is from a study the author conducted in 2011 on the public's preferences for legal communication. This was one of the first studies of its kind, so while the tips here are not novel, this is the first time they have been supported by quantitative data.

Keywords: plain English, plain language, clarity, clear writing, clear drafting, legal writing, legal drafting, client communication, law practice, consumer literacy, consumer, client-focused, client-oriented, client-based, language, style, empirical, quantitative