CBA Record May-June 2022

35 TH ANN I VERSARY OF THE CBA RECORD

Matthew Butterick, a graphic designer turned lawyer and author of Typography for Lawyers , is quoted in this article as saying, “Never choose Times New Roman or Arial, as those fonts are favored only by the apathetic and sloppy.” (Youch. Duly noted.) Times New Roman, apparently, betrays its newspaper roots by crowd ing letters close together to better fit into a narrow column. Instead, choose proportionally spaced fonts, which are easier to read. Other tips for improv ing document appearance include: • Use 1.25 inch margins. • Avoid long paragraphs. • Add headings and subheadings. • Use bullet points and numbered lists. (Like this!) • Avoid block quotes.

for you? This may sound terrifying to the control-freaks among us or, maybe you’re picturing yourself on a sunny beach while your computer toils away in a dark corner. In July/August 2020 Dillon Narko tested several software programs that promise to perform tasks ranging from editing to researching and writing motions. She notes that they are useful tools, but like any tool cannot be relied on completely. “You still need to keep your writing skills up to snuff; having better writing skills will help you use the tools better.” With these programs, the user must accept or reject each suggested change, so you are still in control. Even the program that claims to write the complete brief, “requires strong human interaction to produce the bare bones of a draft brief.” As Dillon Narko noted, these programs can help users learn to become better writers over time and can save time

and money but must be used smartly.

Whatever Works Some things withstand the test of time, and some do not. Picket Fences? Vaguely rings a bell. Law and Order, however, which has been running since 1990, recently started its 21st season after a 12-year hiatus. It’s still solid. Good writing holds up. Thirty-five years of legal writ ing columns demonstrate that we should keep the bedrock advice while evolving with technology and reflecting societal advances. The more things change….

Am y C o o k i s t h e pr inc ipal at tor ney at Amy Cook Law LLC (amycooklaw.com) serving nonprofits, small busi nesses and writers. She is a former editor-in-chief of the CBA Record.

2020: Replaced by Robots? Are you ready for software to write briefs

30 May/June 2022