学习写作律师辩论书(Briefs)乃英美法学院学生的第一要务。律师辩论书又分两种,一种是给初审法院的,一种是给上诉法院的。律师辩论书在格式上要求比较严格并一般都有字数限制,其基本内容一般包括:
标题(Caption)
问题的提出(Questions Presented)
事实陈述(Statement of Facts)
辩论(Argument)
结论(Conclusion)
很显然,律师辩论书的重点是辩论部分,你一定要把争论的焦点问题罗列清楚,从正反两个方面进行辩论。律师辩论书和法律分析报告最大的不同就是前者是主观的,后者是客观的。写法律分析报告时你还不一定知道会得出什么结论,但写律师辩论书时你一定知道自己的结论,那就是要求法院作出有利于你的当事人的判决。
A Guideline to Brief Writing
(1) Audience
Justice Dickenson
Get the judge's attention.
Step into the judge's shoes.
Effective brief writing is selective brief writing.
Select issues.
Select facts.
Select language of argument
Eliminate wasted words.
Use structure and titles to highlight.
Express efficiently.
Judge Baker
Action Verbs
Short Sentences
Call litigants by name.
Avoid lengthy quotations.
Acknowledge adverse authority.
Judge McKinney
Precise language
"Bad citations will kill you."
Attach cases "on all fours."
Don't attack the other lawyer.
Judge Hamilton
In the first paragraph, the first sentence,if possible,say why you should win.
Include an introductory " road map."
Use handles and themes.
Get to the point. Avoid needless prose.