For all the citation nerds: We've got a new rule coming to Washington's Style Sheet, thanks to the great @korematsuctr.bsky.social. I've got a quick breakdown of the new rule, and some unexpected new language: ziffblog.wordpress.com/2026/06/04/a... #Bluebook #Citation #LegalWriting

Perhaps of interest to Bears fans: a song called "Hammond Song," all about what a mistake it would be to move to Hammond. 🎶 If you go down to Hammond You'll never come back In my opinion you're On the wrong track We'll always love you but That's not the point 🎶 www.youtube.com/watch?v=EA-U...

I once wrote, "On the subject of Tesla’s general counsels, you can have your pick of metaphors: redshirts, Murphy Brown secretaries, or Spinal Tap drummers." So naturally: news.bloomberglaw.com/in-house-cou...

#fonts #fonts #fonts #LegalWriting

My write-up of a recent Wash. Sup. Ct. case that involves a 4-1-4 split where the "dissent" sets the precedent. And we get some clues about how trial courts should handle conflicting Court of Appeals decisions. wp.me/p2hMhO-sr

Likely of interest to criminal procedure folks out there, if you teach Batson and jury selection.

For all the citation nerds: We've got a new rule coming to Washington's Style Sheet, thanks to the great @korematsuctr.bsky.social. I've got a quick breakdown of the new rule, and some unexpected new language: ziffblog.wordpress.com/2026/06/04/a... #Bluebook #Citation #LegalWriting

Likely of interest to criminal procedure folks out there, if you teach Batson and jury selection.

An interesting case today from the Washington Supreme Court. State v. Hogan involves a few different issues related to Washington’s GR 37, which aims to “eliminate the unfair exclusion of potential jurors based on race or ethnicity.” ziffblog.wordpress.com/2026/06/04/w...

The Godfather Part II Fast II Furious

This is an abomination. #LegalWriting #orsomething

Yeah, these are great examples. I'd say most good legal writers do *not* do it this way. But Joe is good!

For more on good legal writers omitting quotation marks, see @kgnboling.bsky.social papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....

One more note on the 4-1-4 split in Luv: The Court did not include a per curiam to explain the split result, which it's done recently: ziffblog.wordpress.com/2025/09/29/t... I suspect that's because the dissent thought the lead opinion was precedential. But as I argue below, that's not right.

Okay #LegalWriting Sky, a little survey: What's your legal writing "thing" that puts you outside the norm for good legal writers? I really dislike definitional parentheticals to the extent that I think I over-exclude them, a few standard deviations away from normal.

Sometimes my paragraph transitions are just too smooth.

I prefer bolding over italics for emphasis. (When case names are in italics, I feel a single word or two in italics is less likely to draw the eye.)

That "thing" sounds like responding to "What's your biggest weakness?" with "I work too hard." For me: In multiple publications, I've quoted (without citing) as much of Bob Katter's remark on same-sex marriage / crocodiles as I can. www.youtube.com/watch?v=1i73...

Ha! No, I'm trying to get at something that good writers would disagree. Yes, good writers reduce those definitional things. I think I would cut them to the point that good writers would still prefer them. I don't work too hard!

This is what I'm talking about. Love this stuff.

I do not like capitalization. In my briefs, it's always "the motion to dismiss," not "Defendant's Motion to Dismiss."

Okay #LegalWriting Sky, a little survey: What's your legal writing "thing" that puts you outside the norm for good legal writers? I really dislike definitional parentheticals to the extent that I think I over-exclude them, a few standard deviations away from normal.

Love the clunky definition of CBS News, Inc. as ("CBS"), just so there was no confusion later in the same sentence. That's definitely not something that can be clarified in the attached formal termination letter.

My write-up of a recent Wash. Sup. Ct. case that involves a 4-1-4 split where the "dissent" sets the precedent. And we get some clues about how trial courts should handle conflicting Court of Appeals decisions. wp.me/p2hMhO-sr

It's not every day that a "dissent" actually creates precedent in a Supreme Court opinion. #AppellateSky

Unitas to Berry music.youtube.com/watch?v=Dwlz...

It's not every day that a "dissent" actually creates precedent in a Supreme Court opinion. #AppellateSky

I'm sorry. I wrote 6000 words on a Wash S.Ct. case in which: The lead opinion purports to allow collateral litigation after direct appeal, but the dissent states the binding rule, which doesn't, and we get hints at some answers to Court of Appeals precedent. ziffblog.wordpress.com/2026/06/01/f...

Devastating

Yes to all of this. I agree.

This is an interesting assignment. I've found that the AI can give a pretty good answer to a first/intro question. But it often goes off the rails after a bit of pressing back and forth. Would be interesting to see how students approach that and what results they get.

I'm sorry. WHAT?! I knew what the point of the post was. And even then, I was not prepared. These are "A1 story in the WSJ about Dick Beattie" numbers. For a 2025-admitted associate.

Re the Saturfish discourse, here is what Google AI told me when I tried searching to see who had already made the "ewe done it" joke about the Sheep Detectives movie:

This reference to "in media res" spelled "in media res" gutted me a bit today. #IYKYK

Apple should announce they’re bringing back geocities #wwdc #web1.0

When I heard that trial judges were relying on secret "memos" to resolve a constitutional issue, I was taken aback. Mysterious shadow memos determining state law?!? The answer was much better: The Washington Admin. Office of the Courts provides research assistance for clerk-less state judges. Good!

When I heard that trial judges were relying on secret "memos" to resolve a constitutional issue, I was taken aback. Mysterious shadow memos determining state law?!? The answer was much better: The Washington Admin. Office of the Courts provides research assistance for clerk-less state judges. Good!

This is Good and begins to show what a good civil service will do for the judiciary

Washington has a program where trial court judges, who generally do not have law clerks, can ask centralized staff attorneys with AOC to draft research memos. A good memo can then be shared by the judge with other judges. As the WSBA article (discussed below) notes, they can be very influential!

I just learned about the Trial Court Legal Services program in the Washington Administrative Office of the Courts. If you don't already know about it, now you can learn about it too! ziffblog.wordpress.com/2026/05/26/a...

I just learned about the Trial Court Legal Services program in the Washington Administrative Office of the Courts. If you don't already know about it, now you can learn about it too! ziffblog.wordpress.com/2026/05/26/a...

Reviewers in two groups were given identical resumes for Emily Clarke and James Clarke and told they had used AI. Emily's was 2x as likely to raise doubts about competence. "She can't even write a CV herself." But James "just needed a bit of help." fortune.com/2026/05/10/i...

We're calling it the Action on Planning Comprehensive Joints.

Wanted to sleep in today but can't because woke.

Interesting to think about spending on legal over different time periods. At what point in the future does "Saving money on legal by having AI do our legal" shift to "Spending a lot more on legal to clean up the problems caused by our previous AI legal"?

Simpler times.

Seems like a great job! #LegalWriting

My vibe:

The MLB app radio feed *cannot* still be doing the same "vocabulary" ads this season. I can't hear anymore about oppo taco. Stop it. cc: @mlb.com @theathletic.com @aarongleeman.bsky.social