法律英语如何撰写律师函Word下载.docx
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法律英语如何撰写律师函Word下载.docx
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Note:
Thisarticleisforbackgroundpurposesonlyandisnotintendedaslegaladvice.
Whydopeoplehatetogetlettersfromlawyers?
Theycarrybadnews.Theymeanseriousbusiness.They'
rehardtounderstand.Theyusestrangewords.Theycarrytheinherentthreatofsuit.
Whydolawyerssendsuchletters?
Theymeanseriousbusiness,andtheyintendtosue.
Butmusttheyusethoseancient,strangewordsandbesohardtounderstand,orcanlawyersexpressseriousbusinessandimminentsuitusingwordseveryoneknows?
Whetherwritingademandlettertoacontractbreacher,anadvicelettertoaclient,oracoverlettertoacourtclerk,theletterfailsifthepersonreceivingitcannotunderstandwhatitsays.
Alloftheselettershaveonethingincommon:
Theyarenotgreatliterature.Theywillnotbereadinahundredyearsandanalyzedfortheirwit,charmorflowerywords.Withanylucktheywillbereadjustoncebyafewpeople,followedquicklybytheirintendedresult,whetherthatbecompliance,understandingoragreement.
LawyersareLetterFactories
Lawyerswritemany,manyletters.Anaverageformemightbefivelettersaday.Thisincludesadviceletters,coverletters,demandletters,allsortsofletters.Somedayshavemore,somehaveless,butfiveisafairlyconservativeaverage,Iwouldthink.Fivelettersadayforfivedaysaweekforfiftyweeksayearis1,250lettersayear.Thisismy25thyearinpractice,soitisquiteconceivablethatIhavewritten31,250letterssofar.
Whydolawyerswritesomanyletters?
Aprimaryreasonlieswithintheethicsofourprofession.FloridaBarRulesofProfessionalConductRule4-1.4says:
"
Alawyershallkeepaclientreasonablyinformedaboutthestatusofamatterandpromptlycomplywithreasonablerequestsforinformation."
Alawyershallexplainamattertotheextentreasonablynecessarytopermittheclienttomakeinformeddecisionsregardingtherepresentation."
Whileclientscanbekeptinformedandgivenexplanationsorally,lawyerscertainlyknowthevalueoftheprintedwordoverthespokenword:
itisnotaseasilyforgottenormisunderstood.Lettersalsocreatearecordofadvicegiven,whichisusefultoboththelawyerandtheclient.Thatiswhylettersarethepreferredmethodofkeepingclientsinformedandgivingclientsexplanations.
SomeThingsToDoBeforeWriting
Beforeyoustartwritingtheletteritmakessensetodosomepreliminarybackgroundwork.
Findaletterform.Findasimilarletteryouhavesentinthepast,orseetheAppendixtothisarticleforsampleengagement,cover,demand,contractnegotiation,contractadvice,andfaxletters.
Reviewpriorletterstothisrecipient.Inabusyworld,itiseasytoforget.Reviewpriorletterstoremindyourselfwhereyouareintheworkprocess,whathasalreadybeensaid,andwhatremainstobesaid.Thiswillgiveyourletterdirectionandpurpose.
Donotsendalettertoanotherlawyer'
sclientwithoutthatlawyer'
sconsent.Beforesendingtheletter,findoutifthenonlawyerisrepresentedbysomeoneelse.Startbyaskingyourclient.FloridaBarRulesofProfessionalConductRule4-4.2says:
Inrepresentingaclient,alawyershallnotcommunicateaboutthesubjectoftherepresentationwithapersonthelawyerknowstoberepresentedbyanotherlawyerinthematter,unlessthelawyerhastheconsentoftheotherlawyer."
Outlineyourthoughtsinachecklist.Beforeturningonyourcomputerordictatingmachine,pulloutayellowpadandjotdownthemainpointsforyourletter.Listwhatyouwantthelettertosay.Writethepointsinanyorder;
writethemastheycomeintoyourmind.Youcanrearrangethemwhenyouwritetheletter.Rightnowyou'
rejustmakingachecklistforwritingtheletter.
Keepthelegalpadcloseathand.Whenyourunoutofideasforthechecklist,putthepadatthesideofyourdesk.Newideasalwaysspringforthwhenwriting.Jotthesedownonthepadasyouwritetheletter;
theyareeasilyforgotten.
SimpleStuffThatWillMakeYouLookDumbIfIt'
sWrong
Lettersbeginwithboringthingslikethedateandrecipient'
snameandaddress,butifanyofthesearemissingorwrongtheletterwriterwilllookprettycareless,tosaytheleast.Sobecarefulwhenstartingtheletter,andyoucanevenincludesomeextrathingsthatwillmaketheletterevenbetterthantheregularletterstherecipientreceives.
Dateyourletter.Dateyourletterthedayyouwriteit,andsenditthesameday.Undatedlettersaredifficulttoreplyto.Iusuallyreplytothembysaying,"
ThisisinreplytoyourundatedletterthatIreceivedinthemailon24June1999."
Considerusingtheinternationaldatingconventionofday-month-yearratherthantheU.S.conventionofmonth-day-year.Asreportedint
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