Legal Writing

Whom the Gods Would Destroy, They First Make Mad

There are many great lines Justice Fergus O’Donnell’s opinion in R. v. Duncan (2013), which was an otherwise unremarkable case except that the defendant tried to run one of those “sovereign citizen” defenses up the flagpole. That didn’t go so well:…




Bad Attitude Costs Texas in Fee Dispute

Hey, I get it—sometimes when you win and you think the other side's position was bogus, it's hard not to get all smug and self-righteous. But you really should try. Not trying very hard—well, not trying at all—cost the State…


“Like Your Client, This Claim Won’t Fly”

Think I'll add a new category for legal correspondence, and this letter is going in it. It's from a lawyer representing Dan Bilzerian. I'd never heard of him, but Legal Cheek describes him as "Instagram playboy Dan Bilzerian" and "Instagram sensation Dan Bilzerian"…


A Zinger From 1877

It is doubtful if by strict search through the files of the various courts of this state a judgment was ever before rendered in favor of a party upon a document, called “petition,” that would begin to compare in worthlessness…





Australian Experts Report First Known Quintuple Negative

A person whose native language is said to be English created the following sentence recently: The grounds of appeal announced on Monday state Justice Sifris erred in not finding Mr Goldberg was wrong in failing to set aside the summonses….