Writing Tip of the Week: Proofreading Strategies

When you have finished revising and editing your work, it is critical to set aside time to proofread. Remember that proofreading is not the same thing as editing—you should not try to do both at the same time. When you edit, you are revising for style and clarity. When you proofread, you are looking for mistakes, such as missing words, typographical errors, and incorrect punctuation. Here are some proofreading strategies to consider:

• Give yourself a break between editing and proofreading. Ideally, you should put your paper away for a day before proofreading it, but even ten to twenty minutes can give you a fresh look at it.
• Do something different to help you see mistakes you might otherwise overlook. For instance, proofread your paper in a different order from the order in which you have been revising it. If you usually work on the first section first, proofread the last section first. Try reading your paper backwards, line for line, from the back to the front. Read it aloud, or try covering everything but the line you are reading with a ruler or paper. If you are a fast reader, slow down.
• Personalize your proofreading. Think about the types of errors you tend to make, including errors in grammar and punctuation, and read your paper looking only for those mistakes.
• Print out a hard copy. Looking at the hard copy is different from looking at your computer screen, and you may be able to see mistakes more easily on paper. You should always print out a final document, even if you are submitting it electronically, to make sure that the formatting looks the same on paper as it does on your monitor.
• Use Spellchecker and similar computer tools, but do not rely on them. Spellchecker will not catch missing words, homonyms such as “hear” for “here,” transpositions such as “statue” for “statute,” or misspellings in capitals-only text such as point headings.

For more information, see Anne Enquist & Laurel Currie Oates, Just Writing 20-22 (3d ed. 2009) and Laurel Currie Oates & Anne Enquist, The Legal Writing Handbook 185, 274, 572-73 (4th ed. 2006).

Reading, Finals, Break Hours

Tuesday, November 24
7:00am – Midnight

Wednesday, November 25
7:00am - Midnight

Thursday, November 26
Closed (Thanksgiving)

Friday, November 27
Closed (Thanksgiving)

Saturday, November 28
8:00am – 8:00pm

Sunday, November 29
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Monday, November 30 – Friday, December 4
7:00am – Midnight

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8:00am – 10:00pm

Sunday, December 6
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Monday, December 7 – Friday, December 11
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Sunday, December 13
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Monday, December 14 – Thursday, December 17
7:00am – Midnight

Friday, December 18 – Wednesday, December 23
8:00am – 6:00pm

Thursday, December 24
8:00am – 5:00pm (subject to early university closure)

Friday, December 25 – Sunday, January 3, 2010
Closed (Winter Break)

Monday, January 4 –Friday, January 8, 2010
8:00am – 6:00pm

Saturday, January 9, 2010
Normal Hours Resume

Writing Tip of the Week: Use the Proper Tense

Beginning legal writers are sometimes confused about which tense to use when discussing the law, precedent cases, or client facts. As in other writing, use the present tense to describe facts or rules that exist now and the past tense for facts or events that have already occurred.

Use the present tense to discuss the rule of law.

• A significant change in employment status constitutes an adverse employment action under Title VII. (rule of law exists in the present)

Use the past tense to discuss the facts of a precedent case and the court’s holding or reasoning.

• In Sanchez, a teacher was transferred from one school to another, but her title, salary, benefits, duties, and responsibilities remained the same. (the transfer occurred in the past)
• The court held that her transfer did not constitute an adverse employment action. (court decided case in the past)
• The court reasoned that a mere lateral transfer with the same job title, salary, benefits, duties, and responsibilities was not an adverse employment action. (court reasoned in the past)

Use the past tense for client facts or events that have already occurred, but use the present tense for client facts or conditions that exist in the present.

• Mr. Smith worked in the branch office, where he represented adult clients in high-profile criminal cases. (Ms. Smith did these things in the past)
• The company’s client list contains names, addresses, and phone numbers for all corporate clients. (list exists in the present)

For more information, see Robin Wellford Slocum, Legal Reasoning, Writing, and Persuasive Argument 222-23 (2d ed. 2006); Anne Enquist & Laurel Currie Oates, Just Writing 178-82 (3d ed. 2009); and Laurel Currie Oates & Anne Enquist, The Legal Writing Handbook 724-27 (4th ed. 2006).

New Resource for Moot Court Teams

Supporting our Competition Teams … if you are the member of any of SCOL’s competitions, check out the new book, The 12 Secrets of Persuasive Argument. It’s a short, pithy book…easy reading. Pick it up when you think your presentation is ready and see if you can pick up a few additional tips…(K2251 .W35 2009)

'NOT' Operator Added to HeinOnline's Field Search

News about a new feature from Hein Online, by Tim Hooge.

For those HeinOnline users who prefer to search using the Field Search, we've added a small but powerful option to this search page. The 'NOT' operator is now a selectable option in addition to the AND/OR operators you are used to using. The 'NOT' operator is used in a search the same way that you would use the AND/OR operators. Simply select the NOT option from the drop box. The NOT operator is different because it functions as an exclusionary tool. This can be quite useful in weeding out search results that are very similar to the topic you are looking for, but are actually irrelevant to your search and just diluting the results that you really want. A simple example of how this works is explained in the short video below.

Again, this is just a simple example of how the NOT operator can function. When used correctly, the NOT operator can be a highly effective tool in narrowing your research to the relevant results you need. The NOT operator has always been available for users searching with the Advanced Search. If you'd like to learn more about searching in HeinOnline, we recommend taking a look at some of the training guides in the HeinOnline Wiki.

Legal Abbreviations

Having trouble deciphering a legal abbreviation in a cite & source assignment? Try Prince's Bieber Dictionary of Legal Abbreviations: A Reference Guide for Attorneys, Legal Secretaries, Paralegals, and Law Students, 6th Edition, Level 3 Reference Desk KF246.B46

Locate meanings for acronyms, abbreviations, and symbols found in reporters, treatises, law reviews, loose-leaf services, legal encyclopedias, law dictionaries, legal reference books, and other documents in forward and reverse order.

Prince's update includes new and/or expanded abbreviations for domestic, foreign, and international agencies, organizations, periodicals, reporters, popular acts, and legal terms and phrases cited in American legal literature.

Writing Tip of the Week: Commas with Introductory Clauses

A sentence often includes both a main and a subordinate clause. A main clause can stand alone as a complete sentence; a subordinate clause cannot do so. In addition, a subordinate clause usually begins with a subordinating conjunction, such as “after,” “although,” “as,” “because,” “before,” “if,” “unless,” “until,” “when,” or “where.”

A subordinate clause that introduces a main clause is called an “introductory clause.” Use a comma to separate a long introductory clause (four or more words) from the main clause.

• Although Mr. Jones’s job title did not change, his responsibilities changed significantly.
• In his Motion for Summary Judgment, the Defendant argued that the statute of limitations had expired.
• Glaring at the Defendant, the witness recounted how he had invested his entire retirement savings in the Defendant’s company.
• Because the Plaintiff has failed to state a claim for relief, the Court should find for the Defendant.

You should also use a comma when you begin a sentence with a short prepositional phrase (three or fewer words) or a single transitional word.

• In Bloodsaw, the court recognized non-consensual medical testing as a “basic” invasion of privacy.
• However, the plaintiff did not provide any evidence of bad faith.
• Therefore, the legislature did not intend for the statute to cover access to websites.

For more information, see Anne Enquist & Laurel Currie Oates, Just Writing 213-15 (3d ed. 2009) and Laurel Currie Oates & Anne Enquist, The Legal Writing Handbook 758-60 (4th ed. 2006).