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Legal writing resources

Use this guide to find books, tools and resources about academic and professional writing for law students and lawyers.

Selected books

Some of the following books can help you learn more about writing for legal professionals.

Modern Legal Drafting by Peter Butt
Publication date: 2013
Drafting by Ros Macdonald, Denise McGill.
Publication date: 2008
Clear and precise : writing skills for today's lawyer / by Ros Macdonald, Deborah Clark-Dickson.
Publication date: 2010
Legal drafting : a how to guide by Ros Macdonald, Denise McGill
Publication date: 2015
Pleadings Without Tears in Australia by Peter Young; Hugh Selby
Publication date: 1997
The elements of drafting by J.K. Aitken, Peter Butt
Publication date: 2004
Plain language for lawyers by Michèle M. Asprey.
Publication date: 2010
Plain English for Lawyers by Richard C. Wydick; Amy E. Sloan
Publication date: 2019

Online resources

Lawyers Pactice Manual Qld
See Part A on 'Effective writing for lawyers'

Browse subject headings

Use the following subject headings to locate relevant works:

Forms and Precedents

Australian Encyclopaedia of Forms and Precedents
This publication contains over 4000 legal precedents and forms organised by subject area.
Looseleaf services
Many looseleaf services include precedents. Select the area of law from this list. If the looseleaf service you are looking for is not listed here, try searching UQ Library Search.