Inmanylegalsettingsspecializedformsofwrittencommunicationarerequired.Inmanyothers,writingisthemediuminwhichalawyermustexpresstheiranalysisofanissueandseektopersuadeothersontheirclients'behalf.Anylegaldocumentmustbeconcise,clear,andconformtotheobjectivestandardsthathaveevolvedinthelegalprofession.
在许多法律环境中要求特别的写作沟通形式。其他情形下，写作是律师表述对问题的分析以及代表客户努力说服他人的方法。任何法律文件必须简练、清晰，及符合法律行业演变出的客观标准。
Therearegenerallytwotypesoflegalwriting.Thefirsttyperequiresabalancedanalysisofalegalproblemorissue.Examplesofthefirsttypeareinter-officememorandaandletterstoclients.Tobeeffectiveinthisformofwriting,thelawyermustbesensitivetotheneeds,levelofinterestandbackgroundofthepartiestowhomitisaddressed.Amemorandumtoapartnerinthesamefirmthatdetailsdefinitionsofbasiclegalconceptswouldbeinefficientandanannoyance.Incontrast,theirabsencefromalettertoaclientwithnolegalbackgroundcouldservetoconfuseandcomplicateasimplesituation.
Thesecondtypeoflegalwritingispersuasive.Examplesofthistypeareappellatebriefsandnegotiationletterswrittenonaclientsbehalf.Thelawyermustpersuadehisorheraudiencewithoutprovokingahostileresponsethroughdisrespectorbywastingtherecipient'stimewithunnecessaryinformation.Inpresentingdocumentstoacourtoradministrativeagencyheorshemustconformtotherequireddocumentstyle.