David Schwinger shares with you how to successfully write a legal article by engaging your audience and following these key tips.

1. T I P S F O R W R I T I N G A N E N G A G I N G
L E G A L A R T I C L E B Y D A V I D S C H W I N G E R

2. • Writing a legal article that
will actually get read takes
a lot of skill and
commitment.
• But, with the right mindset
and advice, it can be done
in a way that will be
appreciated by your
audience and shared
amongst your peers.

3. • Most lawyers write articles that summarize a specific case, propose a point,
and explain various concepts or other useful information that will be placed
in a firm’s resources for its clients.
• Here are some key tips for producing a legal article that is informative,
engaging, and read…

4. • First, and perhaps the most important rule of thumb, is know your
audience.
• Before you even finalise what topic you will be writing about,
considering your audience should be at the top of your list.
• It is vital to know both who they are and what they know.

5. • Many writers create a person
in their head (also called an
avatar) based on someone
who would be part of the
audience they are writing for.
• A notable Lawyer blog
entitled, Tips for Lawyers,
gives an example of creating
an audience member in your
head for when you are
writing a legal article…

6. “Jane is a 34 year old mother of two, she works full time
and her kids stay with her parents during the day. Her
husband is away often working for a mining company.
Jane doesn’t have a lot of spare time, but needs to stay
up to date to ensure she manages her business well.”
(8 Requirements for Writing a Legal Article That Will Get
Read)

7. • Notice how detailed the writer is about the person that represents
its audience so he or she can know exactly who their audience is -
the more detailed, the better.

8. • Another important factor
to consider when writing a
legal article is the
headline, which should
inform your audience why
they care about the topic
you are writing on.
• Your headline should be
interesting and detailed,
not boring and
uninformative like “Court
Update,” or “Law News.”

9. • Keep in mind, you should
avoid headlines that are
too fancy and clever,
because then you’ll just be
causing a lot of unwanted
confusion for your
audience members.
• If your audience cannot
understand the headline of
your article, chances are
they will have no interest in
actually reading it.

10. • Investing time in your opening sentence is vital for writing an article that will actually
be read and recognized. According to Tips for Lawyers:
• “Your opening sentence MUST align with your headline and your extract - they need
to tell the same story, but not in the same way. The opening sentence should offer
enough about the article that the person wants to read the rest. It should not contain
the answer to the question, the benefit you offered, or anything else that means
there is no need to read the rest of the article,” (8 Requirements for Writing a Legal
Article That Will Get Read).

11. • Another tip for writing a
great opening sentence
is to avoid mentioning
case names, legislation,
or other topics that will
bore your audience out
of their mind.

12. • Lastly, images.
• Make sure their
are images in
your article and
make sure they
are relevant.
• It’s as simple as
that.

13. • For more tips on how to
write an intriguing legal
article, check out Tips for
Lawyer's article here .