The Winning Brief presents its advice in the form of 100 tips, each followed by quotations, commentary, and examples. The tips follow the chronological order of a writing project, from initial brainstorming to proofreading. The tips are listed inside the front and rear covers for quick reference.
Mr. Garner's advice has contributed directly to my practice. I have applied his advice in writing four summary judgment motions; two were granted, while the other two led to favorable settlements for my clients.
The reader is sure to find at least one or two tips that can be applied immediately to a current writing project. Not only that, but Mr. Garner's advice can be applied to other non-fiction writing projects. In sum, I heartily recommend this book to all attorneys who hope to be more persuasive in their writing.
This isn't a book that rehashes writing tips you'll find in more general guides--it is specifically geared toward the delicate craft of legal writing. Admittedly, this is a somewhat pricey tome, but it's worth every penny.
While the advice to avoid clutter, in words, ideas, and layout sounds commonsensical, applying that advice is not always so obvious. I think Garner does a terrific job.
Even though, in an effort to avoid clutter, I have been using many of these "tips", I had not engaged in the kind of analysis that Garner has. Even it you already observe these tips, there is some comfort in having validation--that you are on the right track.
An earlier reviewer refers favourably to Judge Aldisert's book from NITA about appeal briefs in the course of reviewing Garner's book. I am reading that book now. I do not think Judge Aldisert's book is a superior alternative to Garner's book. I think the books are complementary. Justice Aldisert's book has a number of points that are specific to certain areas of American appellate practice. Garner's book is more about getting your ideas across well through writing, and has a strong emphasis on some important components in putting sentences and paragraphs together, grammatical, structural, choice of vocabulary.
Overall, Garner's book is a tremendous resource. Lucky lawyers reading it; lucky judges when they get the benefit of better written briefs because of Garner's book.