Legal and Legislative Drafting, 3rd Edition

Drafting complex legal and legislative documents can be challenging. From the organization of complex ideas to ensuring clear and unambiguous language, legal and legislative drafting is a demanding task. Mistakes can be costly – even catastrophic – for lawyers who face malpractice claims if drafting errors cost their clients money. Those charged with drafting legislative or legal documents need a solution to help them navigate through these challenges.

Legal and Legislative Drafting, 3rd Edition helps legislative drafters and private sector lawyers write concise and precise legal documents by providing them with:

• Practical advice – The book's step-by-step approach leaves theory-driven publications far behind
• Expert guidance – Over 1,000 examples are covered to help illustrate how provisions evolve through the application of various drafting techniques
• Best practices – Helps drafters deal with other key parties in the process and increase their efficiency
• Invaluable tools – Allow drafters to choose the right words in the appropriate context to convey the document's intended meaning

What’s New in This Edition

• Many new examples, additions and improvements since the previous edition published in 2018
• Three brand new chapters, covering:
  • The drafting of legislation in second or multiple languages (Chapter 14)
  • A discussion of the potential for artificial intelligence to improve and expedite, if not supplant, the work of legislative drafters (Chapter 15)
  • The practices and pitfalls of co-developing legislation with stakeholders (Chapter 17)
• Expansion of best practices (Chapter 18), covering:
  • The training of legislative drafters with analysis of the inefficiency and inadequacy of current methods of inaugurating newcomers to the field

Who Should Read This Book

• Legislative drafters – who need to understand the principles and practices of legislative drafting to master their skills
• Private sector lawyers – who engage in drafting complex contracts, leases, and other legal documents
• International lawyers or legislative drafters – who require an international perspective on legislative drafting in negotiating or analyzing treaties
• Law professors and students – who seek an accessible solution for legal writing courses