Exact Approximations

Monday, October 03, 2005

Made Up Words & Other Techniques of Superb Legal Writing.

During my 2L summer, I took a job at a firm that would never, ever make me an offer. They made that clear at interviews. I had other options, and could have done the whole "work 2L summer, get an offer, come back after the bar" thing, but the no-offer firm made me an offer I couldn't refuse. They did exactly what I wanted to do and they did it well. They had just taken home a huge employment law victory in a multi-million dollar class action. The partners write practice guides, serve as in-demand mediators and generally kick some mad ass. So I took that job and decided to figure out what to do later... well... later. (That may sound like common sense, but in law school, all career-related choices are supposed to be planned 18 months in advance. I don't know why. I think it is dee-dee-dee.)

Anyhow, that summer, I read a mediation brief written by an attorney in the office I called "Yale Sugardaddy." Long story. The SugarDaddy has nothing to do with SugarDaddies and is actually a last name slam. He is a nice guy. I'd hate to spread the wrong idea.

Anyhow, his brief contained the term "groundless makeweight." I had never heard the word 'makeweight' before, nor did I care. I was sold. Those two words so perfectly sum it up when you are trying to point out that opposing counsel is grasping at anything to make their argument look stronger. I think so at least.

Since then, I have used the term no less than three times at various jobs, volunteer work, class projects. I usually receive a red-line through it with the chicken-scratched "argumentative." I hate it when I see that comment on a legal document. Of course it is argumentative. Tools.

Anyhow, I used it in a motion recently and The Boss liked it.

Finally. Someone sees the light.

This post is really for the law students out there. Use the term when finals come. It will help.

11 Comments:

  • My conlaw prof would use the term "makeweight" all the time refering to the Supreme Court arguments in their cases. It was great.

    Yes, your random Cabbage Patch story especially makes you one of my favorites.

    By Blogger Arbusto, at 2:24 PM  

  • Cheese and rice - I used "anyhow" three times in this post. Hmm. Need to work on that.

    Hey Arbusto -- if you thought that was good, just you wait till I get the nerve to tell what I did with the Cabbage Patch Doll when I was 16

    Just sayin'...

    By Blogger Lex Fori, at 2:32 PM  

  • Probably the same thing you did with your Glow Worm toy, I'm betting. ;)

    By Blogger Arbusto, at 5:26 PM  

  • Here it is, the First Monday in October, and all you law folks can come up with is "Makeweight", "Yale SugarDaddies", "Cabbage Patch Dolls", and "Glow Worm Toys"? Now I have a better understanding of why Bush nominated Miers for the next position on the Supreme Court! If you keep this up...I may have to FINALLY start my own blog!

    If I do, I would be honored if you two read it! :)

    CECU

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 6:26 AM  

  • OK...I think I did it...

    http://friscowanderer.blogspot.com/

    CECU

    By Blogger Crazy East Coast Uncle, at 7:53 AM  

  • Hey Lex I love reading your blog (even Adam's blog and hope he will finish someday moving posts from livejournal to blogger)

    CECU created a blog but restricted to tean members, he wont get any comments that way.

    Luke

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 9:53 AM  

  • Seriously CECU - how will we ever talk smack?

    don't get down on us for GloWorms and Cabbage Patch Dolls. We're young still, you should expect a bit of this. We can't help being irreverent and immature at times. Don't hold our youth and its endless possiblity against us.

    BTW Arbusto - I'm not the only girl who ever made out with her GloWor,. It's a dirty little secret among women. That and humping the side of the bath-tub.

    Seriously.

    By Blogger Lex Fori, at 10:36 AM  

  • Thank you "I Love the 80s" for that bit of Glow Worm information.

    I hadn't heard about humping bath tubs but I have heard about humping blankets. Someday I will share some of my shameful pubescent stories.

    Luke, thank's the kudos. Going from livejournal to blogger is tough because livejournal is so slow and I have no time. But keep checking out my "past tense" site for that whenever I get around to it.

    By Blogger Arbusto, at 11:14 AM  

  • Try it now...I am new at this :)

    By Blogger Crazy East Coast Uncle, at 4:37 PM  

  • Still restricted to team members.

    By Blogger Arbusto, at 5:26 PM  

  • Word.

    Go to the blogger dashboard and click on the settings tab, then the comments sub-tab (I guess that's what it is).

    Scroll down and hit the drop down on Who Can Comment. Select everyone and then click save settings. You might have to republish your entire blog to get the change to take effect.

    =)

    Lex

    By Blogger Lex Fori, at 5:34 PM  

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