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March 23, 2020

New ABA book helps lawyers develop their own distinct writing style

CHICAGO, March 23, 2020 –- Just published by the American Bar Association, “The Modern Rules of Style, Second Edition” is a pocket-sized guide that will help anyone improve their writing. Author Paul Marx gives readers the fundamental skills they need before putting pen to paper or fingers to keyboard.

Lawyers write every day, but often they do not have a sense of style. They put what they have to say down on paper — but without distinction. This essential handbook will change all that. It provides examples of the good, the bad and the questionable through journalistic and narrative formatting. Marx details the proper use of parallelism, em dashes, semicolons, colons, modifiers, similes and noun clauses. In addition to explaining grammar rules, he also illustrates how sentence structure, repetition and word choice can impact writing style.

Small and foundational changes can help make writing more focused, enjoyable and interesting. A great resource for lawyers and all students of self-help, “The Modern Rules of Style, Second Edition” belongs on any bookshelf already home to “The Elements of Style.”

Marx is the author of “Utopia in America” and “Jim Rouse: Capitalist/Idealist” and editor of “Modern and Classical Essayists” and “Twelve Short Story Writers.” He has published articles in The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, Dallas Morning News, Yankee and elsewhere. Currently, he is professor emeritus of English at the University of New Haven, where he teaches non-fiction writing.

Title:                      The Modern Rules of Style, Second Edition
Publisher:              ABA Book Publishing
Pages:                   96
Product Code:       1620784
ISBN:                     9781641055581
Size:                      5 x 7
Binding:                Paperback; eBook
Price:                     List $29.95; Members $23.95
Orders:                  800-285-2221

Editor’s note: Review copies are available by sending an email to John Palmer at [email protected]. If you publish a review of this book, please send tear sheets or a copy for our files to ABA Publishing, 321 N. Clark St., Chicago, IL 60654.

 

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