How to use this book -- Transitioning to legal writing -- Overview : office memos -- Choosing authority -- Interpreting statutes -- Organizing the discussion -- Constructing a rule -- Stating and explaining the rule -- Applying the law : fact-based analysis -- Applying the law : analogical analysis -- Applying the law : policy analysis -- Writing the introduction to the discussion (or argument) -- Writing the question presented (objective) -- Writing the brief answer -- Writing the facts -- Writing the conclusion section -- Overview : motions and briefs -- Handling standards of review -- Developing a theory of the case and themes -- Writing point headings and subheadings -- Making persuasive arguments -- Making persuasive counterarguments -- Writing the summary of the argument -- Writing a persuasive fact statement -- Writing the question presented (persuasive) -- Overview : revising and rewriting -- Fixing awkward sentence structure -- Starting paragraphs powerfully -- Writing concisely to stay within the word count or page limit -- Bringing it together : transitions and coherence -- The writer's life : where to go from here.