Jill Barton spent the first decade of her career working as a journalist, with the Associated Press Stylebook always at hand to determine word usage and punctuation choices. But when she became an attorney, she says, she realized that there was no single equivalent style guide when it came to legal writing

You think you read a lot? Try keeping up with Jill Barton, who spent five years analyzing more than 10,000 pages from Supreme Court opinions!

Throughout her research, she discovered that . . . Chief Justice John Roberts uses commas based on cadence rather than simply following strict English grammar guidance.

Jill Barton's unbridled enthusiasm for writing and the law is evident . . . . And, there’s a clue to how a law professor and author has analyzed 10,000 pages of Supreme Court opinions, which ostensibly should be staid and academic, and revealed the astonishing news that the justices have a sense of humor. In The Supreme Guide to Writing, Jill Barton cuts through competing advice . . . .

Miami Law Professor Creates the Definitive Legal Writing Resource

"The justices use pop culture references and approachable language. They use the personal pronoun 'you' to speak directly to readers, making their writing more accessible and conversational. In many ways, they want to tell stories about the people involved in the case.

Several Supreme Court and Court of Appeals cases have hinged over the use of words and punctuation. Jill Barton, director of Miami Law's Legal Communications and Research Skill, writes about how these cases impact how we write and legislate.

Jill Barton and Rachel H. Smith discuss adding mindfulness lessons to their teaches. They also talk about what differences they have noticed in student behavior post-pandemic as well as how they see ChatGPT fitting into their legal writing classes.

A legal writing professor's examination of U.S. Supreme Court decisions shows the justices usually achieve unanimity on most matters of style. But on three points—conjunctions, possessives and fragments—the justices divide.

Supreme Grammar Splits: Prof. Barton looked at how the Justices use fragments, possessives, and conjunctions. . . . While the Justices didn't use fragments frequently, they often used them memorably (think "Pure applesauce.").

In “The Supreme Guide to Writing", law professor and seasoned journalist Jill Barton cuts through competing advice to detail definitive grammar rules based on the nation's unequivocal authority: the U.S. Supreme Court.

Coming soon!