《中国律师在写作上常犯的6个错误》.pdf

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1、THETOPSIXLEGALWRITINGMISTAKESTHATCHINESEATTORNEYSCOMMONLYMAKECarsonBlock,www.legalwritingshanghai.comCommonMistake#1:UnclearorganizationIngeneral,legalwritingshouldadheretothefollowingorganizationalstructureineachparagraph(althoughtherearetimeswhenyouwoulddeviatesomewhatfromthisformula):Conc

2、lusion(inblue)Rule(inyellow)Proof(ingreen)Application(inpurple)Hereisanexampleofaproperlywritten“CRPA”paragraph:AcourtwilllikelyholdthatbecauseMr.Davisisapublicfigure,Ms.Jonesisnotliablefordefaminghim.Forapublicfiguretoprevailinadefamationclaim,hemustshowthatthedefendantpublishedthedefamator

3、ystatementwith“actualmalice.”NewYorkTimesv.Sullivan,376U.S.254(1964).TheSullivanCourtdefinedactualmaliceaspublishingastatement“…withrecklessdisregardofwhetheritisfalseornot.”Sullivan,376U.S.at280.Thefailuretocheckallegedfactsthatpotentiallyembarrassthesubjectofthepublicationdoesnotconstitute

4、actualmalice.InSullivan,thedefendantwasanewspaperthatpublishedaprominentlydisplayedpaidadvertisementaccusinggovernmentofficialsinMontgomery,Alabamaofcivilrightsviolations.Someoftheaccusationsintheadvertisementwereshownincourttobeuntrue.Eventhoughthenewspaperdidnotcheckthefactsallegedintheadv

5、ertisement,thecourtheldthatthepublicationdidnotmeettheactualmalicerequirement.Itisundisputedthatasafamousathlete,Mr.Davisisapublicfigure.AfterobtainingtheinformationthatMr.Davisfindsobjectionable,Ms.Jonescorroborateditwithvarioussources,includingMr.Davishimself.Thus,althoughSullivanholdsthat

6、areporterneednotchecksuchfacts,Ms.Jonesmadeagoodfaithefforttodoso.Therefore,Mr.Davis’statusasapublicfigurelikelyensuresthathewillnotbeabletoshowactualmalice.Furthermore,thestructureoftheentiredocumentneedstobeorganizedproperly.Attorneysshouldwritedocumentssothatareaderwhoisinarushcanquicklyu

7、nderstandthemainissuesandconclusions.Writingsubstantiveintroductoryparagraphstodocumentsandsectionsisabout60%ofthisprocess.RelativelyfewChineseattorneysstructuretheirdocumentsinthisway.CommonMistake#2:NonidentificationofthekeylegalissuesChineseatto