Why Legal Writing Matters More Than Courtroom Talk (Full Transcript)

A legal educator explains that 60–80% of lawyering is writing and why teaching this early helps students prepare for clerkships and practice.

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[00:00:00] Speaker 1: So one of the things they have to learn is how important writing is. You know, when I was thinking about law school and when most people think about lawyers, we we don't think about lawyers as writers. We think of them as speakers. Yeah, we see them in court talking. We see them talking to clients, negotiating. But most of like what, 60, 80 percent of what we do is in writing. And so getting students to understand that early has been really helpful to get them prepared for something like a clerkship.

Summary

The speaker emphasizes that writing is a crucial but often underestimated part of legal work. While lawyers are commonly viewed as speakers, a large majority of their work—roughly 60–80%—is done in writing. Teaching students early about the importance of strong legal writing better prepares them for roles such as judicial clerkships.

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Title

Legal Practice Is Mostly Writing, Not Speaking

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Keywords

legal writing Remove

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law school Remove

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lawyers

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advocacy

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client communication Remove

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negotiation Remove

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judicial clerkship Remove

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professional preparation Remove

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Key Takeaways

Most legal work is written rather than spoken.
Students often underestimate how central writing is to being a lawyer.
Emphasizing writing early in legal education helps prepare students for clerkships.
Courtroom speaking is visible, but briefs, memos, and correspondence make up much of the job.

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Sentiments

Neutral: The tone is matter-of-fact and instructional, highlighting a common misconception and stressing the practical importance of writing without strong emotional language.

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