Plain language resources

This article discusses the primary audience for legal writing - the general public. It looks at barriers to readability and how lawyers can write to overcome these barriers.

Keywords: readability, lay reader, editing

This article discusses a long-term, in-house plain language program at a large law firm in Argentina.

Keywords: lawyers, training, Argentina, writing skills

This article looks at the role of plain language in negotiations in the context of software licensing. The article identifies the competing interests of the lawyers, negotiators and plain language consultants and provides tips on how to effectively collaborate.

Keywords: negotiating, contracts, collaboration

This article looks at the role of community legal organisations in producing legally accurate, plain language documents. It discusses the involvement of external organisations in helping organisations to decide on projects, apply plain language and determine legal accuracy of information.

Keywords: community legal education, legal accuracy, collaboration

This article looks at the use of apostrophes in and provides a detailed outline of when apostrophes are used, and what their use means.

Keywords: apostrophe, grammar, tips

This articles explores the use of graphic recording to convey plain language information. Graphic recording is a visual medium that can present plain language ideas in a more creative format.

Keywords: graphic recording, clarity, active engagement

This article recounts the introduction of the lay judge system in Japan. The article details the development of the system which involved rewording legal terms in order to make them clearer for people from non-legal backgrounds.

Keywords: lay judge, Japan, rewording

This article details the outcomes of a Clarity project that involved professionals from different backgrounds collaborating to simplify information using plain language. The projects included World of Warcraft terms of service, South African Gautrain disclaimer clause, Gibson Sheat Lawyers Standard Terms of Engagement and Chase Credit Card Agreement.

Keywords: simplify, projects, terms of service, disclaimer clause, terms of engagement, agreement

This article looks at the use of plain language for election ballot paper instructions. The article shows the original, revised and final drafts of the modified ballot instructions.

Keywords: ballot paper, instructions

This article identifies and discusses the problems faced by the medicinal and pharmaceutical industry with communicating in plain language. The article argues that packaging and leaflets for pharmaceutical products should be considered from a plain language perspective.

Keywords: medicine, packaging, leaflets

This article explores the idea of creating plain language standards. It identifies and discusses a series of recommendations for creating plain language standards including how to define 'standards', deciding how standards will be used, deciding the form of a standard and creating committees to pursue the work.

Keywords: plain language standards, elements-based standards, outcomes-based standards

This article looks at the role of research in the plain language movement. It looks the usefulness of research, the nature of plain language research, problems with current research techniques and steps for promoting new research.

Keywords: research