Because I have a PDF, I haven’t needed the ebook version of the fourth edition of MSCD (available here). But I’ve wondered how it works, and I thought you might wonder too. So here, verbatim, is what the ABA told me: ABA books were first available in ePub format. About a couple of years ago we began to offer books … Read More
[Updated 9 December 2017: I know that some of you wonder why I give airtime to people who disagree with me. Those people fall into two categories. First, there are those with some sort of credentials who publicly attack my work without justification; I think it’s in my interest to defend myself against them. An example is the person who … Read More
Go here for John Gillies’s review on Slaw of the fourth edition of A Manual of Style for Contract Drafting. John has long been a Canadian ally in the struggle for rational contracts. Now he devotes most of his time to cheerier activities, including making music, but I’m pleased that he remains sufficiently interested in the subject to have done … Read More
This is from the introduction to the fourth edition of A Manual of Style for Contract Drafting: This manual might seem like a style guide, but it’s too lengthy and too detailed to be used by all contracts personnel in your organization. Instead, this manual would likely be appropriate for those who work extensively with contract language. But it’s suitable … Read More
I once asked someone what she and her colleagues had taken away from an in-house seminar I had given at her company. Her answer? “A few techniques to bear in mind when drafting.” I don’t think that approach offers the best path to clear, concise, and consistent contracts. Traditional contract drafting involves some combination of improvising, relying on conventional wisdom, … Read More
Jason Steed is a Twitter personality who moonlights as an appellate lawyer. (Kidding!) Go here for his positive review of the fourth edition of A Manual of Style for Contract Drafting. Jason’s review prompted a few thoughts. For the heck of it, here they are: Regarding what’s different about the fourth edition, the simplest metric is that it has a … Read More
The website of the Society for Computers and Law—an English organization—has a review of the fourth edition of A Manual of Style for Contract Drafting. It’s by Charles Drayson, an English IT lawyer with his own firm. Go here for the review.
I’d heard from the ABA that copies of the fourth edition of A Manual of Style for Contract Drafting are now in inventory, but this tweet by @Bryan_Sims confirmed it: Just arrived. I can't wait to dive in. @KonciseD I love the new look. pic.twitter.com/sAfBvu0tGZ — Bryan_Sims (@Bryan_Sims) October 10, 2017 I don’t even have a copy yet, so I’m … Read More
If you want to buy the fourth edition of A Manual of Style for Contract Drafting from the ABA Web Store, you’ll be told you have to pay a $70 fee for shipping. For prospective buyers located in Canada, that seems steep. But if you buy just one copy of the book and want it sent to Canada, there’s a … Read More
Go here for the last teaser for the fourth edition of A Manual of Style for Contract Drafting, the index. You can tell a lot about a reference work from its index. You can’t make a good index from a mediocre reference work. But you can make a mediocre index from a good reference work. I’m happy with the fourth … Read More
