Better Grammar for Lawyers: Part Four. See this video at http://lawprose.org/. This course is a continuation of the successful Better Grammar for Lawyers parts one through three. You’ll take a diagnostic 100-question grammar quiz in which you’re asked to select the correct answer from the two possibilities presented for each short sentence. The quiz will test your knowledge of pronoun cases, subject–verb agreement, verb tenses, and general word usage—focusing on the most common lapses from Standard Written English. Garner takes you through each item in the quiz, explaining the rule that leads to the correct answer in a way that reinforces your knowledge of the standard forms. If you’re shaky in grammar, Garner will immediately show you how to achieve a greater command of the language in short order; if you’re a skilled grammarian, you’ll undoubtedly find some new refinements of which you were unaware—and have fun doing it. Many judges are on record complaining about the rudimentary grammatical lapses that seem pervasive within the profession today. Chief Judge Edith Jones, Chief Judge Frank Easterbrook, and Judge Stephen Reinhardt are among the chorus of voices that object to the widespread lack of grammatical knowledge among members of the bar. This course, in three parts, is designed to remedy the defect. Bryan Garner is not only an acclaimed legal author, he is also regarded as one of the most accomplished grammarians of the English language, being the author of Garner’s Modern American Usage and of Chapter 5 (―Grammar and Usage‖) of The Chicago Manual of Style.
In 2006–2007, Bryan Garner interviewed eight of the nine Justices about legal writing and advocacy. These are the complete interviews. Because the files are large, the videos may take a few moments to start playing. LawProse is making these interviews available as a public service. Anyone may freely use these videos for educational purposes, with appropriate attribution to Bryan Garner or LawProse.
Bryan Garner routinely interviews judges and others on the art of writing. LawProse maintains a one-of-a-kind video archive of these educational interviews. These are excerpts from some interviews.