writing

Editing for Excellence: Working Through the Phases

Great legal writing is built in the editing phase. This guide breaks down a simple, structured approach to revising your work with precision.
  • Joe Regalia
Nobody writes brilliant prose the first time around—especially in legal writing. Great legal prose isn’t drafted; it’s carefully edited, refined, and polished. If your editing strategy involves casually scanning for obvious typos, it's time for a more purposeful approach. Effective editing is systematic, specific, and deliberate. Let’s dig into exactly how you can level up your editing skills.

Understanding Editing, Proofreading, and Intuition

Editing is not proofreading. Proofreading catches surface mistakes—misspellings, grammar slips, small oversights. Editing, however, transforms good enough into excellent. It’s where you bridge the gap between intuitive drafting and your true potential as a legal writer.
Your intuition produces raw drafts. Editing refines them. Understanding these distinctions ensures your editing effort remains targeted and productive.

Why Editing Needs Strategy: Phase Editing

Effective editing demands focus. Our brains can’t handle everything at once, so great legal writers rely on phase editing—breaking down edits into clear, manageable chunks. Each phase tackles specific types of improvements. Let’s detail precisely how each editing phase should look:
Phase 1: Fact and Detail Accuracy
  • Check specifically for exact dates, names, and facts unnecessary for your reader’s understanding.
  • Verify all dates, case names, and statute references are accurate and correctly cited.
  • Remove procedural or background details that do not directly support your main arguments.
Phase 2: Argument and Analytical Strength
  • Identify explicit gaps in your legal reasoning, specifically noting places where additional legal authority (case law or statutes) is needed.
  • Confirm that every significant assertion is directly supported by cited legal authority.
  • Ensure each major argument directly addresses likely counterarguments.
  • Clearly articulate how cited facts specifically support your analysis.
Phase 3: Structural Clarity and Flow
  • Ensure each section begins with a clear roadmap sentence outlining exactly what the reader should expect.
  • Verify headings precisely reflect the section's main points and support quick navigation.
  • Check paragraph transitions explicitly and clearly indicate logical relationships between sections.
Phase 4: Sentence-Level Precision
  • Confirm every sentence uses active voice; replace passive constructions ("was filed by") with active voice ("the attorney filed").
  • Ensure each sentence includes specific action verbs (e.g., "argued," "filed," "claimed") instead of weaker verbs ("stated," "said," "mentioned").
  • Identify and break down sentences exceeding 25 words into shorter, clearer statements.
  • Remove modifiers like "clearly," "obviously," "very," or "somewhat," which weaken clarity and confidence.
Phase 5: Citations and Document Accuracy
  • Check citations precisely against the relevant jurisdiction’s citation standards.
  • Verify every pin cite precisely references the correct page or paragraph.
  • Cross-check every citation with original sources to confirm accurate representation.

Build an Effective Editing Checklist

Your editing phases need precise, actionable checklists. Avoid vague guidance; use concrete specifics instead:
  • Instead of “reduce clutter,” write “delete redundant legal phrases such as ‘herein,’ ‘aforementioned,’ and ‘pursuant to.’”
  • Rather than “improve sentences,” specify “shorten all sentences exceeding 25 words.”
  • Clearly instruct: "Confirm each paragraph starts with a clear, direct topic sentence."
Regularly revise your checklist to reflect evolving challenges, integrating new techniques and removing items that no longer serve your goals.

One-Read Editing Technique

Use one-read editing to identify confusion without immediate fixes. Specifically:
  • Circle words or phrases that disrupt reading flow.
  • Checkmark sentences requiring multiple reads.
  • Squiggle entire sections causing confusion.
These annotations give a clear, unbiased map of problem areas for strategic revision later.

Advanced Targeted Editing Techniques

Reverse Reading: Read sentences from the last to first to detect overlooked errors.
Content-Word Editing: Extract key words from complicated sentences, then reconstruct the sentence around them clearly and simply.
Physical Editing: Print documents for manual edits; use tools (finger, ruler) to maintain focused attention.
Reading Aloud: Detect awkward phrasing and unnatural rhythms by vocalizing your text.
Focused Drafting: Completely separate initial drafting (substance-focused) from editing phases (style and clarity-focused).
Fresh-Reader Insight: Take intentional breaks away from your document; use colleagues for unbiased fresh feedback.
Consistent Practice: Regularly edit older documents or others' writing to continually refine your skills.

Why Thorough Editing Matters

Mastering intentional, targeted editing is more than good style—it’s essential for credibility, professionalism, and persuasive power. When every word and sentence serves a clear, precise purpose, your readers notice.
Elevate your writing by committing to purposeful, strategic editing. Your documents—and your professional reputation—will reflect clarity, confidence, and mastery.
Joe Regalia
Write.law co-founder Joe Regalia combines his experience as both practitioner and professor to create exciting new ways to teach legal skills.  Learn more about Joe

Sign up for our newsletter!

Get writing and other legal practice tips delivered to your inbox every other Thursday.
Thanks for joining!
We’ve sent a welcome email to your inbox.