Leveraging the Style Structures Used by the Best Legal Writers

Legal writing doesn’t have to be dull or forgettable. Thanks to the cognitive principle known as the Von Restorff effect, readers naturally recall information that stands apart from the everyday background noise. Think of exceptional legal style as your rhetorical superpower, ideal for emphasizing critical points, key arguments, favorable facts, or essential rules.

Great legal writers have long recognized this truth. Their prose consistently features powerful stylistic techniques like:

But you don’t have to simply admire this approach—you can adopt and master it yourself.

Let’s explore how celebrated legal writers use these style techniques effectively, and how you can practice incorporating them into your own writing.

Below is a curated collection of some sample style structures from our library here at Write.law, complete with clear explanations and examples from public filings, speeches, and judicial opinions. Approach this guide as both inspiration and practical toolkit. Choose structures that resonate with you, and practice integrating them into your legal writing to elevate it from ordinary to extraordinary.

Echoing words or phrases can create rhythm, emphasize points, and improve memorability.

Starting Line Echo (Anaphora). Repeatedly start sentences or clauses with the same word or phrase to drive home your point:

Exact Switch Back (Antimetabole). Reverse a phrase in successive clauses to highlight contrasting ideas:

Bookend Boomerang (Epanalepsis). Start and end a sentence or clause with the same phrase to reinforce an idea:

These structures play with sentence order and syntax to achieve rhetorical impact.

Two-Phrase Flip (Chiasmus). Reverse the grammatical structure of phrases for dramatic effect:

Parallel Pendulum (Parallelism). Use similar grammatical structures to emphasize connected ideas:

Tailcoat Adjective (Anastrophe). Place adjectives after nouns for poetic or dramatic emphasis:

Manipulating specific words or phrases can convey emphasis, urgency, or rhythm.

And-and-and Avalanche (Polysyndeton). Use multiple conjunctions deliberately to create a sense of overwhelm or emphasis:

Collected Fragments. Use fragment sentences connected by a final summarizing sentence to create dramatic emphasis:

True, But Not. Make a small concession followed by a significant counterpoint to emphasize the strength of your main argument:

Harnessing the auditory appeal of language can help your writing resonate more deeply with readers.

Alliteration. Repeated consonant sounds create rhythm and memorability:

Vowel Velvet (Assonance). Repeated vowel sounds for rhythmic and soothing effect:

These techniques focus on conceptual framing to enhance clarity, emphasis, and persuasion.

Clarification Contrast. Present negatives first to clarify and emphasize the positive point you want to make:

Question & Capture (Hypophora). Pose and immediately answer a rhetorical question to direct readers' attention:

Anthropomorphic Artistry (Personification). Attribute human characteristics to abstract ideas or objects to create relatability and vividness:

Let’s practice briefly. Suppose you want to refine a prominent heading in your brief that currently reads:

With a simple structure, you transformed an ordinary heading into a powerful rhetorical statement.

Now it's your turn. Select a style structure that appeals to you and spend just a few minutes practicing it in your writing today. Over time, mastering these techniques will transform your prose, ensuring readers not only remember your words but respect and act upon your ideas.