What Lawyers Can Learn from Edgar Allan Poe

Abstract

Treat yourself to a spine-tingling Edgar Allan Poe sensation by reading about the synergy between stories of horror and legal writing. Poe defined a short-story writing technique and named four qualities—brevity, unity, focus, and brilliant style—as critical. These exact same qualities are familiar to lawyers because they are just as critical for persuasive briefs. This article examines Poe’s critique of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Twice-Told Tales, reviews some of Poe’s own work, and applies Poe’s advice about great short-story writing to legal writing.

Keywords: legal writing, legal rhetoric, rhetoric, Edgar Allan Poe, brief writing, lawyering skills