Plain English in the law — a new model for the 21st century

Abstract

Traditional language of the law is called “legalese” because it is difficult for those not trained in its mystery to understand. A myth about legalese is that it is necessary for certainty in law. This is untrue. The proponents of plain English have shown through their writing that the use of plain language in legal writing produces certainty in language that is easy to read and understand. This article looks at the history of the plain English movement and discusses its benefits, shows how legal writing can be improved by its use and, in the final section, briefly gives an illustration of how a culture of plain English writing can be embedded into a law school curriculum.