Douglas E. Abrams Publications

Academic Journals

Professor Roebuck’s Lessons for Mediators, Arbitrators, and Historians, 2016 JOURNAL OF DISPUTE RESOLUTION 351 (2016).

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References to Television Programming in Judicial Opinions and Lawyers’ Advocacy, 99 MARQUETTE LAW REVIEW 993 (Summer 2016).

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Reforming High School American History Curricula: What Publicized Student Intolerance Can Teach Policymakers, 20 TEXAS JOURNAL ON CIVIL LIBERTIES AND CIVIL RIGHTS 1 (2015).

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Concussion Safety in Children’s Sports: A Central Role for the “Power of the Permit”, 10 JOURNAL OF BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY LAW 1 (2014).

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Confronting the Youth Sports Concussion Crisis: A Central Role for Responsible Local Enforcement of Playing Rules, 2 MISSISSIPPI SPORTS LAW REVIEW 75 (2013).

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Bullying Victimization as a Disability in Public Elementary and Secondary Education, 77 MISSOURI LAW REVIEW 781 (2013).

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Teaching Legal History in the Age of Practical Legal Education, 53 AMERICAN JOURNAL OF LEGAL HISTORY 482 (2013).

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Plagiarism in Lawyers’ Advocacy: Imposing Discipline for Conduct Prejudicial to the Administration of Justice, 47 WAKE FOREST LAW REVIEW 921 (2013).

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School Bullying Victimization as an Educational Disability, 22 TEMPLE POLITICAL AND CIVIL RIGHTS LAW REVIEW 273 (2013).

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The Twelve-Year-Old Girl’s Lawsuit that Changed America: The Continuing Impact of NOW v. Little League Baseball, Inc. at 40, 20 VIRGINIA JOURNAL OF SOCIAL POLICY AND THE LAW 241 (2012).

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Recognizing the Public Schools’ Authority to Discipline Students’ Off-Campus Cyberbullying of Classmates, 37 NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL ON CRIMINAL AND CIVIL CONFINEMENT 181 (2011).

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Lochner v. New York (1905) and Kennedy v. Louisiana (2008): Judicial Reliance on Adversary Argument, 39 HASTINGS CONSTITUTIONAL LAW QUARTERLY 179 (2011).

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Player Safety in Youth Sports: Sportsmanship and Respect as an Injury Prevention Strategy, 22 SETON HALL JOURNAL OF SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT LAW No.1 (2011).

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Sports in the Courts: the Role of Sports References in Judicial Opinions, 17 VILLANOVA SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT LAW JOURNAL 1 (2010).

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Judges and Their Editors, 3 ALBANY GOVERNMENT LAW REVIEW 392 (2010).

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Reforming Juvenile Delinquency Treatment to Enhance Rehabilitation, Personal Accountability and Public Safety, 84 OREGON LAW REVIEW 1001 (2005).

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Lessons From Juvenile Justice History in the United States, 2004 JOURNAL OF THE INSTITUTE OF JUSTICE AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES 7 (2004).

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The Challenge Facing Parents and Coaches in Youth Sports: Assuring Children Fun and Equal Opportunity, 8 VILLANOVA SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT LAW JOURNAL 253 (2002).

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Remembering Judge Hugh R. Jones with Mary Lou Crowley, 65 ALBANY LAW REVIEW 9 (2001).

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Crime Legislation and the Public Interest: Lessons from Civil RICO, 50 SMU LAW REVIEW 33 (1996).

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Arbitrability in Recent Federal Civil Rights Legislation: The Need for Amendment, 26 CONNECTICUT LAW REVIEW 521 (1994).

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Integrating Legal Writing Into Civil Procedure, 24 CONNECTICUT LAW REVIEW 813 (1992).

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Rico on the High Seas: A Symposium on Civil Rico and Maritime Law: Civil Rico’s Cause of Action: The Landscape After Sedima, 12 TULANE MARITIME LAW JOURNAL 19 (1987).

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The Scope of Liability Under Section 12 of the Federal Securities Act of 1933: ‘Participation’ and the Pertinent Legislative Materials, 15 FORDHAM URBAN LAW JOURNAL 877 (1986/1987).

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The Place of Procedural Control in Determining Who May Sue or be Sued: Lessons in Statutory Interpretation from Civil RICO and Sedima, 38 VANDERBILT LAW REVIEW 1477 (1985).

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Writing From a Legal Perspective by George D. Gopen (Book Review) with Jay Wishingrad, 1981 DUKE LAW JOURNAL 1061 (1981).

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Book Chapters/Collected Works

Player Safety in Youth Sports: Sportsmanship and Respect as an Injury-Prevention Strategy, in THE ETHICS OF SPORT: ESSENTIAL READINGS, (Oxford University Press, 2016).

Missouri’s Long Road to Juvenile Justice, in MISSOURI LAW AND THE AMERICAN CONSCIENCE: HISTORICAL RIGHTS AND WRONGS (University of Missouri Press, 2016).

Child Abuse and Neglect, in MISSOURI JUVENILE LAW, (MoBar 4th ed. 2011).

An Open Letter to Communities: What Community Leaders Can Do to Improve Youth Sports, with Bob Bigelow, Bruce Svare, Richard Irving and Steve Fisher in LEARNING CULTURE THROUGH SPORTS: EXPLORING THE ROLE OF SPORTS IN SOCIETY, (ed. Sandra Spikard Prettyman and Brian Lampman, Rowman and Littlefield Education, 2006).

Achieving Equal Opportunity in Youth Sports: The “Power of the Permit” and the “Child Impact Statement”, in LEARNING CULTURE THROUGH SPORTS: PERSPECTIVES ON SOCIETY AND ORGANIZED SPORTS, (eds. Sandra Spickard Prettyman & Brian Lampman, Rowman & Littlefield 2nd ed., 2010).

Rehabilitative Services for Youth, in THE CHILD: AN ENCYCLOPEDIC COMPANION 813, (ed. Richard A. Shweder, Univ. Of Chicago Press 2009).

A Coordinated Public Response to School Bullying, in OUR PROMISE: ACHIEVING EDUCATIONAL EQUITY FOR AMERICA'S CHILDREN, (eds. Maurice R. Dyson & Daniel B. Weddle, Carolina Academic Press 2009).

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Child Abuse and Neglect, in MISSOURI JUVENILE LAW, (MoBar 3rd ed. 2007).

Picket Fences, in PRIME TIME LAW: FICTIONAL TELEVISION AS LEGAL NARRATIVE ch. 10, (Carolina Academic Press 1998).

Books

Effective Legal Writing: A Guide for Students and Practitioners, (West Academic Publishing, 2016).

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Contemporary Family Law with Naomi R. Cahn, Catherine J. Ross, David D. Meyer, and Linda C. McClain, (4th ed., West Publishing, 2015).

Children and the Law In a Nutshell with Sarah H. Ramsey, (5th ed., Thomson/West 2015)

Children and the Law: Doctrine, Policy & Practice with Sarah H. Ramsey, (5th ed., West Academic Publishing, 2014).

Contemporary Family Law with Naomi R. Cahn, Catherine J. Ross and David D. Meyer, (3rd ed., West Publishing 2012).

Children and the Law In a Nutshell with Sarah H. Ramsey, (4th ed., Thomson/West 2011).

Children and the Law: Doctrine, Policy & Practice with Sarah H. Ramsey, (4th ed., Thomson/West 2010).

Children and the Law In a Nutshell with Sarah H. Ramsey, (3rd ed., Thomson/West 2008).

Children and the Law: Doctrine, Policy & Practice with Sarah H. Ramsey, (3rd ed., Thomson/West 2007).

Contemporary Family Law with Naomi R. Cahn, Catherine J. Ross and David D. Meyer, (Thomson/West 2006)

Children and the Law In a Nutshell with Sarah H. Ramsey, (2nd ed., Thomson/West 2003).

Children and the Law: Doctrine, Policy & Practice with Sarah H. Ramsey, (2nd ed., Thomson/West 2003).

A Very Special Place in Life: The History of Juvenile Justice in Missouri, (Missouri Juvenile Justice Association 2003).

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Children and the Law In a Nutshell with Sarah H. Ramsey, (Thomson/West 2001).

Children and the Law: Doctrine, Policy & Practice with Sarah H. Ramsey, (Thomson/West 2000).

The Law of Civil RICO, (Little Brown 1991).

Other Publications

20/20 Foresight: Coaches Can Have More of an Impact by Removing Dangerous Drills From Practices, USA HOCKEY MAGAZINE, September 2014.

It’s a Blessing Just to Play: Lessons For All of Us From Young Athletes of 2008, ST. LOUIS POST DISPATCH, December 31, 2008 at B7.

Top 10 Stories You Probably Missed: Respect Brings Out the Best in Kids and Parents, ST. LOUIS POST DISPATCH, November 14, 2007 at D9.

When Teaching Sports, Teach Citizenship As Well, BALTIMORE SUN, December 24, 2006 at 13A.

Fairness in Civil Rights Arbitration, The World and I, April 1996 at 322.

Professional Journals

Advice About Written Advocacy from the Washington Court of Appeals, 79 JOURNAL OF THE MISSOURI BAR 228 (Sept-Oct 2023).

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Writing It Right: References to Beatles Songs in Advocacy and Judicial Opinions, 79 JOURNAL OF THE MISSOURI BAR 172 (July-Aug 2023).

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What Lawyers can Teach their Employed Law Students about ‘Impactful Legal Writing’, 79 JOURNAL OF THE MISSOURI BAR 122 (May-June 2023).

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How Law Students’ Part-time Legal Employment Can Help Employers Improve Their Own Writing Skills, 79 JOURNAL OF THE MISSOURI BAR 74 (2023).

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Reference to Classic American Novels in Advocacy and Judicial Opinions, 79 JOURNAL OF THE MISSOURI BAR 28 (2023).

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Legal Citations: A Foundation of Written Advocacy, 78 JOURNAL OF THE MISSOURI BAR 300 (2022).

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References to Robert Frost’s Poetry in Advocacy and Judicial Opinions, 78 JOURNAL OF THE MISSOURI BAR 237 (2022).

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Improved Writing from Reading Other Writers, 78 JOURNAL OF THE MISSOURI BAR 186 (July-Aug 2022).

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References to Babe Ruth in Advocacy and Judicial Opinions, 78 JOURNAL OF THE MISSOURI BAR 141 (May-June 2022).

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Writing by Presidential Example: The First Inaugural Addresses of Reagan and Obama, 78 JOURNAL OF THE MISSOURI BAR 86 (March-April 2022).

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Charles Dickens’ Novels in the Courts, 78 JOURNAL OF THE MISSOURI BAR 29 (Jan-Feb 2022).

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“Yogi-isms” in the Courts, 77 JOURNAL OF THE MISSOURI BAR 310 (Nov-Dec 2021).

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Eleven Observations About Legal Writing, 77 JOURNAL OF THE MISSOURI BAR 246 (Sept-Oct 2021).

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Shakespeare in the Courts, 77 JOURNAL OF THE MISSOURI BAR 132 (May-June 2021).

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Eight Strategies That Enhance Legal Writing, 77 JOURNAL OF THE MISSOURI BAR 74 (Mar-April 2021).

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References to Aesop’s Fables in Judicial Opinions and Written Advocacy, 77 JOURNAL OF THE MISSOURI BAR 24 (Jan-Feb 2021).

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Amicus Curiae Briefs: A Message from the 7th Circuit, 76 JOURNAL OF THE MISSOURI BAR 284 (Nov-Dec 2020).

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References to Children’s Stories and Fairy Tales in Judicial Opinions and Written Advocacy, 76 JOURNAL OF THE MISSOURI BAR 212 (Sept - Oct 2020),

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Mincing No Words: When the Court’s Opinion Criticizes an Advocate’s Writing, 76 JOURNAL OF THE MISSOURI BAR 77 (March-April 2020).

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Generalist Judges and Advocates’ Jargon, 76 JOURNAL OF THE MISSOURI BAR 27 (Jan-Feb 2020).

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References to Television Shows in Judicial Opinions and Written Advocacy (Part II), 75 JOURNAL OF THE MISSOURI BAR 85 (Mar-Apr 2019).

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References to Television Shows in Judicial Opinions and Written Advocacy (Part I), 75 JOURNAL OF THE MISSOURI BAR 25 (Jan-Feb 2019).

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References to Movies in Judicial Opinions and Written Advocacy (Part II), 75 JOURNAL OF THE MISSOURI BAR 297 (Nov-Dec 2019).

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References to Movies in Judicial Opinions and Written Advocacy (Part I), 75 JOURNAL OF THE MISSOURI BAR 244 (Sept-Oct 2019).

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Thoughts on Legal Writing from the Greatest of Them All: George Orwell, 91 NEW YORK STATE BAR ASSOCIATION JOURNAL 62 (May 2019).

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America’s Founding Editors: Writing the Declaration of Independence, 75 JOURNAL OF THE MISSOURI BAR 135 (May-June 2019).

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One Judge’s ‘Ten Tips for Effective Brief Writing’ (Part II), 74 JOURNAL OF THE MISSOURI BAR 305 (2018).

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One Judge’s ‘Top Ten Tips for Effective Brief Writing’ (Part I), 74 JOURNAL OF THE MISSOURI BAR 258 (2018).

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Judges and Their Editors, 74 JOURNAL OF THE MISSOURI BAR 194 (2018).

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‘Fear Itself’: What Legal Writers Can Learn From FDR’s Iconic Moment, 74 JOURNAL OF THE MISSOURI BAR 148 (May-June 2018)

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Legal Writing: Sense and Nonsense, 74 JOURNAL OF THE MISSOURI BAR 94 (March-April 2018)

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Tips About Written Advocacy From the North Dakota Supreme Court, 74 JOURNAL OF THE MISSOURI BAR 28 (Jan-Feb 2018).

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Players Remember: A Coach’s Impact Remains Long After the Game Ends, August 2011 USA HOCKEY MAGAZINE 20 (2017).

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A Winning Equation: Sportsmanship + Respect = A Safer Game, March 2017 USA HOCKEY MAGAZINE 32 (2017).

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The Cuban Missile Crisis, Historian Barbara W. Tuchman, and the “Art of Writing”, 73 JOURNAL OF THE MISSOURI BAR 268 (Sept-Oct 2017).

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Sanctions for Evading Maximum Page Limits on Court Filings, 73 JOURNAL OF THE MISSOURI BAR 316 (Nov-Dec 2017).

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The Pesky Serial Comma, 73 JOURNAL OF THE MISSOURI BAR 212 (July-August 2017).

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References to Spring’s Championship Sports in Judicial Opinions and Written Advocacy, 73 JOURNAL OF THE MISSOURI BAR 168 (May-June 2017).

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References to Football in Judicial Opinions and Written Advocacy, 73 JOURNAL OF THE MISSOURI BAR 34 (Jan-Feb 2017).

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References to Baseball in Judicial Opinions and Written Advocacy, 72 JOURNAL OF THE MISSOURI BAR 268 (Sept/Oct 2016).

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Respectful Identifiers, 72 JOURNAL OF THE MISSOURI BAR 214 (2016).

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Writing in Law Reviews, Bar Association Journals, and Blogs (Part 2), 72 JOURNAL OF THE MISSOURI BAR 88 (Jan-Feb 2016)

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Writing in Law Reviews, Bar Association Journals, and Blogs (Part 1), 72 JOURNAL OF THE MISSOURI BAR 22 (Jan-Feb 2016)

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Long Ideas, Short Words, 72 JOURNAL OF THE MISSOURI BAR 148 (May-June 2016).

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Incivility in Legal Writing Can Be Costly to Client and to Attorney, 41 MONTANA LAWYER 14 (2015)

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Civility (Part II), 9 PRECEDENT No.3, p.19-21 (Summer 2015).

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Orwell’s Six Cures to Bad Writing, 88 WISCONSIN LAWYER 39 (January 2015).

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10 Tips for Effective Brief Writing, 88 WISCONSIN LAWYER 14 (February 2015).

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The Art of Persuasion: Lessons from an Author Who Shaped Presidential Policy, 40 MONTANA LAWYER 26 (March 2015).

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Civility (Part I), 9 PRECEDENT No.2, p.28-30 (Spring 2015).

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Historian Barbara W. Tuchman on the ‘Art of Writing’ (Part II), 9 PRECEDENT No.1, p.18-21 (Winter 2015).

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Historian Barbara W. Tuchman on the ‘Art of Writing’ (Part I), 8 PRECEDENT No.4, p.24-27 (Fall 2014).

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A Primer on Juvenile Protection Legislation, 65 JUVENILE AND FAMILY COURT JOURNAL 1 (Summer/Fall 2014).

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One Judge’s ‘Top Ten Tips for Effective Brief Writing’ (Part II), 8 PRECEDENT No.3, p.15-17 (Summer 2014).

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One Judge’s ‘Top Ten Tips for Effective Brief Writing’ (Part I), 8 PRECEDENT No.2, p.27-29 (Spring 2014).

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George Orwell’s Classic Essay on Writing: The Best Style “Handbook” for Lawyers and Judges (Part II), 8 PRECEDENT No.1, p.29-32 (Winter 2014), reprinted with part 1 in 50 TENNESSEE BAR JOURNAL 20 (May 2014), 29 MAINE BAR JOURNAL 65 (2014) and 86 OKLAHOMA BAR JOURNAL 333 (2015).

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A Primer on Criminal Child Abuse and Neglect Law, 64 JUVENILE AND FAMILY COURT JOURNAL 1 (Summer 2013).

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Plagiarism in Lawyers’ Written Advocacy (Part II), 7 PRECEDENT No.3, p.24-26 (Summer 2013).

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Plagiarism in Lawyers’ Written Advocacy (Part I), 7 PRECEDENT No.2, p.34-37 (Spring 2013).

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George Orwell’s Classic Essay on Writing: The Best Style “Handbook” for Lawyers and Judges (Part I), 7 PRECEDENT No.4, p.23-25 (Fall 2013), reprinted with part 2 in 50 TENNESSEE BAR JOURNAL 20 (May 2014), 29 MAINE BAR JOURNAL 65 (2014) and 86 OKLAHOMA BAR JOURNAL 333 (2015).

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The Little League Champions Benched by Jim Crow in 1955: Resistance and Reform after Brown v. Board of Education, 38 JOURNAL OF SUPREME COURT HISTORY 51 (2013).

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How Written Advocacy Shapes Doctrine (Part I): Did Bad Briefing Decide Lochner v. New York?, 6 PRECEDENT No.1 24-27 (2012).

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Acronyms, 6 PRECEDENT No.4, p.44-46 (Fall 2012).

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How Not to File a Complaint, 6 PRECEDENT No.3, p.52-54 (Summer 2012).

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Reason and Passion: Justice Jackson and the Second Flag Salute Case (Part II), 5 PRECEDENT No.4 16-20 (2011)

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Effective Written Advocacy Before Generalist Judges: Advice from Recent Decisions, 5 PRECEDENT No.2 17-19 (2011), reprinted in 14 NEBRASKA LAWYER 17 (2011).

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What Great Writers Can Teach Lawyers and Judges: Precise, Concise, Simple and Clear, 47 TENNESSEE BAR JOURNAL 14 (2011), reprinted in 52 NEW HAMPSHIRE BAR JOURNAL 6 (2011).

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What Great Writers Can Teach Lawyers and Judges: Wisdom from Plato to Mark Twain to Stephen King (Part 2), 5 PRECEDENT No. 1 21-23 (2011), reprinted in 74 TEXAS BAR JOURNAL 736 (2011) and 22 CONNECTICUT LAWYER 28 (2011/2012).

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Justice Jackson and the Second Flag-Salute Case: Reason and Passion in Opinion Writing, 36 JOURNAL OF SUPREME COURT HISTORY 30 (2011).

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A Primer on Child Abuse and Neglect Law with Sarah H. Ramsey, 61 JUVENILE AND FAMILY COURT JOURNAL 1 (2010).

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What Great Writers Can Teach Lawyers and Judges: Wisdom from Plato to Mark Twain to Stephen King (Part 1), 4 PRECEDENT No.4 16-20 (2010), reprinted in 74 TEXAS BAR JOURNAL 612 (July 2011) and 22 CONNECTICUT LAWYER 30 (2011/2012).

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Sports in the Courts: How Sports References Strengthen Written Advocacy and Judicial Opinions (Part I), 4 PRECEDENT 32 (2010).

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Sports in the Courts: How Sports References Strengthen Written Advocacy and Judicial Opinions (Part II), 4 PRECEDENT 20 (2010).

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But ‘Will It Write’? How Writing Sharpens Decision Making, 3 PRECEDENT 61 (2009), reprinted in 63 WASHINGTON STATE BAR NEWS 23 (2009) and 4 NEW JERSEY LAWYER 75 (2010).

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How Not to Seek an Award of Attorney’s Fees, 3 PRECEDENT 36 (2009), reprinted in 13 NEBRASKA LAWYER 22 (2010).

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Trading in the Marketplace of Ideas: Letters-to-the-Editor and Op-Ed Articles (Part II), 3 PRECEDENT 25 (2009).

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Legal Writing: Sense and Nonsense, 3 PRECEDENT 23 (2009).

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Plain-English Drafting for the Age of Statutes, 2 No. 1 PRECEDENT 20 (2008), reprinted in 19 CONNECTICUT LAWYER 22 (2008/2009) and 88-JUN MICHIGAN BAR JOURNAL 50 (2009).

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Trading in the Marketplace of Ideas: Letters-to-the-Editor and Op-Ed Articles (Part I), 2 PRECEDENT 14 (2008).

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America’s Founding Editors, 2 PRECEDENT 12 ( 2008).

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“We Are the Products of Editing”, 2 PRECEDENT 12 (2008).

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The Right to a Reader, 1 PRECEDENT 38 (2007).

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The Writer’s Theater, 1 PRECEDENT 26 (2007).

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Those Pesky Footnotes – Part II, 1 PRECEDENT 20 (2007).

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Those Pesky Footnotes – Part I, 1 PRECEDENT 19 (2007).

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A Primer on Adoption Law with Sarah H. Ramsey, 52 JUVENILE AND FAMILY COURT JOURNAL 23 (2001).

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Researching Cases on the Web, 34 TRIAL 76 (1998).

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