Below are a few books on writing. For additional suggestions, consult with a Reference Librarian or check the library catalog. Or check out this list.
Academic Legal Writing by
Designed to help law students write and publish articles, this text provides detailed instructions for every aspect of the law school writing, research, and publication process. Topics covered include law review articles and student notes, seminar term papers, how to shift from research to writing, cite-checking others' work, publishing, and publicizing written works. With supporting documents available on http://volokh.com/writing, the book helps law students and everyone else involved in academic legal writing: professors save time and effort communicating basic points to students; law schools satisfy the American Bar Association's second- and third-year writing requirements; and law reviews receive better notes from their staff. The Fifth Edition, based on the author's experience teaching his newly designed Intensive Editing Workshop and First Amendment Amicus Brief Clinic, adds material on editing, rebutting counterarguments, writing strategy, identifying and using the key assets of the article, fighting "the curse of knowledge," and submitting articles to law reviews. It also adds extra examples of sound writing, as well as editing exercises.
Scholarly Writing for Law Students by
This book fills an important niche in legal-writing literature by teaching law students how to write scholarly papers for seminars, law reviews, and law-review competitions and how to have their work recognized. It helps novices and more experienced scholars alike to write papers with a minimum of anxiety and a maximum of creativity. Employing a process theory of writing, the text first describes the enterprise of scholarly writing and then discusses techniques for brainstorming topics and theses, researching, drafting, and revising for substance and style. It covers both traditional doctrinal topics and newer areas like empirical studies. There are also chapters on footnotes, avoiding plagiarism, law review practice, and dissemination of student work through publication and submission to national writing competitions. Appendices provide a sample law-review competition paper, answers to in-text exercises, sample syllabi for scholarly writing courses, and a rubric for evaluating and editing scholarly papers and articles.
Scholarly Writing by 
Writing Your Journal Article in Twelve Weeks by
"Wow. No one ever told me this!" Wendy Laura Belcher has heard this countless times throughout her years of teaching and advising academics on how to write journal articles. Scholars know they must publish, but few have been told how to do so. So Belcher made it her mission to demystify the writing process. The result was Writing Your Journal Article in Twelve Weeks, which takes this overwhelming task and breaks it into small, manageable steps. For the past decade, this guide has been the go-to source for those creating articles for peer-reviewed journals. It has enabled thousands to overcome their anxieties and produce the publications that are essential to succeeding in their fields. With this new edition, Belcher expands her advice to reach beginning scholars in even more disciplines. She builds on feedback from professors and graduate students who have successfully used the workbook to complete their articles. A new chapter addresses scholars who are writing from scratch. This edition also includes more targeted exercises and checklists, as well as the latest research on productivity and scholarly writing. Writing Your Journal Article in Twelve Weeks is the only reference to combine expert guidance with a step-by-step workbook. Each week, readers learn a feature of strong articles and work on revising theirs accordingly. Every day is mapped out, taking the guesswork and worry out of writing. There are tasks, templates, and reminders. At the end of twelve weeks, graduate students, recent PhDs, postdoctoral fellows, adjunct instructors, junior faculty, and international faculty will feel confident they know that the rules of academic publishing and have the tools they need to succeed.
The Craft of Research by
With more than three-quarters of a million copies sold since its first publication, The Craft of Research has helped generations of researchers at every level--from first-year undergraduates to advanced graduate students to research reporters in business and government--learn how to conduct effective and meaningful research. Conceived by seasoned researchers and educators Wayne C. Booth, Gregory G. Colomb, and Joseph M. Williams, this fundamental work explains how to find and evaluate sources, anticipate and respond to reader reservations, and integrate these pieces into an argument that stands up to reader critique. The fourth edition has been thoroughly but respectfully revised by Joseph Bizup and William T. FitzGerald. It retains the original five-part structure, as well as the sound advice of earlier editions, but reflects the way research and writing are taught and practiced today. Its chapters on finding and engaging sources now incorporate recent developments in library and Internet research, emphasizing new techniques made possible by online databases and search engines. Bizup and FitzGerald provide fresh examples and standardized terminology to clarify concepts like argument, warrant, and problem. Following the same guiding principle as earlier editions--that the skills of doing and reporting research are not just for elite students but for everyone--this new edition retains the accessible voice and direct approach that have made The Craft of Research a leader in the field of research reference. With updated examples and information on evaluation and using contemporary sources, this beloved classic is ready for the next generation of researchers.
Tips on Creating an Annotated Bibliography
1. Understand what it is.
An annotated bibliography is a list of the sources you plan to use for your paper. Each source is listed with a brief description of the source AND how it relates to your paper topic.
2. As you research, create your list of sources.
As you find books, articles, statutes and cases related to your paper topic, put information about each source in your DRAFT Annotated Bibliography document. For each source include the title, author, citation, date and any other information needed (e.g. a book chapter title or page range or pincites).
3. After reading a source, write an annotation for that source.
As you read each of your sources, write a brief summary of how you will use it in your research paper. Make note of the useful parts of the source, how each part relates to your topic, and where that information fits within the outline of your paper.
See Purdue Online Writing Lab on Annotated Bibliographies OR University of Newcastle Library Guide on Annotated Bibliographies
Lexis for Microsoft Office allows you to easily access Lexis from within Microsoft Word. Features include tools for cite checking, citation formating, and creation of Table of Authorities. To use Lexis for Microsoft Office you must DOWNLOAD the latest version of the software. Logon to LexisNexis and click APPS & TOOLS for the download link.
Citation management software allows you to track your sources as you use them rather than waiting until the end of a project to retype a separate bibliography or Table of Authorities. This software also auto formats your citations in Bluebook format. (You still need to REVIEW and EDIT the citations.It's not perfect but it can save time.) For more information, check out this guide:
You've done all the work, why not enter your paper in a writing competition? For more information about some competitions, check out these links and read about a recent Villanova Law student winner.
