English Grammar and Usage
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Books, English Grammar and Usage, New York Times, Oral Sex / Blow Jobs, Quote of the Day, Rudeness, Sex
Fun Fact of the Day: Talk Dirty to Me
Prosecutable hate speech in 17th-century Massachusetts included calling people “dogs,” “rogues” and even “queens” (though the last referred to prostitution); magistrates took serious umbrage at being labeled “poopes” (“dolts”). — John McWhorter, the noted linguist, in his New York Times review this past weekend of Speaking American: A History of English in the United States. […] -
English Grammar and Usage, Reader Polls
Grammer Pole of the Weak: For 'Who' the Bell Tolls?
Welcome to the latest edition of Above the Law’s Grammer Pole of the Weak, a column where we turn questions of legal writing and English grammar and usage over to our readers for discussion and debate. Last week, we learned that 59% of our readers would never use “their” in the place of “his or […] - Sponsored
Profit Powerhouse: Elevating Law Firm Financial Performance
In this CLE-eligible webinar on April 10th, we’ll explore the most common accounting pitfalls and how to avoid them for your firm. -
English Grammar and Usage, Reader Polls
Grammer Pole of the Weak: When Did 'Their' Start Replacing 'His or Her'?
Welcome to the latest edition of Above the Law’s Grammer Pole of the Weak, a column where we turn questions of legal writing and English grammar and usage over to our readers for discussion and debate. Last week, we found out that our readers, 81% of them, in fact, couldn’t care less about being polite […]
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Affirmative Action, English Grammar and Usage, Minority Issues, Politics, Racism
Grammer Pole of the Weak: The Meaning of 'Diversity'
In Grammer Pole of the Weak, we typically tackle issues of English grammar and usage, as well as questions of style (in terms of legal writing, not fashion). Last week, we delved into the fun topic of em-dash spacing, and learned that our readers are essentially deadlocked on whether to use a space before and […] -
English Grammar and Usage, Reader Polls
Grammer Pole of the Weak: Em Dash Spacing
In this week's Grammer Pole, we'll be turning to a question of spacing. We've already dealt with sentence spacing -- specifically, whether one space or two should be used between sentences -- but today, we're going to take a look at the em dash. Should you be using a space before and after an em dash? -
English Grammar and Usage, Reader Polls
Grammer Pole of the Weak: Pleaded v. Pled
Welcome to the latest edition of Above the Law’s Grammer Pole of the Weak, a column where we turn questions of legal writing and English grammar and usage over to our readers for discussion and debate. On Friday, thanks to popular demand from our readers, we turned to a contested issue among lawyers. What is the preferred past tense form for the verb plead -- pleaded or pled? -
English Grammar and Usage, Reader Polls
Grammer Pole of the Weak: And I Was Like, 'OMG!'
In Grammer Pole of the Weak — yes, “Grammer” is still intentionally misspelled, as are “Pole” and “Weak” — we consider questions of legal writing and English grammar and usage. Last week, for example, we looked at a legal issue, and found out that 81% of our readers voted to support the use of “act […] -
English Grammar and Usage, Religion
Grammer Pole of the Weak: What Caused Your Claim, God or Nature?
Welcome to the latest edition of Above the Law’s Grammer Pole of the Weak, a column where we turn questions of legal writing and English grammar and usage over to our readers for discussion and debate. Last week, we discovered that roughly six percent of our readers use — and will continue using — the […] - Sponsored
Legal AI: 3 Steps Law Firms Should Take Now
If 2023 introduced legal professionals to generative AI, then 2024 will be when law firms start adapting to utilize it. Things are moving fast, so… -
English Grammar and Usage, Reader Polls
Grammer Pole of the Weak: That's Irregardless...
Welcome to the latest edition of Above the Law’s Grammer Pole of the Weak, a column where we turn questions of legal writing and English grammar and usage over to our readers for discussion and debate. This week, we turn to a question of grammar. Have you been using the word "irregardless" instead of "regardless"? -
English Grammar and Usage, Letter from London, United Kingdom / Great Britain
Letter from London: Going Forward, We're Screwed
As Europeans from the sun-dappled Mediterranean to the icy North Sea brace themselves for doomsday, I thought I’d ignore the wildfire-like turmoil sweeping my continent to write you a sweet little piece about the difference between British and American English. The hook, as we say in the U.K. media, is the Economist’s recent ‘British Americanisation’ […] -
English Grammar and Usage, Federal Judges, Law Reviews, Legal Research, Richard Posner
Grammer Pole of the Weak: Backburner for the Bluebook?
Welcome to the latest edition of Above the Law’s Grammer Pole of the Weak, a column where we turn questions of legal writing and English grammar and usage over to our readers for discussion and debate. Last week, we found out that only 29% of our readers lie back and think of England when dealing […] -
English Grammar and Usage, Eugene Volokh, Reader Polls
Grammer Pole of the Weak: Punctuation and Quotation Marks
In last week's Grammer Pole, we called upon you to choose between nationalities instead of Supreme Court justices. When it comes to the placement of punctuation marks in relation to quotation marks, do you favor the British approach or the American approach? Let's review the differences.... -
Clarence Thomas, David Souter, English Grammar and Usage, John Paul Stevens, John Roberts, Reader Polls, SCOTUS, Supreme Court
Grammer Pole of the Weak: Getting Possessive with SCOTUS
Welcome to the latest edition of Above the Law’s Grammer Pole of the Weak, a column where we turn questions of English grammar and usage over to our readers for discussion and debate. Last week, we found out that 52% of our readers thought it was acceptable to end a sentence with a preposition, but […]
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English Grammar and Usage, Reader Polls
Grammer Pole of the Weak: Ending Sentences With Prepositions
In last week’s Grammer Pole, you voted to overwhelmingly approve the use of split infinitives. Fifty-three percent of Above the Law readers said that splitting infinitives is acceptable, even if it should be done sparingly. An additional forty percent said, “Yes. It’s great to liberally split infinitives!” This suggests to me that ATL readers are […] -
Blind Item, English Grammar and Usage, Federal Judges, Harvard Law Review, Reader Polls, Richard Posner
Grammer Pole of the Weak: Split Infinitives
In an event Lat did a few years ago at the University of Chicago with Judge Richard Posner, Judge Posner tossed out a delicious little blind item. He mentioned a federal judge in Chicago who would fire law clerks for what she viewed as a very grave offense: splitting infinitives in written work product. But is splitting infinitives really such a crime? -
English Grammar and Usage, Reader Polls
Grammer Pole of the Weak: Post-Colon Capitalization
The most recent installment of Grammer Pole of the Weak showcased the sophistication of Above the Law readers. The poll results show that most ATL readers appreciate the distinction between “that” and “which” (which they like to show off in their legal writing). Today we tackle an issue that is less clear-cut, which will probably […] -
English Grammar and Usage, John Roberts, Reader Polls, SCOTUS, Supreme Court
Grammer Pole of the Weak: The Case of That v. Which
In last week's edition of Grammer Pole of the Weak, we turned to an issue of grammar with some stylistic flair that was brought to our attention by another member of SCOTUS, Chief Justice John Roberts. Roberts isn't a fan of the word "which" when used in legal writing. He much prefers use of the word "that".... -
Antonin Scalia, English Grammar and Usage, Reader Polls
Grammer Pole of the Weak: Substantive Footnotes
In Grammer Pole of the Weak — yes, “Grammer” is intentionally misspelled, as are “Pole” and “Weak” — we consider questions of English grammar and usage. Last week, for example, we looked at a fun an interesting topic: the adjectival use of “fun” (which over 85 percent of you support, even if traditionalists frown upon […] -
Continuing Legal Education / CLE, English Grammar and Usage, Lawyer Advertising, Pro Bono, Romance and Dating, Small Law Firms
Size Matters: Announcements and RFPs
With the departure of Jay Shepherd, small firm columnist Valerie Katz is now (at least temporarily) filling the role of small firm chica (Val) and small firm expert (Jay). Let me tell you, it is exhausting. So, she am going to do what any smart, small-firm partner would do in this situation, and she am going to delegate. And, by delegate, she means push the work off on you. She have a few new features that she would like to unveil (and she swears, it will be better than the new Facebook)... -
English Grammar and Usage, Reader Polls
Grammer Pole of the Weak: Got Any Fun Weekend Plans?
Everybody’s working for the weekend. But for now, while you’re still stuck at work, you should take a look at our latest Grammer Pole of the Weak, a column where we turn questions of English grammar and usage over to our readers for discussion and debate. Last week, we found out that even federal judges […]