Updating an old post: Typography for Lawyers

Dear OOTJers: In August, 2009, we featured a post about a website, Typography for Lawyers. Matthew Butterick, a civil litigator from L.A., runs the website. But before his life in the law, Butterick got a fine arts degree focusing on typography and graphic design. So this is something the man thinks about. The post at OOTJ, for instance, was looking at ballot design. But there are lots of other applications for lawyers to think about as well: pleadings, memos, contracts and other legal documents would all be easier (or maybe harder!) to understand when laid out thoughtfully. I think statutes and regulations should be published with consultations from this guy or somebody like him.

At any rate, he has a new book out that I think law libraries might like to know about:

Typography for Lawyers

Well, he's into clarity, I suppose. It's based on his website. The link above will show you can order it from the publisher or from Amazon. He even has a foreward from Bryan Garner, who wittily shows you how to use the book to make your life easier by handing it to your associate to show them how to lay out their memos in future in a more readable way. I think my profs will be delighted if the students will use it to lay out their papers in a more readable way. But I also buy things with an eye to my alumni who regularly use my library and I know they will be delighted.