11.5 AVOIDING SPELLING, GRAMMATICAL, AND TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS

Avoiding mechanical errors does not really present an opportunity for persuasion. Your reader will not particularly notice or remark upon a brief that is free of these problems: Perfection in small things is a minimal expectation. Unfortunately, however, mechanical errors will have a negative effect. Many readers presume that someone who writes a document with mechanical errors cannot be trusted to conduct sound legal analysis. While the logic behind this attitude may be questionable, it’s unmistakable that the attitude is there, and it provides one more reason why you should proofread diligently.

Chapter Twelve talks about effective proofreading methods, and Appendix A addresses common punctuation mistakes.