Opposing counsel once called Chris Schandevel a “brief-writing ninja.” He took it as a compliment. Years later, as he considered ways to add value to attorneys coming up behind him, Chris channeled that nickname into a side job: Brief-Writing Ninja, his training platform to help lawyers improve their writing skills. Why? Because good writing is good writing—whether you’re writing for a court or a high school essay. In this conversation with hosts Todd Smith and Jody Sanders, Chris shares practical tips such as replacing “moreover” with “and”; “nevertheless” with “even still”; and “accordingly” or “however” with “but.” The panel deliberates over questions that should concern any writer. Can you start a sentence with a conjunction? Should lawyers master “styles” in Word? Is Century Schoolbook a worthy font? Tune in for the answers.
Download Chris’s Brief-Writing Ninja Legal Style Guide here.
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- 0:00 Introduction to Chris Schandevel
- 4:17 Discovering ADF Through a College Blog Post
- 12:43 How Church Public Speaking Prepared Chris for Oral Argument
- 18:08 Preparing for Oral Argument While Writing the Brief
- 25:03 Working on Supreme Court Cases at ADF
- 31:58 Launching Brief Writing Ninja
- 38:10 Why Lawyers Should Start More Sentences with “And,” “But,” and “So”
- 42:27 Why Chris Prefers Left-Aligned Briefs
- 51:43 Taking Orphan/Widow Control to the Next Level
- 57:20 Why Lawyers Should Keep Using Em Dashes
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☑️ Jody Sanders | LinkedIn | X
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☑️ Texas Appellate Counsel PLLC
☑️ Kelly Hart & Hallman, LLP | LinkedIn
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