Prof. Peter Sankoff publishes guide to persuasive legal writing

For his new book, Professor Peter Sankoff of the University of Alberta Faculty of Law wanted to take a light-hearted, accessible approach to helping students and legal professionals improve their writing skills. 

Professor Sankoff’s Guide to Persuasive Legal Writing, released in 2022 as the first title from Criminal Defense Essentials (CDE) Publishing, is filled with practical guidance, examples and checklists  – all presented with a healthy dose of irreverence and humour. 

“I wanted to create a book that speaks to writers of all ages, but especially young writers, in a language they understand,” says Sankoff. 

Sankoff was inspired to write his book after encountering the same types of writing errors over and over again throughout his 20 year career as a law professor and lawyer. After working to improve his own writing over the years, as well as helping law students and the team at his firm develop into better writers, Sankoff has a wealth of accumulated knowledge to share. 

The book, as Sankoff writes in the introduction, is ultimately designed to help make the reader “a more confident and successful writer.” Divided into seven chapters, with a foreword by Justice Russell Brown of the Supreme Court of Canada, the content covers both general writing tips and a range of topics specific to legal writing. 

For more information, visit Professor Sankoff’s website.