About | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline
LOG IN
LOG IN

17 Nova L. Rev. 917 (1992-1993)

handle is hein.journals/novalr17 and id is 949 raw text is: Academic Law Review Writing John M. Lindsey* Simple words tend to produce concrete, understandable images. For this very reason, some modem academics avoid the plain and prefer the obscure. They want to stand above the crowd and gain peer recognition. Some hope to create new schools of thought to be named, of course, after themselves. This little essay is designed to help would-be academics invent unusual word combinations that are guaranteed to impress at least first year law students. When considered in isolation, some words are innocent enough; but, if you combine them with less virtuous expressions, you can remove them from any rational range of comprehension. Consider, for example, the simple word fundamental. Everyone, except perhaps a deconstructionist, understands what that word means. If you add situational and discor- dance, you can create the monstrous but impressive expression: funda- mental situational discordance. Other words are monsters whether you combine them with other terms or let them stand alone, e.g. reified, homologation and deconstructive. You, too, can appear learned when you write for the law reviews. You can attain an awesome level of vagueness by using the chart below. Try this simple three step exercise: (1) take any word from column # 1; (2) combine it with any word from column # 2; and (3) add a third word selected at random from column # 3. * Professor of Law and Law Librarian, Temple University School of Law. The chart that appears in this essay was prepared by Professor Lindsey for use in connection with his presentation at the 38th annual meeting of the National Conference of Law Reviews hosted by Whittier College of Law in Los Angeles, California, on March 20, 1992.

What Is HeinOnline?

HeinOnline is a subscription-based resource containing thousands of academic and legal journals from inception; complete coverage of government documents such as U.S. Statutes at Large, U.S. Code, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, U.S. Reports, and much more. Documents are image-based, fully searchable PDFs with the authority of print combined with the accessibility of a user-friendly and powerful database. For more information, request a quote or trial for your organization below.



Short-term subscription options include 24 hours, 48 hours, or 1 week to HeinOnline.

Purchase Access

Contact us for annual subscription options:

Contact Us

Already a HeinOnline Subscriber?

Log In

profiles profiles most