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How can a lawyer, like you, use words that accurately reflect your level of intelligence without compromising the clarity of your message? The answer lies in developing a better vocabulary.

To develop a better vocabulary, choose a vocabulary that follows the “five Cs”: correct, clear, concise, coherent, and concrete.

First, make sure you choose words that convey your message correctly and precisely. Among other things, using an incorrect or imprecise term or phrase may jeopardize your credibility. For example, “uninterested” is different from “disinterested”.

Second, think about the clearness of your words. For example, which is clearer — “dissolution of marital bonds” or, simply, “divorce?” If your communication is unclear, then your audience may lose your intended message. To make sure you are using clear words, have someone proofread your writing.

Third, to develop a better vocabulary, never use two words where one will do. To ensure conciseness, weed out unneeded prepositional phrases. For example, when writing to an opposing counsel, say “We received your letter” rather than “We are in receipt of your letter”.

Fourth, develop a vocabulary that boosts the coherence of your message. If your language is coherent, then your message flows seamlessly. To help the coherence of your message, make sure your vocabulary has a sufficient stock of strong transitional words that link your paragraphs, such as “Further”, “Again,”, “Finally”, “Similarly,”, and “However,”.

Fifth, to develop a better vocabulary you need to develop a concrete vocabulary. To see if your language is sufficiently concrete, ask yourself:

• Is my statement easily “pictured” by the audience?
• Can my audience relate to the statement easily?
• Am I using my words in a sure and positive way?
• Is my statement measurable or is it just vague and abstract?

In developing a concrete vocabulary, avoid unneeded adverbs and adjectives.

By developing a vocabulary that follows the “five C’s”, you can be confident that your words will reflect your intent and that your intent will be communicated to your audience.

References

John V Davis, "Vocabulary Improvement and Professional Success: What Can Lawyers Tell Us about the Relationship?" (2009)