Law Practice
Oct. 1, 2024
Hair splitting for fun and braggadocio
Eli Burnstein's book, "Dictionary of Fine Distinctions: Nuances, Niceties, and Subtle Shades of Meaning," is a joy for book lovers, word nerds, and trivia geeks. It is also highly suitable for lawyers, especially appellate lawyers, with a sincere drive for precision.
Benjamin G. Shatz
Partner, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips LLP
Appellate Law (Certified), Litigation
Email: bshatz@manatt.com
Benjamin is a certified specialist in appellate law who co-chairs the Appellate Practice Group at Manatt in the firm's Los Angeles office. Exceptionally Appealing appears the first Tuesday of the month.
The law is all about words. If law school is anything, it's a three-year exercise in vocabulary building. It's a great warm-up for the practice of law, which is all about using words, orally and especially in writing. Success requires using the right word in the right way. This requires an appreciation for precise meanings and minute differences. As Mark Twain (or, more precisely, was it more Samuel Clemens?) put it: "The difference between the almost right word a...
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