Skip to content
← Back to Overview

Communication

PhiLSAT Communication? It's not just grammar - it's about clarity, precision, and rhetoric. Can you spot the ambiguity? Can you identify the error in a legal brief? Let's polish your language skills, Counsel!

1. Grammar & Usage ✍️

Standard written English. Subject-verb agreement, pronoun usage, and modifiers.

Common Legal Writing Errors:

  • Dangling Modifiers: "Walking into the courtroom, the gavel banged." (Who walked?)
  • Ambiguous Pronouns: "The client told the lawyer he was wrong." (Who was wrong?)
  • Subject-Verb Disagreement: "The list of demands were long." (Subject is LIST, so "was")
  • Parallelism: "He likes reading, writing, and to argue." (Should be "arguing")

2. Sentence Correction & Improvement 📝

Choose the best version of a sentence. Look for clarity, conciseness, and correctness.

Tips for Improvement:

  • Be Concise: Remove unnecessary words ("The reason why is because" → "The reason is")
  • Active Voice: "The judge signed the order" is better than "The order was signed by the judge."
  • Precise Vocabulary: Use the exact word, not a vague one.
  • Logical Flow: Ensure modifiers are placed correctly.

3. Essay Writing (The PhiLSAT Essay) 📄

You may be asked to write an essay. Structure and argument are key!

Structure of a Legal Argument:

  1. Introduction: Hook, Context, THESIS STATEMENT (Your clear stance).
  2. Body Paragraph 1: Strongest argument + Evidence.
  3. Body Paragraph 2: Second argument + Evidence.
  4. Body Paragraph 3: Counter-argument + Rebuttal (Show you considered the other side).
  5. Conclusion: Restate thesis, summarize points, final thought.