ABOUT

Terri LeClercq has spent ten years investigating the current law and the realities within U.S. prisons. Because it took so long, and because most of what is written is hard to decipher, she has designed a portal into the mysteries of the Prison Litigation Reform Act and its consequences for
the inmates,
families,
prison staff,
defense and prosecuting attorneys,
and courts.

This blog explores the consequences of new cases. It accepts comments from both inmates/families and prison staff/officials.

This blog builds on the information she shares in the new graphic novel, Prison Grievances: when to write, what to write.

Her background: Experienced legal writing scholar and language expert Terri LeClercq emphasizes the path to success–plain, straightforward writing. She taught both writing and editing at the University of Texas School of Law for 23 years, encouraging students to be grammatically correct, well organized, and free of ambiguities.

Legal ambiguities bring many attorneys to her door. Clients call on her to turn briefs into persuasive arguments and to reorganize informational documents with a clear design so that readers can easily find what they need. She edited, for instance, an international service agreement covering ships entering U. S. territorial waters; she was also editor of the Federal Judiciary Center's Model Notices for class-action lawsuits.

In addition to leading seminars, teaching, and consulting, Dr. LeClercq has published over one hundred articles and two major texts that focus on plain language in legal writing. These articles offer practical advice for avoiding those common mistakes that writers make while tackling the complexities of the law.

In her books, her editing, and her consulting, she is determind to help writers achieve their goals. Her new graphic novel is designed specifically to help inmates reach their goal with grievances--offering clear advice about the complex Prison Litigation Reform Act, advice seasoned with her usual wry humor.