| Disclaimer | 13 |
| Introduction | 15 |
| Part 1 | The Basics | |
| Rule 1 | Argument Is a Craft | 19 |
| Rule 2 | The Goal of Argument is To Persuade | 21 |
| Rule 3 | The Simple Declarative Sentence Is Your Best Weapon | 22 |
| Rule 4 | The More Complicated the Argument, The Simpler Your Presentation Should Be | 24 |
| Rule 5 | Before You Write Or State Your Argument, You Must Be Sure What It is | 25 |
| Rule 6 | Stream of Consciousness Has No Place in Your Argument | 26 |
| Rule 7 | An Argument May be Legal, Factual, Or Both | 27 |
| Rule 8 | Contentions Are the Building Blocks of an Argument | 28 |
| Rule 9 | A Contention Is a Positive Statement That Can Be Made in One Sentence | 30 |
| Rule 10 | Your Contentions Must Prove Your Major Claim | 31 |
| Rule 11 | Arrange Your Contentions In Descending Order of Importance | 34 |
| Rule 12 | A Contention Should Be The Topic Sentence of Every Paragraph | 36 |
| Rule 13 | The Body of Each Paragraph Should Prove The Truth of Its Topic Sentence Contention | 37 |
| Rule 14 | The Last Sentence of Each Paragraph Should Nail the Proof Into the Reader's Mind | 38 |
| Rule 15 | The Last Stentence of Each Paragraph Should Lead Into the Next Topic Sentence Contention | 39 |
| Part 2 | The Complex Argument | |
| Rule 16 | The Point Is the Basic Organizing Tool Of Your Demand Letter | 43 |
| Rule 17 | Set Up Your Points | 46 |
| Rule 18 | The Intro Paragraph Sets the Stage | 48 |
| Rule 19 | Your Legal Principles, If Any, Must Be Stated Before Your Facts | 50 |
| Rule 20 | Be Objective in Stating Your Legal Basis | 51 |
| Rule 21 | Give Clear Citations or Provide Copies of the Law | 52 |
| Rule 22 | Avoid Block Ouotes | 53 |
| Rule 23 | Translate Legalese Into Simple English | 54 |
| Rule 24 | Conclude Your Law Paragraph With a Contention | 56 |
| Rule 25 | Link the Facts to Your Major Claim | 57 |
| Rule 26 | Legal References Should Be in Plain English | 60 |
| Rule 27 | Avoid the Straw Man | 62 |
| Rule 28 | Don't Address Every One of Your Opponent's Contentions | 64 |
| Rule 29 | Attacking Your Opponent's Legal Principles | 65 |
| Rule 30 | Attack Your Opponent's Facts | 66 |
| Rule 31 | Avoid the Defensive | 68 |
| Rule 32 | End Your Point With a Conclusion Paragraph | 69 |
| Rule 33 | An Argument Is a Unified Entity | 70 |
| Part 3 | Writing the Story of Your Claim | |
| Rule 1 | Tell a Story | 73 |
| Rule 2 | Be Accurate and Objective | 75 |
| Rule 3 | Don't Argue or Characterize the Facts | 76 |
| Rule 4 | Make a Chronology | 77 |
| Rule 5 | Banish the Passive Voice | 78 |
| Rule 6 | Rely on Bare Facts | 80 |
| Rule 7 | Close the Gaps | 81 |
| Rule 8 | Don't Run From Inconsistencies | 82 |
| Rule 9 | Separate Real World Events From Dispute Events | 83 |
| Rule 10 | Put Subheadings in Their Place | 85 |
| Rule 11 | Dialogue Adds Realism | 86 |
| Rule 12 | If You Have a Source, Cite It | 87 |
| Rule 13 | Complex Facts Require Simple Narratives | 88 |
| Rule 14 | Your Narrative Should Be Riveting But Reliable | 89 |
| Conclusion: Think Like a Lawyer | 91 |
| Appendix | Sample Letters | 93 |
