Can’t You Fix That in the Revisor’s Bill?
by Jennifer Gilroy, Revisor of Statutes It seems that most people who are involved in the legislative process in any way whatsoever have heard about the revisor’s bill — a […]
Bill Drafting
Bill Summaries — Your Source for the “Quick and Dirty” on a Bill
by Patti Dahlberg You’re running late, you’re trying to get a handle on the bills they just called up on special orders, and there are seven bills on your committee […]
Must and Shall: A Statutory Distinction
by Thomas Morris You may have noticed that some of the bills recently drafted by the Office of Legislative Legal Services have begun to use the word “must” in some […]
OLLS Implementing Drafting Changes to Improve the Use of Present Tense, Active Voice, and Authority Verbs
by Thomas Morris Open your statute book to any statutory section and you’re likely to find a sentence something like the following: “The fine shall be imposed by the court […]
What Is Your Purpose?
by Ed DeCecco What is your purpose? It’s a big question; one that can confound even the greatest of thinkers. And it is a question that the attorney drafting your […]