Document Type
Article
Publication Date
Fall 2025
Abstract
Because practitioners are pressured to complete their tasks as quickly and efficiently as possible, lawyers regularly use documents previously drafted by other lawyers as a starting point for their drafting. Law students may be surprised to learn that in the modern practice of law, plagiarism is so widely accepted and encouraged. This article proposes several reasons why Legal Writing Professors should consider addressing that fact by discussing the process by which many lawyers draft documents in the real-world practice of law today.
First, the rules against plagiarism do not relate to the real-world practice of law. Unlike law students, who are graded on their own individual work, lawyers often collaborate on their written work. Moreover, plagiarism serves an important purpose in the practice of law: it allows lawyers to deliver high quality work as efficiently as possible, which serves their clients’ financial interests. And, given the increased usage of AI in practice, plagiarism will continue to play a role in the modern practice of law.
Second, all lawyers can benefit from engaging in a practice suggested by this article: “light plagiarism.” While engaging in “light plagiarism” will allow new lawyers to more quickly refine their research and writing skills and allow them to see that good legal writing comes in many forms and styles, more experienced lawyers who engage in “light plagiarism” will benefit by being able to complete more tasks in less time.
Finally, the article proposes five steps that should be performed to effectively engage in “light plagiarism.”
Recommended Citation
Donna L. Eng, The Role of "Light Plagiarism" in Legal Writing , from a Recent Practitioner's Perspective, 9 Stetson L. Rev. F., no. 2 (2025).
Included in
Legal Education Commons, Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility Commons, Legal Profession Commons, Legal Writing and Research Commons