The legal team at Adobe is constantly seeking creative new ways to better serve our customers and employees. Part of this effort has been the development of what we call The Adobe Legal Department Style Guide. We use it as the foundation of the way we create and revise our agreements, processes, policies and trainings to ensure that they are models of clarity and simplicity, and that we communicate with a common voice. These efforts have resulted in an array of benefits including greater organizational efficiency, reduced translation and other costs, and most importantly --- happier customers and employees. Now we would like to help others in the legal profession to do the same. The Adobe Legal Department Style Guide is available to anyone free of charge under a Creative Commons license.
Brad Frost
Web designer
Style Guide Best Practices
We’re tasked with creating experiences that look and function beautifully across a dizzying array of devices and environments. That’s a tall order in and of itself, but once you factor in other team members, clients, stakeholders, and organizational quirks, things start looking downright intimidating. With so many variables to consider, we need solid ground to stand on. Style guides are quickly proving to be foundational tools for tackling this increasingly-diverse web landscape while still maintaining your sanity. Style guides promote consistency, establish a shared vocabulary, make testing easier, and lay a future-friendly foundation. This session will detail best practices and considerations for creating and maintaining style guides, so you can set up your organization for success.
Nobody works alone in a vacuum, and successful work hinges on how well a team communicates and collaborates with each other. This talk will explore many methods, tools, and techniques teams use to produce great web experiences. How do front-end development teams make sure they write clean and consistent code together? How do designers ensure colors, typography, and other design elements are used correctly? What deliverables should be created in an effective web design process? How are decisions communicated with the team, stakeholders, and the broader organization? There are no “right” answers to these questions, but this talk will cover some important principles and helpful tactics to help your team make great work together.
Responsive Design Workflow (Breaking Development Conference 2012 Orlando)Stephen Hay
Slides from my presentation at Breaking Development 2012 in Orlando. This deck is not intended to be standalone, and probably made more sense in combination with my talk. At least, I hope so. I understand that video of the talk will be available in the near future on the Breaking Development website.
In this presentation, Intergen's Mark Delaney (Interactive Designer, Portals and Content) talks about mobile content strategy, context, device experience and gives advice on how to start your journey on creating a responsive website.
The Death of Lorem Ipsum & Pixel Perfect ContentDave Olsen
A designer has been asked to mock up a student profile page in Photoshop. It’s beautiful. The student’s name fits perfectly under the profile image. Their bio is split into two columns that perfectly line up. Unfortunately, all of this perfectly laid-out content is an unrealistic best-case scenario. Our content never fits this perfectly. Names are longer than the eleven characters used in the mock-up. Bios naturally vary in length from person to person. The reality is that we will have large variation in our content.
Rather than addressing these variations after we’ve received approvals and started building a website, we should stress-test our designs with real content from the start of our process. To deliver the best possible product, we need to design for the best-case, worst-case, and every-case-in-between when it comes to possible content.
* Learn how systems and patterns can help us build reusable and shareable components for our websites
* Discover the benefits of taking the design process out of Photoshop and moving it to the browser.
* Learn how content specialists can engage with the design process from the beginning and be advocates for realistic content.
* Explore how real and varied content, not lorem ipsum, can be used to test a design and how it might work.
* Discover how developers can also be involved in this process to ease integration of a design with a CMS or a custom solution.
Are you a Designer or a Developer or both? – This talk will explore myths & preconceptions about roles.. And how when we push these boundaries, we can achieve greater things. Because, if you understand what you’re trying to accomplish both technically and visually, you will have fantastic a outcome.
We’ll touch on “crossover” (golden unicorn) topics such as UI, UX, trusting instincts, user testing, wire framing, information architecture, typography, front end structure, form, and the mindset we need to have in order to challenge both sides of our brain.
WordPress is a great place to put this into practice: as its a perfect environment for leaning php & css, but also its surrounding community support helps us achieve greatness.
Weather you consider yourself a Designer, a Developer, or both: this talk is for you.
MIMA 2014 - Changing your Responsive Design Workfloweaselsolutions
Presentation slides from Dustin Tauer's 2014 MIMA Session:
What is your Web workflow? If your situation mirrors that of most organizations, the process often begins with some initial planning and discovery, followed by the design phase. In the design phase, Photoshop is opened and wireframes evolve into static designs. Once approved, these designs are passed to the developer which leads to testing, tweaking, and finally, launch. This workflow is great for traditional websites, but major evolution is needed to account for the changing landscape that is responsive design.
This session will present different strategies and processes for effectively designing and developing responsive websites. We’ll look at how taking a content-first approach rather than a design-first approach can significantly reduce the number of issues and iterations throughout the process. With mobile traffic quickly surpassing desktop traffic, a new workflow process is imperative to helping us be better prepared for the constantly changing device landscape.
Brad Frost
Web designer
Style Guide Best Practices
We’re tasked with creating experiences that look and function beautifully across a dizzying array of devices and environments. That’s a tall order in and of itself, but once you factor in other team members, clients, stakeholders, and organizational quirks, things start looking downright intimidating. With so many variables to consider, we need solid ground to stand on. Style guides are quickly proving to be foundational tools for tackling this increasingly-diverse web landscape while still maintaining your sanity. Style guides promote consistency, establish a shared vocabulary, make testing easier, and lay a future-friendly foundation. This session will detail best practices and considerations for creating and maintaining style guides, so you can set up your organization for success.
Nobody works alone in a vacuum, and successful work hinges on how well a team communicates and collaborates with each other. This talk will explore many methods, tools, and techniques teams use to produce great web experiences. How do front-end development teams make sure they write clean and consistent code together? How do designers ensure colors, typography, and other design elements are used correctly? What deliverables should be created in an effective web design process? How are decisions communicated with the team, stakeholders, and the broader organization? There are no “right” answers to these questions, but this talk will cover some important principles and helpful tactics to help your team make great work together.
Responsive Design Workflow (Breaking Development Conference 2012 Orlando)Stephen Hay
Slides from my presentation at Breaking Development 2012 in Orlando. This deck is not intended to be standalone, and probably made more sense in combination with my talk. At least, I hope so. I understand that video of the talk will be available in the near future on the Breaking Development website.
In this presentation, Intergen's Mark Delaney (Interactive Designer, Portals and Content) talks about mobile content strategy, context, device experience and gives advice on how to start your journey on creating a responsive website.
The Death of Lorem Ipsum & Pixel Perfect ContentDave Olsen
A designer has been asked to mock up a student profile page in Photoshop. It’s beautiful. The student’s name fits perfectly under the profile image. Their bio is split into two columns that perfectly line up. Unfortunately, all of this perfectly laid-out content is an unrealistic best-case scenario. Our content never fits this perfectly. Names are longer than the eleven characters used in the mock-up. Bios naturally vary in length from person to person. The reality is that we will have large variation in our content.
Rather than addressing these variations after we’ve received approvals and started building a website, we should stress-test our designs with real content from the start of our process. To deliver the best possible product, we need to design for the best-case, worst-case, and every-case-in-between when it comes to possible content.
* Learn how systems and patterns can help us build reusable and shareable components for our websites
* Discover the benefits of taking the design process out of Photoshop and moving it to the browser.
* Learn how content specialists can engage with the design process from the beginning and be advocates for realistic content.
* Explore how real and varied content, not lorem ipsum, can be used to test a design and how it might work.
* Discover how developers can also be involved in this process to ease integration of a design with a CMS or a custom solution.
Are you a Designer or a Developer or both? – This talk will explore myths & preconceptions about roles.. And how when we push these boundaries, we can achieve greater things. Because, if you understand what you’re trying to accomplish both technically and visually, you will have fantastic a outcome.
We’ll touch on “crossover” (golden unicorn) topics such as UI, UX, trusting instincts, user testing, wire framing, information architecture, typography, front end structure, form, and the mindset we need to have in order to challenge both sides of our brain.
WordPress is a great place to put this into practice: as its a perfect environment for leaning php & css, but also its surrounding community support helps us achieve greatness.
Weather you consider yourself a Designer, a Developer, or both: this talk is for you.
MIMA 2014 - Changing your Responsive Design Workfloweaselsolutions
Presentation slides from Dustin Tauer's 2014 MIMA Session:
What is your Web workflow? If your situation mirrors that of most organizations, the process often begins with some initial planning and discovery, followed by the design phase. In the design phase, Photoshop is opened and wireframes evolve into static designs. Once approved, these designs are passed to the developer which leads to testing, tweaking, and finally, launch. This workflow is great for traditional websites, but major evolution is needed to account for the changing landscape that is responsive design.
This session will present different strategies and processes for effectively designing and developing responsive websites. We’ll look at how taking a content-first approach rather than a design-first approach can significantly reduce the number of issues and iterations throughout the process. With mobile traffic quickly surpassing desktop traffic, a new workflow process is imperative to helping us be better prepared for the constantly changing device landscape.
The Death of Lorem Ipsum and Pixel-Perfect Content (MinneWebCon version)Dave Olsen
A designer has been asked to mock up an example student profile page in Photoshop. It’s beautiful. The student’s name fits perfectly under the profile image. Their bio is split into two perfectly aligned columns. The design just feels… right. Approvals are given and the production of a website with many different profiles is started. As more profiles are added the design no longer seems to work. It’s starting to seem like the website itself will no longer work. The cold, hard reality of varied and inconsistent web content has hit the project hard. Do we make large design changes or just live with it?
To head off this question we should utilize real content as we develop mock-ups. But it shouldn’t just be one set of real content. Delivering the best possible and most robust websites requires us to design using the best-case, worst-case, and every-case-in-between content. By combining the skills of content specialists, designers, and even developers designs will be that much stronger.
UX, Front-end and Back-end: How front-end can help these guys?Diego Eis
How front-end can help UX and Back-end guys? How they interact? I tell a little about it in this slides, showing how the front-end can help the back-end and UX.
Keynote at Codebits in Portugal, April 2014, explaining the how and why of Firefox OS and how to use it.
Video: https://videos.sapo.pt/ZYQyY57ZlB6lhgIdBzrs
This session will highlight the capabilities within AEM 6.2 that allow you to create accessible web content and how to meet the important requirements of WCAG 2.0.
Styleguide-Driven Development: The New Web DevelopmentJohn Albin Wilkins
The session was originally titled "Managing Complex Projects with Design Components”, but the training I took to become a certified ScrumMaster blew my mind.
Integrating agile development with web development is actually very simple. It's called Styleguide-Driven Development.
In this session, we will discuss the two requirements for Style Guide Driven Development: component-based design and automated style guides.
The Death of Lorem Ipsum and Pixel-Perfect Content (MinneWebCon version)Dave Olsen
A designer has been asked to mock up an example student profile page in Photoshop. It’s beautiful. The student’s name fits perfectly under the profile image. Their bio is split into two perfectly aligned columns. The design just feels… right. Approvals are given and the production of a website with many different profiles is started. As more profiles are added the design no longer seems to work. It’s starting to seem like the website itself will no longer work. The cold, hard reality of varied and inconsistent web content has hit the project hard. Do we make large design changes or just live with it?
To head off this question we should utilize real content as we develop mock-ups. But it shouldn’t just be one set of real content. Delivering the best possible and most robust websites requires us to design using the best-case, worst-case, and every-case-in-between content. By combining the skills of content specialists, designers, and even developers designs will be that much stronger.
UX, Front-end and Back-end: How front-end can help these guys?Diego Eis
How front-end can help UX and Back-end guys? How they interact? I tell a little about it in this slides, showing how the front-end can help the back-end and UX.
Keynote at Codebits in Portugal, April 2014, explaining the how and why of Firefox OS and how to use it.
Video: https://videos.sapo.pt/ZYQyY57ZlB6lhgIdBzrs
This session will highlight the capabilities within AEM 6.2 that allow you to create accessible web content and how to meet the important requirements of WCAG 2.0.
Styleguide-Driven Development: The New Web DevelopmentJohn Albin Wilkins
The session was originally titled "Managing Complex Projects with Design Components”, but the training I took to become a certified ScrumMaster blew my mind.
Integrating agile development with web development is actually very simple. It's called Styleguide-Driven Development.
In this session, we will discuss the two requirements for Style Guide Driven Development: component-based design and automated style guides.
In celebration of International Women's Day, we dug into some of our most interesting interviews with women in marketing and have put together the following slideshow highlighting some words of wisdom. Happy Women's Day!
The Top Skills That Can Get You Hired in 2017LinkedIn
We analyzed all the recruiting activity on LinkedIn this year and identified the Top Skills employers seek. Starting Oct 24, learn these skills and much more for free during the Week of Learning.
#AlwaysBeLearning https://learning.linkedin.com/week-of-learning
Preliminary Pages How to Start Page Numbering at a Specifi.docxLacieKlineeb
Preliminary Pages: How to Start Page Numbering at a Specific Page in Microsoft Word 2007
Follow these steps in order to get your page numbers to begin showing on the Signature page as
page ii:
1. Open your Word document, and click at the top of the page where you want the page
numbering to begin (the Signature page).
2. On the Page Layout tab, in the Page Setup section, select Breaks, then select
Continuous.
3. On the Insert tab, in the Header & Footer section, select Page Number. Then select
Bottom of Page, then Plain Number 2.
4. Double click where the page number is to get the Header & Footer Design tab to open. In
the Navigation section, deselect Link to Previous.
5. Go to the pages you need to delete the page number(s) from, and delete the page
number(s). There should now be no page numbers at the start of the document, and page
numbers that begin on the Signature page.
6. Go back to the Signature page, and highlight the page number. On the Insert tab, in the
Header & Footer section, select Page Numbers, then Format Page Numbers.
7. For the Number Format Field, select the Roman numerals (i, ii, iii…). Then below under
Page Numbering, select the “Start at” button, and then enter ii in the field. Click OK.
8. Double-click anywhere in the document to exit the header/footer formatting – the page
numbers have now been added to the document.
How to Switch to Arabic Numerals for First Chapter in Microsoft Word 2007
Follow these steps in order to get your page numbers to switch to Arabic numerals for the first page
of your main text:
1. Click at the top of the page where you want the Arabic numbering to begin.
2. On the Page Layout tab, in the Page Setup section, select Breaks, then select
Continuous.
3. Highlight the page number on the first page of your main text, and in the Navigation
section, deselect Link to Previous.
4. On the Insert tab, in the Header & Footer section, select Page Number. Then select
Bottom of Page, then Plain Number 2.
5. On the Insert tab, in the Header & Footer section, select Page Numbers, then Format
Page Numbers.
6. For the Number Format Field, select the Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3…). Then below under
Page Numbering, select the “Start at” button, and then enter 1 in the field. Click OK.
General Rubric for APA Writing and Presentations
Unacceptable
Acceptable
Meets Standard
Outstanding
Possible % of Score
Logic and Organization (Smoothness of Flow)
Does not develop ideas cogently, uneven and ineffective overall organization, unclear introduction and /or conclusion
Ideas not well connected. Some overall organization. Some ideas illogical, Introduction and conclusion unfocused.
Organization clear, ideas developed and unified, Good introduction and conclusion.
Cogent development of ideas, develops ideas effectively and connection are smooth. Clear introduction and conclusions
Language
Employs words that are unclear, .
75
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Case Analysis
INTRODUCTION
You’ve already examined several cases from the text. Your
course project will require a careful reading of Case 20—
Southwest Airlines in 2010: Culture, Values, and Operating
Practices, on pages C-276–C309.
Southwest Airlines has become the market-share leader in
domestic air travel in the United States. This quirky but
scrappy airline started small and now transports more
passengers from U.S. airports to U.S. destinations than any
other airline. Their market symbol is (LUV). They’ve emphasized
a low cost, low price, and no frills strategy that has worked
well for them. In May 2011, Southwest acquired AirTran
Holdings, Inc., the parent of AirTran Airways. This was a major
acquisition for Southwest and presents some management
challenges for its continuing success. Is it possible that
Southwest will continue to achieve the success to which it’s
accustomed while integrating AirTran into its organization?
PROCEDURE
Read through Case 20—Southwest Airlines in 2010: Culture,
Values, and Operating Practices, on pages C-276–C309 of
your textbook.
Carefully go through all chapters covered in your course and
analyze the Southwest Airlines case within the frameworks
available. In addition to the case material in the textbook,
review the video for Case 20 available on the My Courses
page of your student homepage. Because this situation is
fluid, there’s no correct or incorrect answer; what’s important
is your application of course materials and the process of your
analysis. Begin with a SWOT analysis, in which strengths
include the firm’s market share and weaknesses include the
firm’s cost trends. Feel free to review the many business
articles on Southwest, the stock chat message boards (for
Graded Project76
sentiment), and any source of information you feel is helpful.
Remember to provide citations for any material from which
you quote verbatim.
Your paper should provide answers to the following questions:
1. Is there anything that you find particularly impressive
about Southwest Airlines? Provide at least four examples.
2. What grade would you give Southwest management for
the job it has done in crafting the company’s strategy? What
is it that you like or dislike about the strategy? Does
Southwest have a winning strategy? Explain your answers.
3. What are the key policies, procedures, operating practices,
and core values underlying Southwest’s efforts to imple-
ment and execute its low-cost/no frills strategy?
4. What are the key elements of Southwest’s culture? Is
Southwest a strong-culture company? Why or why not?
What problems do you foresee that Gary Kelly has in sus-
taining the culture now that Herb Kelleher, the company’s
spiritual leader, has departed?
5. What grade would you give Southwest management for the
job it has done in implementing and executing the com-
pany’s strategy? Which of Southwest.
How to write a Cracker Resume/CV for your next Job Application!Rajat Vashishta
A DIY (do-it-yourself) guide on how to write the most effective resume ever for your next job application. Write it in style to win the employer's trust and the panel's interest.
Given that on average a recruiter spent only 5-20 seconds looking at your CV and 250CVs received for each job position, how can you ensure your CV standouts?
The answer is you need a great CV!
This document explains the best practices for writing a great CV. It was prepared for a workshop I delivered during Wake Up Indonesia event in London in 2017.
Please do LIKE and SHARE if you find it useful.
Disclaimer: All views and opinions expressed in this document are the author’s own and do not represent any organisations.This document shall be used for personal use only and shall not be used for commercial purposes whatsoever.
Nowadays, every student searches the best resume format 2020 . We at resumeuncle.com provide you all the details of the best resume format 2020. Take help...
Strategic Management and Strategic CompetitivenessOverviewChoo.docxrjoseph5
Strategic Management and Strategic Competitiveness
Overview
Choose one public corporation in an industry with which you are familiar. Research the company on its own website, the public filings on the Securities and Exchange Commission EDGAR database, the University's online databases, the Nexis Uni database, and any other sources you can find. The annual report will often provide insights that can help address some of these questions.
Requirements
Write a four-page paper in which you do the following:
· Assess how globalization and technology changes have impacted the corporation you researched.
· Apply the industrial organization model and the resource-based model to determine how your corporation could earn above-average returns.
· Assess how the vision statement and mission statement of the corporation influence its overall success.
· Evaluate how each category of stakeholder impacts the overall success of this corporation.
· Go to Basic Search: Strayer University Online Library and locate at least three quality references. Note: Wikipedia and similar Websites do not quality as academic resources.
Use the Assignment 1 Template [DOCX] to ensure that your assignment meets the above requirements.
Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:
· This course requires use of new Strayer Writing Standards (SWS). The format is different than other Strayer University courses. Please take a moment to review the SWS documentation for details.
· Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow SWS or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
· Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student's name, the professor's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.
The specific course learning outcome associated with this assignment is the following:
· Determine the impact of globalization and technology changes, strategic models, vision and mission statements, and stakeholders on a corporation's success.
Communicating professionally and ethically is an essential skill set we teach at
Strayer. The following guidelines ensure:
· Your writing is professional
· You avoid plagiarizing others
· You give credit to others in your work
Review Strayer’s Academic Integrity Policy in the Student Handbook.
Bookmark the SWS website for additional SWS resources.
Visit the SWS YouTube page to view helpful SWS videos.
Spring 2020
http://studenthandbook.strayer.edu/Student-Disciplinary-and-Grievance-Policies-and-Procedures/Academic-Integrity-Policy
https://strayer.libguides.com/strayerwritingstandards
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSvmYamJpLX5DN_56vyQqN4VzitwJU-9r
Strayer University Writing Standards 2
� Include page numbers.
� Use 1-inch margins.
� Use numerals (1, 2, 3, and so o.
Css Founder is Website Designing Company working with the mission of Website For Everyone Website Start From 999/-* More Packages are available. we are best company in website designing company in Delhi, as we are also working in Website Designing company in Mumbai.
Resume: Beyond Classical Resumes, what are areas to focus & highlight in 2020.
Recruiter Deck Presentation - 2020 OPMC organized by PMI Toronto
Shelly Kaushik
https://www.linkedin.com/in/shellykaushik/
Co-presenter - Ankit Doshi Lead Recruiter - Robert Half
Secrets to Building Job-Winning Resumés For BeginnersSOFTTECHHUB
Learn how to optimize your resume for Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), use clear and concise language, and incorporate relevant keywords that match the job requirements. Discover the importance of using a skills-based format, and how to craft a compelling career summary that highlights your unique value proposition.
This ebook also covers best practices for personal branding, including how to create a professional online presence, leverage LinkedIn and other professional networking platforms, and optimize your resume for mobile devices. With these tips and strategies, you'll be able to create a resume that stands out from the competition and helps you land your dream job.
Similar to The Adobe Legal Department Style Guide (20)
Explore the work behind eight boundary-defying Asian and Pacific Islander artists who flip the script on the all-too-common question, “where are you from?” to lay claim to the myriad identities that inspire their work.
The Inaugural Cohort of Women at Sundance | Adobe Fellowship Adobe
Sundance Institute announces the 11 artists selected for the first-ever Women at Sundance | Adobe Fellowship, designed to meaningfully support women artists creating bold new work across diverse disciplines, particularly filmmakers from underrepresented communities. The fellowship includes a $5,000 cash grant, skill-building workshops, and year-round mentorship from Sundance Institute staff and Adobe executives. Fellows were selected by Adobe from Sundance Institute’s community of supported artists.
Adobe COVID-19 Productivity Study: Say ‘buh-bye’ to WFH StigmaAdobe
New research from Adobe, which surveyed more than 1,000 workers in the U.S., has found that working from home due to COVID-19 has, in fact, impacted work habits and productivity — but positively.
Adobe Personalization 2020 Survey of Consumers and MarketersAdobe
In January and February 2020, Adobe surveyed over 400 digital marketers and 1,000 adult consumers on topics related to digital experience personalization. Questions cover the priority of personalization, budget allocation, use cases, benefits seen including return on investment, and consumer relationships with brands and personalization across a variety of devices.
The Obstacles and Opportunities of Digital TransformationAdobe
Is your organization struggling with digital transformation (DX)? Don’t worry — you’re not alone. A recent report by IDC, Mind the Gap on Your DX Journey, reveals the top challenges facing companies as they undergo DX, as well as reasons why it’s more than worth the effort.
Sundance Ignite Fellow alums share their Sundance Ignite program experience. Filmmakers Charlotte Regan, Carol Nguyen, and Lance Oppenheim talk mentorship, community and opportunity.
The Total Economic Impact of Adobe Document CloudAdobe
Digitally transform every department in your organization while delivering standout customer experiences with Adobe Document Cloud. Through interviews with Adobe enterprise customers, Forrester concluded that Adobe Document Cloud (including Adobe Acrobat DC and Adobe Sign) has the following three-year impact, helping organizations save time, costs, and improve employee efficiency.
Adobe Digital Insights just released its 2019 online Holiday shopping recap.From record breaking shopping days, to the battle between big and small retailers, this report has it all.
Technology is a conduit for new experiences at any age, income, or level of tech savviness. Each year at the Consumer Electronics Show we get a glimpse into the future, and Adobe is in a unique space to see how consumers are adopting and utilizing this technology in their day to day lives.
Five Ways to Accelerate the Sales Cycle and Close Deals FasterAdobe
These are the five key areas of a digitized sales process that sales leaders should be implementing to speed up their cycle times and close deals faster.
We surveyed 1,000 seasonal employees and 250 HR hiring managers to understand the impact that onboarding new staff to teams has on stress levels during the holidays, and how the process could be improved through smarter use of technology. Read more on the Adobe blog: https://adobe.ly/37C8t4m
Adobe Analytics’ survey of key decision makers at 403 U.S. retailers reveal valuable insights about how they plan to engage consumers this holiday shopping season.
The online shopping season is upon us, and it's shaping up to be the biggest year yet. Adobe is predicting over $143B in online spend. Consumers will be relying heavily on their smartphones, spending $14B more this season.
With eCommerce growth expected to slow, down 13% from 14.3% in 2018 to 12.4% this year we wanted to determine if there were regional/demographic/behavioral differences.
Digital, and mobile specifically, has had a massive impact on how consumers manage their finances—that’s for sure. However, while digital and mobile bank self-service offerings are most popular, new research finds that physical bank branches remain an important touch point.
As we becomes ever more connected to the digital world, the cars we drive are no exception. With the rise in demand for hybrid/electric cars, consumers are looking for more ways to elevate their driving experiences (ie. voice assistants, WiFi capabilities, self-driving)
NATURE, ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT OF INTERNATIONAL LAW.pptxanvithaav
These slides helps the student of international law to understand what is the nature of international law? and how international law was originated and developed?.
The slides was well structured along with the highlighted points for better understanding .
Car Accident Injury Do I Have a Case....Knowyourright
Every year, thousands of Minnesotans are injured in car accidents. These injuries can be severe – even life-changing. Under Minnesota law, you can pursue compensation through a personal injury lawsuit.
Military Commissions details LtCol Thomas Jasper as Detailed Defense CounselThomas (Tom) Jasper
Military Commissions Trial Judiciary, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Notice of the Chief Defense Counsel's detailing of LtCol Thomas F. Jasper, Jr. USMC, as Detailed Defense Counsel for Abd Al Hadi Al-Iraqi on 6 August 2014 in the case of United States v. Hadi al Iraqi (10026)
In 2020, the Ministry of Home Affairs established a committee led by Prof. (Dr.) Ranbir Singh, former Vice Chancellor of National Law University (NLU), Delhi. This committee was tasked with reviewing the three codes of criminal law. The primary objective of the committee was to propose comprehensive reforms to the country’s criminal laws in a manner that is both principled and effective.
The committee’s focus was on ensuring the safety and security of individuals, communities, and the nation as a whole. Throughout its deliberations, the committee aimed to uphold constitutional values such as justice, dignity, and the intrinsic value of each individual. Their goal was to recommend amendments to the criminal laws that align with these values and priorities.
Subsequently, in February, the committee successfully submitted its recommendations regarding amendments to the criminal law. These recommendations are intended to serve as a foundation for enhancing the current legal framework, promoting safety and security, and upholding the constitutional principles of justice, dignity, and the inherent worth of every individual.
1. THE ADOBE LEGAL DEPARTMENT STYLE GUIDE
Guide for Clear Legal Writing and Enhanced Collaboration on Document Creation
2. THE PRINCIPLES
About this Style Guide
THE LOOK TEMPLATE FORMAT
■ Corporate Logo
■ Font
■ Line Spacing
■ Numbering, Cross-referencing
■ Page Layout, White Space
■ Page Numbers
■ Table of Contents
■ Organize Yourself Before You Begin Writing
THE SUBSTANCE DRAFTING CONVENTIONS
GENERAL
CONVENTIONS
4
2
3
7
6
5
8 & 9
10
11
12
■ Abbreviations
■ Ampersands
■ Bold, Italics, Quotation Marks, Underlining
■ Capital Letters
■ Contact Details
■ Date Format
■ Headings
■ Numbers
■ Punctuation
■ References to Legislation
■ Space between Sentences
■ Tables, Examples, Flowcharts
CONVENTIONS
FOR AGREEMENT
TEMPLATES
■ Page One of Agreement Template
• Parties
• Background
• Agreed Terms
■ Substantive Clauses
• Definitions
• Internal Cross-references
• Paragraphs within a Clause
■ Appendices, Exhibits, Schedules
■ Execution Page
Page
3. SENTENCES
WORD CHOICES
PROVISOS
THE SUBSTANCE
GUIDELINES FOR
WRITING CLEARLY
■ Above and Below
■ And/or
■ Archaic Words and Legalese
■ Collective Nouns
■ Positive Expressions
■ Relative Pronouns
■ Shall
■ Surplus Words
■ Synonyms
■ Verbs
■ Gender-neutral Language
Bibliography
■ Length
■ Active Voice
■ Gaps between the Subject, the Verb, and the Object
■ Modifying Terms
■ Present Tense
■ Rhetorical Emphasis
Page
13
14
15
15 & 16
17
18
19
20
21 & 22
23
24
25
26
27
■ Provisos that attach a condition
■ Provisos that include an exception or qualication
■ Provisos that are independent statements
■ Provisos as conjunctive phrases
4. Adobe Systems Incorporated
Clear Legal Writing
Represents Brand
Delights Customers
A Haiku for Users
Adobe Legal Department Style GuidePage | 1
5. A B O U T T H I S S T Y L E G U I D E
When you write as a member of an
In-House Legal Department.
This document applies to all
In-House Legal Department
communication and documents, but
has a special focus on transaction
documents and other external-facing
terms such as sales contracts.
• Keep an open mind; maximize the
use of technology and make an
effort to learn new technology
features, especially those in
Microsoft Word.
• Write in plain English. Avoid
legalese and archaic English.
• Use an approved document format
when you work on a document
• Adopt consistent drafting
conventions across all your
documents.
Your writing represents your
Corporate Brand.
In-House Legal Department writing
should be accurate, complete, clear,
and easy to read and understand.
In-House Legal Department
documents should also be:
• consistent in format and style,
regardless of who drafted the
document; and
• prepared with maximum ease and
efficiency.
This Style Guide seeks to help you
achieve these goals.
DO I USE THIS
STYLE GUIDE?
SHOULD I USE THIS
STYLE GUIDE?
DOES THIS STYLE GUIDE
REQUIRE ME TO DO?
WHEN WHY WHAT
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Page | 2 Adobe Legal Department Style Guide
6. ■ Who is your primary reader? Are there others?
■ What is the most important thing you want to tell the reader?
■ What other points do you need to make?
■ What is the document's purpose?
■ Decide on your main messages.
■ Put related materials together.
■ Seek to have each paragraph develop the main idea
through a logical sequence.
■ Organize provisions in order of descending importance.
■ Use short sentences.
■ Pay attention to your choice of words.
■ Refer to the rest of this Style Guide for more tips.
Organize
Yourself Before You
Begin Writing
1. Know Your
Audience
2. Have a Plan:
Organize Your
Ideas and
Make Your
Point
3. Format Your
Document so
that it is Easy to
Read
4. Write Clearly
and Concisely
■ Use informative headings that clearly signpost the
main messages.
■ Break text into small units - use short sections, or
subdivide longer ones.
■ Consider the use of tables, lists, and other graphic
devices to explain difficult concepts.
5. Edit and Proofread
Your Writing
THE PRINCIPLES
Page | 3 Adobe Legal Department Style Guide
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1. AAA
1.1 bbb
(A) ccc
(1) ddd
(a) eee
As legal professionals, we tend to be concerned about text. However, document design has an important effect on the reader’s ability to read, find, and use
the information in a document too. We should, therefore, also care about how a document looks.
This section of the Style Guide sets out the basic design principles that the Adobe Legal Department believes will enhance the readability of documents like
agreements.
■ At the top left corner of the first page, use
Corporate Logo
■ Use single-spaced lines
Corporate Logo Line Spacing
Agreement Body, Clause Headers
■ English and languages that use the Roman or
Latin alphabet: Calibri; size 10
■ Japanese: Ryo Clean; size 10
■ Korean: Batang; size 10
■ Simplified Chinese: SimSun; size 10
■ Traditional Chinese: PMingLiU; size 10
Agreement Title, Segment Headers
■ Same fonts as Agreement Body; size 12
■ All capital letters
Footer, Foot Notes, Page Numbering
■ Same fonts as Agreement Body; size 8
Font
Page Layout, White Space
Page Numbers
■ Use the following numbering system:
■ Do not use Roman numerals
■ Use automatic numbering
■ Use automatic cross-referencing
(refer to Function Guide for Selected
Microsoft Word Features)
Numbering, Cross-referencing
THE LOOK Template Format
Genius is the
ability to
reduce the
complicated
to the simple.
- C.W. Ceram
■ Located in the footer, in the middle of the
page
■ Page x of [number of pages]
Table of Contents
■ Consider including a table of contents if your
document exceeds 10 pages
■ Portrait
■ Alignment: Justified
■ Margins: 0.75” all round
■ Header from top: 0.75”
■ Footer from bottom: 0.75”
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Page | 4 Adobe Legal Department Style Guide
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■ Do not use all capital letters for limitations
and disclaimers; for US documents,
emphasize the text in bold instead.
■ Do not use a capital for “clause”, “paragraph”,
“schedule”, “annexure”, “section”,
“regulation”, or “article” etc.
example of correct use: Under section 10
■ Use a capital letter when a defined term is
being used.
e.g., …install, implement, and use the
Distributed Code on Customer Hardware.
■ Use when a capital would be used in
ordinary English usage.
e.g., In a recent High Court case…
■ Use “and” rather than an ampersand in text,
unless it is part of a name.
e.g., Marks & Spencer
■ Okay to use in tables and diagrams.
WHY NO CAPITAL
LETTERS FOR
LIMITATIONS AND
DISCLAIMERS:
The requirements in the
US Uniform Commercial
Code and other statutes
for disclaimers and
limitations to be made
conspicuous are aimed at
ensuring that affected
parties are alerted to
provisions that may curtail
their rights. Ironically,
using all capitals does not
help to make the
disclaimer or limitation
easier to read. Capital
letters stringed together
are a chore to read, and
the reader is likely to skim
over text in all capitals.
US drafting experts
unanimously agree that
using other styles like
bolding the words meet
the statutory requirements
better.
No equivalent
requirements exist in the
Commonwealth
jurisdictions like England
and Australia.
WHY THE PRESCRIBED
DATE FORMAT:
Different conventions exist
around the world for date
representation.
e.g., 8/9/2013 means
August 9, 2013 in America,
but 8 September 2013 in
England, Australia,
Singapore, and other parts
of the world.
Spelling out the month
eliminates potential
ambiguity.
US Commonwealth
Jurisdictions
Abbreviations
Ampersands (symbols that represent
“and”, such as “&”, “+”)
■ No commas when the address is presented
vertically.
e.g.,
Adobe Systems Incorporated
345 Park Avenue
San Jose
California 95110-2704
USA
■ Use commas after each address line when
the address is presented horizontally.
e.g.,
Adobe Systems Incorporated, 345 Park
Avenue, San Jose, California 95110-2704,
USA
■ Specify:
❒ the day in numerical form
❒ the month in alphabetical form
❒ the year in numerical form.
■ Use a cardinal rather than ordinal number (3
rather than 3rd
).
for example
that is to say
et cetera
e.g.,
i.e.,
etc.
e.g.
i.e.
etc.
Capital Letters
Contact Details
Date Format
8 Sept 2013
Sept 8, 2013
8/9/2013
9/8/2013
8th
Sept 2013
Sept 8th
, 2013
THE SUBSTANCE Drafting Conventions
■ Corporate documents use main headings
(e.g., 3. PAYMENT) and clause headings
(e.g., 3.1 Time for Payment).
Headings
■ Only use bold to:
❒ give emphasis
❒ highlight defined terms
❒ highlight limitations and disclaimers in
US documents.
■ Only use underlining for web links.
■ Only use italics for:
❒ citing cases or legislation (in
Commonwealth jurisdictions)
❒ referencing other document titles
❒ quoting other materials.
Bold, Italics, Quotation Marks,
Underlining
General Conventions 1/2
Page | 5 Adobe Legal Department Style Guide
9. ■ Do not use an apostrophe to indicate a
simple plural.
e.g., PDMs, not PDM’s
■ Use a colon to introduce quoted material or
a series of numbered or bullet points (not a
combination of colon and dash).
e.g.,
Please send me details of all:
(A) outstanding claims;
(B) account receivables; and
(C) accruals.
■ Generally, write numbers under 11 as words
(e.g., two) and numbers 11 and over as
figures (e.g., 14), except:
❒ Use words for 11 and over when they:
• start sentences (e.g., Twenty
customers)
• refer to an approximate figure (e.g.,
hundreds of people)
• are a fraction not attached to a whole
number (e.g., a twentieth).
❒ Use figures for numbers under 11 when
they:
• include a decimal point, fraction, or
percent sign
• represent other precise quantities or are
used with units of measurement, such
as dates, volumes, weight, length, and
page, section or chapter numbers
• appear in sets of numerals some of
which are higher than ten (e.g., 7, 12 and
23…)
• are presented in tables or graphs.
❒ Use a combination of a numeral and a
word for sums exceeding 999,999 (e.g., 1
million, 2 billion).
■ Do not double up with words and numerals
(e.g., two (2) times the amount).
■ Generally, use decimals (e.g., 12.5), not
fractions (e.g., 12 ½).
Space between Sentences
Tables, Examples, FlowchartsReferences to Legislation
Numbers Punctuation
■ Lengthy wording can be made more
intelligible by giving an example.
■ Tables may simplify a document’s structure.
■ Complex procedures are easier to
comprehend if flowcharts set out their
steps.
■ A statute or other legislation should be
referred to by its full and correct short title.
■ In Commonwealth jurisdictions, the name
and year of the statute are italicized, but the
words “section” and “regulation” are not; do
not use bolding or the terms “sub section” or
“s.” (as in “s.9”).
e.g., section 7 of the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth)
■ In the US, the word “section” is abbreviated
with “§”.
e.g., The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of
1977, 15 U.S.C. §§ 78dd-1, et seq.
■ Use a single space between sentences in a
paragraph.
Think like a
wise man but
communicate
the language
of the people.
- W.B. Yeats
THE SUBSTANCE Drafting Conventions General Conventions 2/2
Page | 6 Adobe Legal Department Style Guide
10. This section sets out the conventions that the Adobe Legal Department adopts in agreement templates.
■ The defined name of a party appears in
bold, within quotation marks and
parentheses. The quotation marks and
parentheses are not in bold.
■ Do not include “the” as part of the defined
name.
■ For strategic contracts or contracts of
significant value, consider using a
shortened form of the other party’s name
as the defined name.
e.g., instead of “Customer”, the defined
name is “XYZ” (legal name).
■ Recitals can help give the reader a quick idea
of what the document is about.
■ If you wish to include recitals, introduce
them using the word Background.
■ It is not necessary to introduce the recital
sentences with “whereas” or other archaic
terms.
■ Terms in the Background need not be
defined, as they will be defined under the
“Definitions” section of the agreement.
■ The substantive clauses of a document
follow the Background (if any) and
commence with the words Agreed Terms.
■ No other words are necessary or should be
used to introduce the substantive or
operative provisions of the document.
e.g., you do not need to write ”NOW
THEREFORE, in consideration of the
premises and the mutual covenants set forth
herein and for other good and valuable
consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of
which are hereby acknowledged, the parties
hereto covenant and agree as follows.” or
similar words.
■ If your agreement consists of more than
one document, state at the outset which
documents form part of the agreement.
e.g.,
This agreement consists of the following
parts:
(A) these agreed terms;
(B) the [Exhibits/Schedules]; and
(C) [insert name of document or link that
is incorporated by reference].
If there is any inconsistency between the
above parts, the part listed later will prevail
(to the extent of the inconsistency) over a
part listed earlier.
Conventions for Agreement Templates Page One of Agreement Template
Agreed TermsParties Background
If a contract lacks
consideration, stating
in the recitals that
there is consideration
is not going to change
the fact that the
contract lacks
consideration.
THE SUBSTANCE Drafting Conventions
Page | 7 Adobe Legal Department Style Guide
11. ■ If you have only used a defined term two or three times, consider whether it is better to abandon the definition.
■ Have you defined anything that is obvious? If so, omit the definition.
e.g., Unless disparate documents constitute an agreement and a reader needs to locate these documents from different sources,
there is no need to define “Agreement”. If you are working on only one document and you use “this agreement”, the latter cannot
refer to any agreement other than the agreement that you are drafting.
■ If there are more than just a few definitions (e.g., if your definitions exceed one page), consider putting the list of definitions in a
schedule at the end, not at the beginning of the agreement.
Check your definitions carefully to ensure they are not circular – a defined term should not refer to another defined term if the second
defined term merely refers back to the first.
Minimize Definitions
Formatting
Do not use both a word (or phrase) and an abbreviation as alternative defined terms.
“Maintenance and Support” or “M&S” means…
Abbreviations
Circular Definitions
[Pick one and stick to it.]
Substantive Clauses 1/4
DEFINITIONS When
something
can be read
without
effort, great
effort has
gone into its
writing.
– Enrique Jardiel
Poncela
THE SUBSTANCE Drafting Conventions
Within the
agreement
First letter of defined term should be capitalized throughout.
■ Defined word is in bold, within quotation marks. Do not bold the quotation marks.
■ Each definition ends with a period/full stop.
■ The word “the” does not form part of the definition as it may not be preceded by “the” in the text.
■ Do not state “”X” shall mean…”. Simply state ““X” means…”.
e.g., “Fees” means the fees and charges for the Products and Services, as set out in the Sales Order.
In the
“Definitions”
section
Conventions for Agreement Templates
Page | 8 Adobe Legal Department Style Guide
12. Do not include operative provisions in definitions. Definitions should not contain substantive provisions which more properly belong
in the substantive clauses of the agreement.
4.4 Completion of Project
The date for completion of the Project is 25 December 2013 (“Completion Date”).
“Completion Date” has the meaning given to it in clause 4.4 (Completion of Project).
e.g.,
Operative clause
In the “Definitions”
section
Some operative provisions might also define a term. If this occurs, make sure there is a corresponding reference in the “Definitions”
section, unless the definition is used only in the clause containing the operative provision and nowhere else in the agreement.
Terms Defined within a Clause
Operative Provisions
“Channel Entity“ means the third party with whom
Customer places its order for Products and
Maintenance, as set out in clause 2.1 (Channel
Entity).
[Clause 2.1 then sets out the operative provisions
relating to the Channel Entity.]
“Channel Entity“ means the third party with whom
Customer places its order (including initial and
true-up) for Products and Maintenance. With respect
to Adobe Systems, the Channel Entity will be a
fulfillment agent operating on Adobe Systems’s
behalf, and with respect to Adobe Ireland, the
Channel Entity will be a channel entity selected by
Customer.
A man who
uses a great
many words to
express his
meaning is like
a bad
marksman who,
instead of
aiming a single
stone at an
object, takes up
a handful and
throws in hopes
he may hit.
– Samuel Johnson
THE SUBSTANCE Drafting Conventions Conventions for Agreement Templates Substantive Clauses 2/4
DEFINITIONS
Page | 9 Adobe Legal Department Style Guide
13. Unless you
specifically define
“Section” or “Clause”
in the “Definitions”
section (and there is
no need to), there is
no reason to
capitalize the first
letter of “section” or
“clause”.
“Section” is regularly
used in the US, while
“clause” is more
common in the
Commonwealth
jurisdictions like
England and
Australia.
■ When referring to another clause in the agreement, include the title of the clause.
e.g., In addition to the modes of notification specified in clause 17.1 (Notices), notices by Distributor under this clause may be
made by email.
■ Refer to subsections simply by use of the word “clause” or “section” followed by the specific reference number (do not use
“subsection” or “sub-clause”).
e.g., Under section 3.1(A), Customer must …
■ The first letter of the word “clause” or “section” should not be capitalized unless it begins a sentence.
■ It is not necessary to add “of this agreement” or “hereof” after internal cross-references. However, if an agreement contains
exhibits or schedules, and there are references in an exhibit or schedule to clauses in the main body and vice versa, you would
want to clarify which sections you are referring to.
e.g., section 3 of this schedule
e.g., section 3 of the agreement
■ The following is recommended for brevity and clarity:
section 2 and section 4
section 7.3(A) (1) and (2)
sections 2 and 4
sections 7.3(A) (1) and
7.3(A) (2)
It is not necessary to repeat the word “section”, because there
is no ambiguity that section 4 is being referenced.
Subsections should be reproduced in full so that it is
unambiguous which subsection is being referenced.
Rationale
THE SUBSTANCE Drafting Conventions Conventions for Agreement Templates Substantive Clauses 3/4
INTERNAL
CROSS-
REFERENCE
Page | 10 Adobe Legal Department Style Guide
14. Sometimes, the best
way to present a
clutter of conditions
or exceptions, or
other closely related
ideas, is with an
introductory clause
followed by a list.
PARAGRAPHS
WITHIN A
CLAUSE
■ The items in the list must be parallel in substance. Do not make a list like this:
(a) cake;
(b) milk;
(c) Shakespeare
■ The items in the list must be parallel in grammar. Do not make a list like this ((a) and (b) are nouns, but (c) begins with a verb):
(a) governing law;
(b) forum; and
(c) ensuring that Customer complies with the law.
■ A colon follows the introductory words.
e.g., Adobe is entitled to:
■ Each paragraph starts with a lower case letter and ends with a semi-colon if it is not a complete sentence.
e.g., (a) refuse payment of any money due to Distributor;
■ If each paragraph is a complete sentence, use a capital letter at the start and a period/full stop at the end.
e.g.,
Adobe will make payment of rebates only if Distributor performs all these obligations:
(a) Distributor must comply with the forecast, reporting and certification obligations set out in clause 5 (Forecast and Reporting).
(b) Distributor must make payment under clause 6 (Payment).
■ For paragraphs that are not complete sentences, the second to last paragraph ends with “; and” or “; or”.
e.g.,
(a) refuse payment of any money due to Distributor;
(b) conduct an onsite audit under clause 7 (Audit); and
(c) terminate this agreement.
■ If the last paragraph ends the clause, a full stop ends the paragraph.
e.g.,
(a) refuse payment of any money due to Distributor; and
(b) conduct an onsite audit under clause 7 (Audit).
■ If the clause continues after the last paragraph, a comma ends the paragraph, and the remaining text of the clause (not indented)
follows.
e.g.,
Adobe represents and warrants that:
(a) it is authorized to enter into this agreement; and
(b) it has the necessary licenses and permits to perform its obligations under this agreement,
but Adobe makes no other representations or warranties.
■ If you have only used a defined term two or three times, consider whether it is better to abandon the definition.
THE SUBSTANCE Drafting Conventions Substantive Clauses 4/4Conventions for Agreement Templates
Page | 11 Adobe Legal Department Style Guide
15. Appendices, Exhibits, Schedules
Execution Page
Outside Japan and the
Asia Pacific regions,
you can in fact use a
shorter execution
clause for agreements,
such as “Executed as
an agreement”.
■ “Exhibit” is more often used in the US, while “Schedule” is more widely used in the Commonwealth jurisdictions outside the US. Either is fine, as long as
the same term is used consistently throughout a document.
■ Exhibits/Schedules should be named consecutively using capital letters.
e.g.,
Exhibit A
Exhibit B
Schedule A
Schedule B
■ Use “Appendix” for 2nd level schedules, or add numbering to the Exhibit/Schedule letters.
e.g.,
Exhibit A-1
Exhibit A-2
Schedule A-1
Schedule A-2
Appendix 1 to Exhibit A
Appendix 2 to Exhibit A
Appendix 1 to Schedule A
Appendix 2 to Schedule A
■ Adobe’s standard wording for the execution page is:
“By signing below, each party acknowledges that it has carefully read and fully understood this agreement, and each agrees to be bound by the terms of
this agreement. [This agreement will become effective on the Effective Date.]”
■ If any e-signature software is used, insert the following clause in your agreement:
“Each party may sign this agreement using an electronic or handwritten signature, which are of equal effect, whether on original or electronic copies.”
■ If the document is a deed, state:
“Executed as a deed.”
(Do confirm that the applicable country’s corporate law requirements for executing a deed are fulfilled before executing the deed.)
■ Do not use archaic language like “IN WITNESS whereof the parties hereunto set their hands and seals the day and year first hereinbefore written” or
similar words.
THE SUBSTANCE Drafting Conventions
THE SUBSTANCE Drafting Conventions Conventions for Agreement Templates
Conventions for Agreement Templates
Page | 12 Adobe Legal Department Style Guide
16. The passive voice can be
ambiguous. The active
voice is clearer, easier to
read and more concise
than the passive voice.
The active voice
requires fewer words
than the passive voice.
With the active voice,
you can usually tell who
is doing what to whom.
Use short sentences:
■ About 20 words per sentence.
■ Include only one idea.
■ Break a long sentence down into manageable parts by using further numbering, bullets, tables, or lists.
■ Rewrite your sentence if you need to use more than four numbering levels within a sentence.
DID YOU KNOW?
Lengthy legal
documents originate
from the time when
fees paid to officials of
the English common
law courts and lawyers
were based on the
overall length of
documents!
Although we advocate
the use of short
sentences, clarity, not
brevity, is the ultimate
goal.
The document was reviewed by Customer.
The Partner Program benefits are summarized in Table 1.
Customer reviewed the document.
Table 1 summarizes the Partner Program benefits.
SENTENCE GAPS:
In seeking to
understand a sentence,
a reader’s mind
searches for the subject,
verb, and object. If
those three key
elements are set out in
that order, close
together, near the front
of the sentence, more
often the reader will
understand the
meaning quickly.
ACTIVE VOICE:
The active voice is
clearer, easier to read,
and more concise than
the passive voice. The
active voice requires
fewer words than the
passive voice. With the
active voice, you can
usually tell who is doing
what to whom.
Avoid wide gaps between the subject, the verb, and the object.
Length
Active Voice
Prefer the active voice over the passive voice. Active voice means the subject of the verb performs the action.
Customer may, at any time before 1 December 2013, terminate the
agreement.
Partner, in addition to having to refund the rebates received from
Adobe earlier, will have to return the Products to Adobe.
A claim, which in the case of X shall not exceed $500, and in the case of
Y shall not exceed $1,000, may be filed with the Commissioner by any
affected party.
Customer may terminate the agreement at any time before 1
December 2013.
Partner must return the Products to Adobe, in addition to refunding the
rebates received from Adobe earlier.
Any affected party may file a claim with the Commissioner. A claim
must not exceed $500 for X, or $1,000 for Y.
Gaps between the Subject, the Verb, and the Object
Sentences 1/2Guidelines for Writing ClearlyTHE SUBSTANCE
Page | 13 Adobe Legal Department Style Guide
17. Rhetorical emphasis
burdens your writing
with extra words that
add no value to your
sentence. Remove
these shackles from
your writing.
A misplaced
modifying term may
alter the meaning of
a sentence.
The present tense
leads to simpler
sentence structure
and easier
comprehension.
Children who are abused frequently are not protected.
All vehicles including saloons, hatchbacks and MPVs without a permit
may not enter.
Frequently, children who are abused are not protected.
Abused children are frequently not protected.
All vehicles without a permit, including saloons, hatchbacks and MPVs,
may not enter.
Modifying Terms
Use simple sentences - put modifying terms close to the words they modify.
This agreement shall commence on the Effective Date.
Present Tense
Try to write in the present tense.
This agreement commences on the Effective Date.
Customer has no right whatsoever to claim against Adobe.
Adobe shall not be liable in any manner whatsoever to Customer.
Customer shall be wholly and fully responsible for all taxes.
Customer shall use the Products strictly in accordance with the
Documentation.
Partner makes the following representations, each and every one of
which is accurate as of the date of this agreement.
This agreement is governed in all respects by California law.
Adobe shall under no circumstances be liable for any incidental,
indirect, special, consequential, or punitive damages.
This agreement will become effective if and only if Parent Company
provides the guarantee described in clause 3 (Guarantee).
Customer has no right whatsoever to claim against Adobe.
Adobe is not liable in any manner whatsoever to Customer.
Customer is wholly and fully responsible for all taxes.
Customer must use the Products strictly in accordance with the
Documentation.
Partner makes the following representations, each and every one of
which is accurate as of the date of this agreement.
This agreement is governed in all respects by California law.
Adobe shall under no circumstances be is not liable for any incidental,
indirect, special, consequential, or punitive damages.
This agreement will become effective if and only if Parent Company
provides the guarantee described in clause 3 (Guarantee).
Rhetorical Emphasis
Do not add rhetorical emphasis to provisions that already express the desired meaning.
Guidelines for Writing ClearlyTHE SUBSTANCE Sentences 2/2
Page | 14 Adobe Legal Department Style Guide
18. “And/or” is either
superfluous or
dangerously
ambiguous. Judges
across the globe
universally condemn
the use of “and/or”.
The very colourful
language of disdain
used includes
statements like “that
Janus-faced verbal
monstrosity, neither
word nor phrase, the
child of the brain of
someone too lazy or
too dull to express his
precise meaning, or
too dull to know what
he did mean…”
(Employers’ Mutual
Liability Insurance
Co. v Tollefsen 263
NW 376 at 377
(1935))
Customer must submit this “true-up” report to Adobe each year, even
if Customer’s Product Penetration and/or EMT did not change.
Adobe makes no warranty about the reliability, availability and/or
accuracy of the Service.
Upon Adobe’s request and so that Adobe may ascertain the
credit-worthiness of Distributor, Distributor must provide to Adobe,
under confidentiality, quarterly audited financial statements including
a balance sheet, income statement, statement of cash flow, relevant
notes and/or references.
Customer must submit this “true-up” report to Adobe each year, even
if Customer’s Product Penetration or EMT did not change.
Adobe makes no warranty about the reliability, availability, or
accuracy of the Service.
To enable Adobe to ascertain the credit-worthiness of Distributor,
Distributor must provide to Adobe, under confidentiality, any of these
quarterly audited financial statements that Adobe may request:
balance sheet, income statement, statement of cash flow, relevant
notes, or references.
Above and Below
And/or
The words “above” and “below”, when used in the sense of “section 3 below” or “clause 2 above” are unnecessary. Simply state “section 3 ([Header Title])”
or “clause 2 ([Header Title])”.
Avoid using “and/or”. If you find that using “and/or” in a provision offers significant economy, that is a sign that you should consider restructuring the
provision.
■ When “A and/or B” means “A or B”:
“Shrink-wrap Products” means Software Products that are boxed and
shrink-wrapped, and includes Stocking Media and/or Documentation.
Customer must ensure that it maintains systems and/or procedures
sufficient to ensure a complete and accurate record of the Enterprise
Metric and number of copies of Software installed by the Enterprise.
“Distributor Trademarks” means the artwork, logos, and/or other
images, trademarks, service marks, trade names or other identifying
indicia of Distributor.
“Shrink-wrap Products” means Software Products that are boxed and
shrink-wrapped, and includes Stocking Media and Documentation.
Customer must ensure that it maintains systems and procedures
sufficient to ensure a complete and accurate record of the Enterprise
Metric and number of copies of Software installed by the Enterprise.
“Distributor Trademarks” means the artwork, logos, images,
trademarks, service marks, trade names, and other identifying indicia
of Distributor.
■ When “A and/or B” means “A and B”:
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Page | 15 Adobe Legal Department Style Guide
19. A, B, and/or C
Customer shall purchase A and/or B.
Could mean:
• one or all of A, B, and C; or
• one or more of A, B, and C
If either of the above is intended, state it as it is exactly described
above, instead of using “A, B, and/or C”.
Not clear which combination of “A and B” or “A or B” is mandatory.
Better stated as:
“Customer must purchase A or B and may purchase both.”
■ When it is not clear what “and/or” means:
You may choose chocolate and/or vanilla. You may choose chocolate or vanilla or both.
■ When “A and/or B” means A or B or both:
Those who
write clearly
have readers;
those who
write obscurely
have
commentators.
- Albert Camus
Guidelines for Writing ClearlyTHE SUBSTANCE Word Choices 2/10
Page | 16 Adobe Legal Department Style Guide
20. amidst
amongst
aforementioned
as to
hereby
herein
hereinabove
hereinbefore
hereinafter
hereto
hereunder
in lieu of
instant case
inter alia
mutatis mutandis
pari passu
per annum
prima facie
said
same
set forth
such
thereafter
therein
thereof
thereto
whilst
amid
among
that/these
about, of, by, for, in
[omit; no need for replacement word]
in this [agreement etc.]
above; or [omit and then cross-reference]
above; or [omit and then cross-reference]
below; or [omit and then cross-reference]
[omit; no need for replacement word]
under this, below this
Instead of
here, this case
among other things
with the necessary changes
equally
per year, a year, annually
on the face of it, it appears
the, this, that
it, them
set out, stated in, in
that, this, those, the
later
in it, in them, inside
of, from, because of that
about, to that or it
while
Avoid legalese or archaic English. Use everyday words.
As the goal is to write
clearly, we should
choose words the
reader will
understand.
Archaic Words and Legalese
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Page | 17 Adobe Legal Department Style Guide
21. Using a singular verb and pronoun
Using a plural verb and pronoun
The committee gives its verdict.
The committee enjoy cookies with their tea.
In British English, it is fine to use either a plural verb or a singular verb after most collective nouns, whereas in American English, the verb following a
collective noun is usually in the singular. Whichever approach you adopt, make sure the attendant pronoun that follows a verb and collective noun is
consistent with the verb and collective pronoun.
It is not inconsistent.
I do not disagree.
It is consistent.
I agree.
Avoid multiple negatives.
Collective nouns are
singular in form but
refer to a group of
people, animals or
objects. E.g., council,
government, team,
and organization.
Multiple negatives
are distracting and
cause the reader’s
mind to flip from
“yes” to “no” to “yes”
etc.
Collective Nouns
Positive Expressions
e.g.,
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Page | 18 Adobe Legal Department Style Guide
22. ■ Use relative pronouns correctly.
Try to confine the use of “who” (for people), “which” (for things) to:
Use “that”:
a describing clause (one that describes the person or thing you are
referring to).
only in a defining clause (one that defines which person or thing
you are referring to).
■ Be careful in the use of commas with relative pronouns, as wrong use can skew the meaning significantly.
A defining clause
A describing clause
does not take a comma before the relative pronoun.
takes a comma before the relative pronoun.
Words such as “who”,
“which”, and “that”
are relative
pronouns.
All the teachers I met signed the record
book that was on the table.
All the teachers, who I met, signed the
record book, which was on the table.
All the teachers, who I met, signed the
record book that was on the table.
All the teachers I met signed the record
book, which was on the table.
All the teachers who I met signed the record
book which was on the table.
All the teachers, who I met, signed the
record book, which was on the table.
All the teachers, who I met, signed the
record book which was on the table.
All the teachers who I met signed the record
book, which was on the table.
Original Language Meaning New Language
Two defining clauses, implying there may
be other teachers that the writer didn’t
meet, and other record books that were in
other places.
Two describing clauses, implying the writer
met all the teachers, and that there was just
one record book.
One describing clause, then one defining
clause, implying the writer met all the
teachers, but there were other record
books in other places.
One defining clause, then one describing
clause, implying there may be other
teachers that the writer didn’t meet, but
there was just one record book.
■ If your sentence is fine without “that” or “which”/”who”, then omit it. (This is called the “zero relative”. E.g., The man [that] I met carried an umbrella.)
■ Applying the above guidelines:
Relative Pronouns
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Page | 19 Adobe Legal Department Style Guide
23. ■ Do not use “shall”.
■ Alternatives to “shall”:
must
may
is entitled to
will
is required to
has discretion to; is permitted to
has a right to
a future contingency
Use To mean
The word “shall” is a
notoriously
ambiguous word,
with different shades
of meaning.
All money owing by Customer….must be
repaid by 1 December 2013.
Distributor’s placement of orders for
Promotion Products is taken to be
Distributor’s unequivocal acceptance of the
Promotion Terms.
Distributor is entitled to....
Adobe may, if it chooses, pay shipping costs
that it deems reasonable.
All money owing by Customer….shall be
repaid by 1 December 2013.
Distributor’s placement of orders for
Promotion Products shall be deemed
Distributor’s unequivocal acceptance of the
Promotion Terms.
Distributor shall be entitled to....
Adobe shall, if it chooses, pay shipping costs
that it deems reasonable.
“Shall” used in an ambiguous manner Possible meanings of “shall” Using alternatives to “shall”
Mandatory
Declaratory
Having a right
Permissive
Shall
e.g.,
Guidelines for Writing ClearlyTHE SUBSTANCE Word Choices 6/10
Page | 20 Adobe Legal Department Style Guide
24. Surplus Words
■ Omit surplus words. Use shorter words or phrases.
at that point in time
at the time at which
bring an action against
by means of
by reason of
by virtue of
contractual obligations
during such time as
for the purpose of
for the reason that
in accordance with
inasmuch as
in connection with
in favour of
in light of the fact that
in order to
in relation to
in respect of
then
when
sue
by
because of
by, under
contract obligations
while, during
to
because
by, under
since, because
with, about, concerning
for
because
to
about, concerning
about
Compound
constructions that use
three or four words to
do the work of one or
two words drag your
writing. Use a simple
form instead.
in the course of
in the event that
in the nature of
is binding upon
is unable to
not less than
on two separate occasions
pertaining to
prior to
pursuant to
subsequent to
under the provisions of
terms and conditions
we are agreeable to
whether or not
with a view to
with regard to
with reference to
during
if
like
binds
cannot
at least
twice
about
before
under, by, in accordance with
after
under
terms
we agree
whether
to
on, about
about, concerning
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Page | 21 Adobe Legal Department Style Guide
25. ■ Avoid word-wasting idioms.
all claims whether at law or in equity
because of the fact that
despite the fact that
during the time that
for the period of
in many cases you will find
in some instances the parties can
insofar as … is concerned
in the majority of instances, the court will
in the situation in which
than was formerly the case
that was a situation in which the court
the fact that he had lied
the fact that the defendant was very young may have influenced the
jury
the question as to whether
there is no doubt but that
this is a topic that
until such time as
all claims
because
although, even though
during, while
for
often you will find
sometimes the parties can
[omit it and start with the subject]
usually the court will
when
now
there the court
his lying
the defendant’s youth may have influenced the jury
whether, the question whether
doubtless, no doubt
this topic
until
Don't use words
too big for the
subject. Don't say
'infinitely' when
you mean 'very'.
Otherwise you'll
have no word left
when you want to
talk about
something really
infinite.
- C.S. Lewis
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Page | 22 Adobe Legal Department Style Guide
26. Synonyms
Use only the words you need and avoid repetition through the use of synonyms.
full and complete
goods and chattels
indemnify and hold harmless
null and void
save and except
Legal English reflects
the mixture of
languages that has
produced the English
language generally.
For centuries
following the
Norman invasion,
English remained the
spoken language of
the majority of
England’s population,
but virtually all
writing was in French
or Latin.
e.g., “Null” comes
from the Latin nullus,
or from the Old
French nul. “Void”
comes from the old
French voide. The
pairing has virtually
become one word,
but strictly, though,
“void” alone suffices.
complete
goods
indemnify
void
except
Verbs
Do not turn verbs into nouns.
arrive at the conclusion
give a briefing
make an application
make a decision
make an objection
make provision for
perform an assessment
take into consideration
conclude
brief
apply
decide
object
provide
assess
consider
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Page | 23 Adobe Legal Department Style Guide
27. Gender-neutral Language
Generally, use gender-neutral language unless you are referring to a particular individual.
You can do so by:
■ selecting neutral words
■ using “he or she” instead of “he” (but do not overuse)
■ repeating the noun
Don’t use “he”, “him”,
and “his” when
talking about both
men and women.
Using “he or “she”
may be clumsy,
especially if you need
to write it several
times. “He/she” and
“s(he)” do not look
good and are hard to
read aloud.
workmen
reasonable man
workers
reasonable person
This can be a problem for the reader, but without this, he may
have to look elsewhere.
This can be a problem for the reader, but without this, he the
reader may have to look elsewhere.
■ dropping the pronoun
The Prime Minister may, if he is of the view that… The Prime Minister may, if he is of the view that…
■ rephrasing
Payments to board members must be approved by the
relevant chairman in his capacity as responsible officer.
As responsible officer, the relevant chair must approve
payments to board members.
■ using “they” with a singular noun
Everyone has inherent dignity and the right to have their dignity respected and protected.
(section 10 of the South African Constitution)
■ using something other than a pronoun
The committee member who abuses the authority of his
position may be replaced.
An attorney who gives his undertaking to provide a
document.
The committee member who abuses the authority of his the
position may be replaced.
An attorney who gives his undertaking undertakes to provide a
document.
■ writing in the plural
The person who writes in plain English endears himself to the
reader.
People who write in plain English endear themselves to the
reader.
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Page | 24 Adobe Legal Department Style Guide
28. Eliminate provisos.
■ Provisos that attach a condition
Used correctly, they attach a condition to a sentence. But “if” can be used just as well and sounds a lot better:
Sentences with
“provided that” are
usually difficult to
understand. The
provisos are often
used incorrectly. They
should be avoided.
Provisos 1/2
Customer grants to Adobe and its Affiliates the non‐exclusive,
perpetual, worldwide right to use, copy, transmit, index, model,
aggregate (including combination with similar data of other
customers of Adobe and its Affiliates), publish, display, resell,
and/or distribute anonymous information derived from
Customer Data, or portions thereof (which information may
include but is not limited to web browser, screen resolution,
and mobile device type), provided that no such use(s) shall
include any information that identifies Customer or its
Customer Site visitors.
■ Provisos that include an exception or qualification
If the proviso is really an exception or qualification, replace it with “except” or “but”:
Customer may renew Maintenance and Support for the
product, provided that Customer may not do so if Adobe has
discontinued the product.
■ Provisos that are independent statements
If the proviso is really an independent statement, put it in a new sentence:
Each party must pay its own legal costs for the preparation of
this agreement, provided that the parties must bear equally
any stamp duty on this agreement.
Customer grants Adobe and its Affiliates a non-exclusive,
perpetual and worldwide licence to use, copy, transmit, index,
model, aggregate, publish, display, resell, and distribute any
non-personally identifiable information derived from
Customer Data (or portions of it), if Customer or Customer Site
visitors are not identified. This information may include web
browser, screen resolution and mobile device type.
Customer may renew Maintenance and Support for the
product, but only if Adobe has not discontinued the product.
Each party must pay its own legal costs for the preparation of
this agreement. The parties must bear equally any stamp duty
on this agreement.
Guidelines for Writing ClearlyTHE SUBSTANCE
Page | 25 Adobe Legal Department Style Guide
29. ■ Provisos as conjunctive phrases
If the proviso is really a conjunctive phrase, use “and” instead of the proviso:
Customer Site(s): means the current and future website(s) and
applications which are owned and operated by Customer, OR
hosted or operated by a third party on Customer’s behalf or by
Adobe on Customer’s behalf; provided that, in all cases, such
websites and applications contain Customer’s brand or logo
AND Customer creates, maintains, controls, and is responsible
for the relevant privacy policy and/or related disclosures
displayed in or linked from such websites and applications.
“Taxes” means any and all sales, use, excise, import or export,
value added or similar tax, provided that tax based on Adobe’s
net income is excluded.
“Customer Site” means any current or future website or
application which: (A) is owned and operated by Customer, or
hosted or operated by a third party or Adobe on Customer’s
behalf; (B) contains Customer’s brand or logo; and (C) contains
a privacy policy for which Customer is responsible for
enforcing.
“Taxes” means sales, use, excise, import, export, value added,
or similar tax, and does not include tax based on Adobe’s net
income.
Whenever we
can make 25
words do the
work of 50, we
halve the area
in which
looseness and
disorganization
can flourish.
- Wilson Follett
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Page | 26 Adobe Legal Department Style Guide