U.S. District Judge James Boasberg shows a nice, easy writing touch in a new Freedom of Information Act opinion, which demonstrates how a simple conversational style can welcome the reader.
Boasberg starts strong, in the decision rejecting a claim by the Competitive Enterprise Institute:
"This Freedom of Information Act case," Boasberg writes,"began in controversy and ends in minutia."
Suits & Sentences hears a voice there: amused, a little ironic. Human.
Boaberg goes on, near the start of the 34-page decision to describe CEI's array of "broad claims of bureaucratic conspiracy to nitpicking over EPA’s refusal to disclose the spelling of its staff’s personal email addresses."
Then, there's this zinger:
"For the most part, however," Boasberg writes, "CEI speaks loudly and carries a small stick."
Snap!