git:20261017.851e5f2 to git:20261023.b87d6eb

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name: deslop

description: Audits and rewrites legal writing, professional documentation, and general text to follow plain English principles. Translates archaic legalese and eliminates verbose "AI slop" by enforcing active voice, subject-verb proximity, and concise phrasing (inspired by Bryan Garner, the SEC Plain English Handbook, Federal Guidelines, state mandates, and the ABA Style Sheet) while strictly preserving substantive legal terms of art.

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# Plain Legal Writing & Deslop Skill

Rewrites legalese and AI slop into plain English for lawyers, paralegals, and in-house counsel, and preserves legal terms of art (section III governs the one lay-facing exception). It guides the agent in auditing, drafting, and revising briefs, contracts, memos, opinions, and client letters in clear, modern, readable English. It combines the tenets of plain English (e.g., Bryan Garner, SEC Plain English Handbook, Federal Plain Language Guidelines, state bar initiatives) with standard U.S. editorial mechanics (ABA Section of Litigation).

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## I. Structural & Cognitive Load Directives

### 1. Document Organization

* **"Big Picture" First**: Present the main summary or background before descending into granular provisions or exceptions.

* **Informative Headings**: Divide documents into logical sections with informative, bold headings. Prohibit generic, non-informative headings such as "General" or "Background."

* **No Capitalized Terms in Summaries**: Eliminate or minimize the use of capitalized defined terms in introductory summaries or cover pages. Use everyday equivalents there, and define specialized terms deeper in the text.

### 2. Issue Framing (The "Deep Issue" Format)

* **Structure**: Frame legal issues using the "premise-premise-question" structure (concrete facts first, ending with a question mark).

* **Length**: Keep each issue statement under 75 words.

* **Prohibit "Whether" Openers**: Do not start issue statements with "Whether" or "Whether or not."

* **Self-Containment**: Ensure the reader can understand the issue without reading the rest of the document.

### 3. Sentence & Paragraph Architecture

* **Sentence Length**: Maintain an average sentence length of 15 to 20 words. Avoid sentences exceeding 30 words. Measure your own prose only: exclude verbatim quotations and citations. Never paraphrase a quotation. If a sentence runs long because it carries a quotation, split the surrounding prose, or shorten the quotation with an ellipsis or bracketed alteration as Bluebook Rule 5 permits.

* **Keep S-V-O Close**: Keep the subject, verb, and object close together, ideally near the beginning of the sentence. Do not insert long qualifying phrases between the subject and the verb.

* **Topic Sentences & Transitions**: Start every paragraph with a topic sentence and use explicit transitions (bridges) between paragraphs.

* **Tabulate Complex Rules (Tabulation)**: When a rule contains multiple conditions, dependencies, or consequences:

1. Do not write them in a continuous block of prose.

2. Use a vertical, numbered or bulleted list.

3. Begin with an introductory clause ending with a colon.

4. Ensure all sub-items are grammatically parallel.

* **Keep Short Series Inline**: Tabulate when the items are long or carry their own conditions. Keep a short, simple series (a few words per item) inline in one sentence. A vertical list adds length, so do not convert brief lists. This narrows the Tabulate rule: keep a tabulated list if other text cross-references its items or if a trailing modifier applies to the series (rule 13).

* **Never Change Quoted Words**: Quoted contract language, statutes, rules, testimony, and case excerpts keep their words, including *shall*, doublets, and double-entry numbers. This applies to block quotations too. You may shorten a quotation with an ellipsis, alter it with brackets, or quote less of the source, as Bluebook Rule 5 permits. Never paraphrase inside a quotation. Every rule in this skill, except the quotation-formatting rules in rule 17, applies to your own prose around the quotation, not to the quotation.

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## II. Word Choice & Legalese Purge

### 4. Word-Level Simplification

* **Ban Archaic Legalese**: Never use words like *aforesaid*, *hereinafter*, *heretofore*, *witnesseth*, *whereas*, *said* (as an adjective/pronoun), *such* (as a pronoun/article), *the same* (as a pronoun), or *inter alia*.

* **Replace Wordy Locutions**: Simplify bloated phrases:

* *in the event that* $\rightarrow$ **if**

* *for the reason that* $\rightarrow$ **because**

* *prior to* $\rightarrow$ **before**

* *subsequent to* $\rightarrow$ **after**

* *at this point in time* $\rightarrow$ **now**

* *with respect to* $\rightarrow$ **about** / **on**

* *in order to* $\rightarrow$ **to**

* **Eliminate Doublets and Triplets**: Replace redundant pairings with a single operative word:

* *null and void* $\rightarrow$ **void**

* *free and clear* $\rightarrow$ **clear**

* *give, devise, and bequeath* $\rightarrow$ **give**

* *convey, transfer, and set over* $\rightarrow$ **transfers**

* *employs, engages, and hires* $\rightarrow$ **employs**

* *fit and proper* $\rightarrow$ **fit**

* *by and between* $\rightarrow$ **between**

* **Avoid Colloquial Idioms (Register)**: Plain English is not casual English. In legal and professional documents, replace slang, idioms, and cute lead-ins with plain, precise words that carry the same meaning. Do not add facts or conclusions the source does not state:

* *at the end of the day* $\rightarrow$ **ultimately**

* *a slam dunk* $\rightarrow$ **a strong claim**

* *move the needle* $\rightarrow$ **change the outcome**

* *set expectations with the client* $\rightarrow$ **tell the client what to expect**

* Do not replace legal terms of art that use figurative language (e.g., *on all fours*, *piercing the corporate veil*, *fruit of the poisonous tree*, *safe harbor*, *clean hands*); see section III. Short openers like *But* and *So* (rule 14) are not colloquialisms.

### 5. Zombie Nouns (Nominalizations)

* **Rule**: Identify abstract nouns ending in suffixes like *-tion, -ment, -ance, -ity* that are paired with weak helper verbs (e.g., *make, take, reach, give, have, provide, conduct*). Reverse them into their root active verbs:

* *make a decision* $\rightarrow$ **decide**

* *reach an agreement* $\rightarrow$ **agree**

* *provide assistance to* $\rightarrow$ **assist**

* *is reflective of* $\rightarrow$ **reflects**

* *conduct an analysis of* $\rightarrow$ **analyze**

* *make a determination* $\rightarrow$ **determine**

* *implement the policy* $\rightarrow$ **implement**

### 6. Naming Parties

* **Rule**: Use actual names of people, companies, or clear descriptive terms (e.g., "Smith", "Apple", "the tenant", "the driver") instead of procedural or formal roles (e.g., "Appellant", "Plaintiff", "Party of the First Part").

* **Defined Designations**: Keep a capitalized party designation that the caption or the document defines (e.g., *Acme Realty Corp. ("Defendant")*). Prefer a defined short name over *Plaintiff* or *Defendant* only when the document supplies one. Do not invent a name, and do not lowercase a defined designation: in a multi-party case it tells the reader which party acted. Rule 1 still governs introductory summaries and cover pages: there, an everyday equivalent (e.g., *the landlord*) is fine, as long as the document defines the designation before the body relies on it.

* **Texas Pleading Style**: Eliminate 19th-century introductory pleading clauses (e.g., replace *"COMES NOW the Plaintiff..."* with *"Plaintiff John Doe states:"*).

---

## III. The Semantic Divide: Preserving True Terms of Art

An AI drafting agent must never dilute true "terms of art": expressions with an established, uncontroversial core meaning in law that cannot be succinctly expressed otherwise.

### 7. Absolute Preservation (Do Not Paraphrase)

* **Preclusion Doctrines**: Retain *res judicata* (claim preclusion) and *collateral estoppel* (issue preclusion).

* **Constitutional Burden**: Retain *beyond a reasonable doubt* in criminal contexts.

* **Liability & UCC Core Terms**:

* Retain *indemnify* (but do not use the doublet *indemnify and hold harmless*; choose *indemnify*).

* Retain *implied warranty of merchantability* and *implied warranty of fitness for a particular purpose*.

* *UCC Disclaimer Rule*: UCC § 2-316 mandates that disclaiming the implied warranty of merchantability must specifically mention the word **"merchantability"** and must be **conspicuous** (e.g., formatted in bold, all-caps, or contrasting size).

* **Statutory Thresholds**: Retain *gross negligence* when specified by statute (e.g., assumption of risk or government immunity waivers).

* **Contract Drafting Terms of Art**: Preserve the following terms with precise meanings:

* *time is of the essence* - fundamental contract doctrine making time a condition, not just a factor

* *act of God* - standard force majeure term for unavoidable natural events

* *best efforts*, *reasonable efforts*, *commercially reasonable efforts* - distinct legal standards requiring preservation (not interchangeable)

* *representations and warranties* - distinct concepts (representations = past/factual statements; warranties = promises for future performance)

* **Criminal Law Terms of Art**: Preserve the following:

* *rule of lenity* - requires ambiguous criminal statutes be construed in defendant's favor

* *strict liability* - liability without fault in criminal/tort contexts

* *proximate cause* - legal cause distinguishing liability from mere factual causation

### 8. Permitted Lay-Facing Modernization

* **Preponderance of the Evidence**: In lay-facing documents (like jury instructions or consumer disclosures), replace *"preponderance of the evidence"* with the California CACI-approved plain language equivalent: **"more likely to be true than not true."** Keep the original phrase in formal briefs or motions. This applies to your own restatement; quoted instruction or statutory text stays verbatim (rule 3).

### 9. Statutory Interpretation Canons

* **Ejusdem Generis**: When a general word follows specific words in a list, interpret the general word in context of the specific ones (e.g., "cars, trucks, and other vehicles" - "other vehicles" limited to transportation).

* **Noscitur a Sociis**: A word's meaning is informed by the words around it (e.g., in "bank, river, and stream," "bank" means a riverbank, not a financial institution, because its neighbors are bodies of water).

* **Expressio Unius Est Exclusio Alterius**: Mentioning specific items may imply exclusion of unmentioned ones - preserve intentional gaps.

---

## IV. Syntactic Pitfalls & Ambiguity Resolution

### 10. Eradication of "Shall"

* **Rule**: Complete eradication of the word "shall" outside quotations (see rule 3). Replace it based on the exact category of meaning:

* **Obligation/Duty**: Use **must** (e.g., *"The Tenant must pay the rent"*).

* **Future Action/Prediction**: Use **will** (e.g., *"The lease will terminate on Dec 31"*).

* **Permission**: Use **may** (e.g., *"The Tenant may keep a pet"*).

* **Status/Condition**: Use **is/are** (e.g., *"The contract price is [amount]"*).

### 11. The Disjunctive/Conjunctive Paradox ("And/Or")

* **Rule**: Completely ban the phrase "and/or." Replace it with explicit logic:

* **Inclusive**: Use *"A or B, or both"* (e.g., *"damages caused by negligence, willful misconduct, or both"*).

* **Exclusive**: Use *"either A or B, but not both"*.

### 12. Eradicating Provisos ("Provided That")

* **Rule**: Ban "provided that" when used as a proviso (mid-sentence exception or afterthought). Allow at sentence beginning only as a condition introducer.

* **Transformation**:

* For mid-sentence provisos: End previous sentence. Start new sentence with "But if" (exception) or "If" (condition).

* For sentence-start conditions: Replace with "If [condition], [result]."

### 13. Ambiguous Modifiers & The Last Antecedent

* **Rule**: When a trailing modifier (e.g., *"incurred outside the state"*) is attached to a series of elements, it creates ambiguity.

* **Resolution**:

* If the modifier applies to the **entire series**, relocate it to the introductory clause (premodification) or format as a vertical, tabulated list.

* If the modifier applies only to the **final item**, rephrase the sentence or place the item elsewhere to isolate it.

### 14. Conversational Sentence Openers

* **Rule**: Avoid stuffy, multi-syllable transitions like *However, Furthermore, Moreover, Consequently, Therefore*.

* **Alternative**: Use short, punchy, conversational conjunctions to begin sentences (*But, And, So, Yet*).

### 15. Pronoun and Modifier Reference

* **Pronouns**: Replace *"such [noun]"* with *"this," "that," "these,"* or *"the"*. Replace *"the same"* as a pronoun with *"it"* or *"them"*.

* **Singular They**: Acceptable for gender neutrality, but if it introduces ambiguity (multiple singular and plural entities), bypass it by repeating the specific noun.

---

## V. Editorial Standards & Typography

### 16. Typographic Design & Layout Rules (SEC Standards)

* **Court Rules and House Style Control**: If a court rule, agency rule, statute, or the firm's house style prescribes any formatting attribute (typeface, type size, alignment, spacing, margins, or emphasis), follow it for that attribute. A court rule, agency rule, or statute overrides house style. Apply the defaults below to every attribute no such rule covers.

* **Font Selection**: Enforce Serif fonts (such as **Garamond**, **Palatino**, or **Georgia**) for extensive body text to improve tracking. Prohibit Times New Roman as a default. Use Sans Serif (such as **Arial** or **Calibri**) for headings.

* **Margin Alignment**: Enforce Left-Aligned (Ragged Right). Prohibit fully justified text.

* **Emphasis**: Prohibit all-caps and underlining for emphasis. Use bold styling sparingly (exception: conspicuous UCC warranty disclaimers).

### 17. ABA Section of Litigation Punctuation & Style

* **That vs. Which**: Use *"that"* (without a comma) for restrictive clauses; use *"which"* (always preceded by a comma) for nonrestrictive, parenthetical clauses.

* **Quotation Punctuation**: Place commas and periods *inside* quotation marks. Place colons, semicolons, and footnote numbers *outside* quotation marks.

* **Block Quotes**: For quotes containing 50 words or more, format as an indented, single-spaced block without surrounding quotation marks. Keep quotes under 50 words inline.

* **Date & Name Punctuation**:

* Do not use a comma between month and year (e.g., *"June 2026"*).

* Do not use a comma between a last name and a suffix (e.g., *"John Smith Jr."*, *"Robert Jones III"*).

* **United States**: Use *"U.S."* (with periods, no space) when used as an adjective (e.g., *"U.S. Supreme Court"*). Spell out *"United States"* when used as a noun.

* **Attorney Fees**: Prefer *"attorney fees"* (no apostrophes) to avoid ambiguity. "Attorney's fees" or "attorneys' fees" acceptable when required by statute or established precedent.

---

## VI. Advanced Translation Logic

### 18. Quantitative Readability Target

* **Rule**: Strive to achieve a minimum Flesch Reading Ease score of **40** or higher on all public or consumer-facing texts.

### 19. Numerical Consistency

* **Rule**: Spell out numbers 1-9; use digits for 10+. In any single list or series, if one number is 10+ and rendered as digits, all numbers in that list must be digits.

* **Legal Carve-Out**: Use digits at any size for dates, money, percentages, section and rule numbers, measurements and ranges (e.g., *floors 4 through 10*), and operative time periods (e.g., *cure within 5 business days*). Precision outweighs style for figures a reader may act on.

### 20. Eradication of "Elegant Variation"

* **Rule**: Maintain absolute terminological consistency. If a contract refers to a *"vehicle"* in one section, do not refer to it as an *"automobile"* or *"car"* in another. Locking vocabulary prevents accidental changes in legal meaning.

### 21. Dialogue Tag Relocation

* **Rule**: In litigation briefs, avoid beginning multiple sentences with repetitive tags (e.g., *"The Plaintiff argues that..."*). Move the tag to the middle or end of the sentence (e.g., *"The statute is unambiguous, the Plaintiff asserts"*).

### 22. Civility and Professionalism (California Guidelines)

* **Rule**: Strip away aggressive, combative ad hominem attacks. Keep tone objective, respectful, and focused strictly on legal and factual arguments.

---

## Action Plan: Auditing and Rewriting Legal Text

When asked to audit or rewrite legal text using this skill, perform the following steps:

1. **Analysis & Diagnostics**:

* Identify specific issues in the original text (e.g., sentence lengths, passive voice, nominalizations, legalese words, colloquial idioms, double-entry numbers, unnecessary filler words, incorrect punctuation of quotation marks or suffixes, incorrect "that/which" usage). Apply every check to the writer's own prose only, not inside quotations. The one exception is the quotation-punctuation mechanics in rule 17.

* Estimate the readability improvements (e.g., reducing word count, shortening sentences).

2. **Contrast & Feedback**:

* For section III, list the terms of art you kept verbatim (e.g., *indemnify*, *time is of the essence*), so the reader can confirm the semantic divide held. For section I, list the quotations you kept verbatim or shortened only by ellipsis or brackets.

* Under each section, list the specific violations with a location and a short rationale for why each one hinders comprehension or breaches standard style.

* Do not invent a violation to fill a row. "None found" is a correct, complete answer.

3. **Plain English Revision**:

* Provide the rewritten version of the text.

* Highlight how the revisions improve readability and comply with standard mechanics while retaining the exact legal meaning.