Cooley Law School Distinguished Professor Emeritus Joseph Kimble receives the 2026 Burton Award for Book of the Year on Legal Writing for his book, “Essentials for Drafting Clear Legal Rules.”
Cooley Law School Distinguished Professor Emeritus Joseph Kimble was honored with the 2026 Burton Award for Book of the Year on Legal Writing for his book, “Essentials for Drafting Clear Legal Rules,” during the Burton Award ceremony at the Library of Congress in Washington D.C. on June 7.
This marks the third time Kimble has received the prestigious Burton Award. He previously won a Burton Award for Reform in Law in 2007 for his work on the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, and in 2011 for his work on the Federal Rules of Evidence.
The Burton Award for Book of the Year on Legal Writing recognizes outstanding contributions to the clarity, precision, and effectiveness of legal communication. “Essentials for Drafting Clear Legal Rules,” co-authored by Kimble and Bryan Garner, distinguished research professor of law at SMU Dedman School of Law, “exemplifies the highest standards of legal writing and provides invaluable guidance to practitioners, judges, and scholars alike,” the Burton selection panelist said of the book. “This book has made a lasting impact on the way legal rules are crafted, promoting clarity, consistency, and accessibility across the profession. Together, their work has helped shape modern legal drafting and continues to influence the development of clearer, more effective legal rules.”
“In some ways, this book has been 30 years in the making because it reflects the work that Bryan and I have done helping to restyle all five sets of federal court rules,” said Kimble. “It’s a remarkable accomplishment, and it was a collaborative effort between the drafting consultants and the judges, practitioners, and professors who served on the rules committees during those years, making sure that we did not changes the rules’ substantive meaning. And, we decided to make the book available for free online. We’re trying to change the way lawyers draft, and it’s already being used in some law schools.”
Established in 1999, the Burton Award, a national, non-profit awards program, recognizes the highest standard of excellence in law. These achievements range from legal writing to publications to the greatest reforms in law. The principal focus is awarding effective legal writing.
The awards program, annually held at the Library of Congress, recognizes jurists, outstanding general counsel, legal writers, lawyers in the military, attorneys in the executive branch of government, law firm and law school writers, managing partners in the nation’s finest law firms and public service recipients. Judges include leading law school professors, members of law firms, and outstanding leaders in law who all contribute their time and talents to support the legal profession.
In the past, the selection panels have included professors from Harvard Law School, Stanford Law School, University of Pennsylvania Law School, Berkeley Law School, and Michigan Law School. Each year, the guests include federal court judges, general counsel from the finest corporations, officers in the military, law school deans and professors, and partners in the largest and most prestigious law firms.
This marks the third time Kimble has received the prestigious Burton Award. He previously won a Burton Award for Reform in Law in 2007 for his work on the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, and in 2011 for his work on the Federal Rules of Evidence.
The Burton Award for Book of the Year on Legal Writing recognizes outstanding contributions to the clarity, precision, and effectiveness of legal communication. “Essentials for Drafting Clear Legal Rules,” co-authored by Kimble and Bryan Garner, distinguished research professor of law at SMU Dedman School of Law, “exemplifies the highest standards of legal writing and provides invaluable guidance to practitioners, judges, and scholars alike,” the Burton selection panelist said of the book. “This book has made a lasting impact on the way legal rules are crafted, promoting clarity, consistency, and accessibility across the profession. Together, their work has helped shape modern legal drafting and continues to influence the development of clearer, more effective legal rules.”
“In some ways, this book has been 30 years in the making because it reflects the work that Bryan and I have done helping to restyle all five sets of federal court rules,” said Kimble. “It’s a remarkable accomplishment, and it was a collaborative effort between the drafting consultants and the judges, practitioners, and professors who served on the rules committees during those years, making sure that we did not changes the rules’ substantive meaning. And, we decided to make the book available for free online. We’re trying to change the way lawyers draft, and it’s already being used in some law schools.”
Established in 1999, the Burton Award, a national, non-profit awards program, recognizes the highest standard of excellence in law. These achievements range from legal writing to publications to the greatest reforms in law. The principal focus is awarding effective legal writing.
The awards program, annually held at the Library of Congress, recognizes jurists, outstanding general counsel, legal writers, lawyers in the military, attorneys in the executive branch of government, law firm and law school writers, managing partners in the nation’s finest law firms and public service recipients. Judges include leading law school professors, members of law firms, and outstanding leaders in law who all contribute their time and talents to support the legal profession.
In the past, the selection panels have included professors from Harvard Law School, Stanford Law School, University of Pennsylvania Law School, Berkeley Law School, and Michigan Law School. Each year, the guests include federal court judges, general counsel from the finest corporations, officers in the military, law school deans and professors, and partners in the largest and most prestigious law firms.
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