Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Bill Drafting

by Karl Kurtz

The current issue of the newsletter of the American Political Science Association's Legislative Studies Section contains a review of a new book, Legislative Drafter's Deskbook: A Practical Guide, by Tobias A. Dorsey.  Despite the dry title, the reviewer gives it high marks, saying:

"Legislative Drafter's Deskbook: A Practical Guide presents legislative scholars, legislation drafters, and quite frankly anyone interested in the construction of statute with a meticulous exploration of the planning and thought processes that must occur in order for clear, understandable laws to be written.  Dorsey accomplishes his desired missions of providing practical advice to drafters and interesting insight to scholars (and normal people) on the drafting process."

NCSL's own bill drafting expert, Bruce Feustel, has also read the book and says that "Tobias Dorsey has created a valuable and practical tool for all legislative drafters.... Although the book has a federal perspective, state legislative drafters will also greatly appreciate this work."

Comments

[Doug]

Uh, you might have mentioned that this particular tome costs ONE-HUNDRED FIFTY DOLLARS!

[anon]

Gosh Doug, you're right!

Only the ABA and other big non-profit associations should be able to charge that kind of money for books like this one. There ought to be a law!