What is the difference between technical writing and legal writing?

Answer 1

Technical writing is employed in a wide array of fields, such as computer programing, engineering, finance, and consumer electronics. The main goal of technical writing is to convey information, about a product, service, or device, from one group of people to another. The most common examples are the owner's instruction booklets that come with most "assembly required" products, large electronics, and automobiles. In a corporate atmosphere, technical writing would be used to describe the progress of projects, as they are transferred from one department to another. Another application could be in a lab setting where common formulas and equations need to be accessible to everyone.

Legal writing is very similar to technical writing, and is considered by many to be another sub-set. In legal writing, the material is used primarily by judges, lawyers, and legislators to interpret and decide the correct course of action in accordance with the law. Legal writing uses more citation than most technical writing; the citations follow the protocol set by the Association of Legal Wiring Directors (ALWD). It also follows a strict vocabulary, where the words are formal and have very specific meanings (this helps to rule out the possibility of misinterpretation). There are also several subsets of legal writing; Predictive Analysis, Persuasive Analysis, Legal drafting and Legal Writing in Academia.