Legislative Drafting Step-by-Step

Legislative Drafting Step-by-Step is a practical, step-by-step guide to drafting legislation. This "how to" book untangles the web of confusion and technical detail that surrounds legislative drafting and presents drafting in an easy-to-understand way. In so doing, legislative drafting is shown to be a fun, intellectually engaging endeavor and not an intimidating prospect to be dreaded. In short, this concise, user-friendly guide seeks to de-mystify legislative drafting.

Legislative Drafting Step-by-Step includes the following:
• A five-step framework for analysis to guide the drafter in converting any legislative proposal into an actual bill, resolution, or amendment.
• Easy-to-learn rules to carry out each step of drafting.
• More than 150 examples of draft legislative language.
• 19 charts and tables illustrating the text.
• 9 drafting exercises, together with the answers, to test drafting skills.
• A description of the United States legislative process, as viewed by a legislative drafter.
• 16 House and Senate bill, resolution, and amendment forms.

Legislative Drafting Step-by-Step is designed to assist legislators, their staffs, and all who read or write legislation to better understand the basics of legislative drafting and the important role that well written legislation plays in promoting the rule of law. To this end, this guide may be used either as an essential reference tool for any office drafting legislation or as an introduction to legislative drafting for anyone seeking to learn the craft.

Legislative Drafting Step-by-Step is copublished by the International Law Institute.

Arthur Rynearson is a Legislative Drafting Consultant and teaches at the International Law Institute in Washington, D.C. He is the former Deputy Legislative Counsel of the US Senate and a career legislative drafter.