My name is Matthew Butterick. I’m an attorney in Los Angeles. I run a law office, Butterick Law Corporation, where I practice civil litigation.

Before I had the idea to become an attorney, I got a degree in art from Harvard University, focusing on graphic design and typography. After college, I worked as a digital font designer. Then I had a website development studio.

Even though the legal profession depends heavily on writing, legal typography is often poor. Some blame lies with the strict typographic constraints that control certain legal documents (e.g. court rules regarding the format of pleadings).

But the rest of the blame lies with lawyers. To be fair, I assume this is for lack of information, not lack of will. This website fills that void. There are numerous guides on typography for generalists but none specifically aimed at lawyers. So as one of the few typographers-turned-attorneys in America—yes, there are others—I figure that if I don’t do it, nobody will.

This website is an ongoing work. Comments are enabled on most pages. If something is unclear or incorrect, please post your thoughts and I will respond. You can email me directly at typography@buttericklaw.com. Note that I do not dispense individualized typographic advice—after all, the point of the site is that you learn to make those decisions yourself.

Thank you to the many, many people who have written to compliment the website. It’s a pleasure to hear that the information is making a difference.

I was recently interviewed by the AIGA about the intersection of typography and law.

For those who need one more distraction, I am now on Twitter at typogforlawyers.

This website has been updated to work with the iPad.

I am turning this website into a book that will be released by Jones McClure Publishing.

— Matthew Butterick, June 2010