Comprehensive Technical Edit
Utah Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drug Laws
Skills & Competencies
Structural and Stylistic Editing
Content Organization and Hierarchy
Plain Language and Accessibility Principles
Research and Fact Verification
Document Design and Formatting
Attention to Detail and Consistency
About This Project
This project involved transforming a dense, government-issued legal document into a version suitable for a student audience.
The goal was to improve readability, usability, and overall accessibility while maintaining factual accuracy and compliance with state standards.
The final deliverable reorganized complex information into clear sections, tables, and headings that support quick reference and comprehension.
Context & Purpose
This project focused on improving the clarity and accessibility of Utah’s Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drug (ATOD) laws for a student audience.
The original text was long, complex, and difficult to navigate, making it unsuitable for educational use without significant revision.
Purpose:
- Adapt a legal document for use in student handbooks and safety programs.
- Simplify complex legal language without changing meaning or intent.
- Improve information hierarchy through structured tables and headings.
- Enhance usability and comprehension through formatting and tone adjustments.
Process & Methods
This project required both editorial precision and content design strategy to make legal material approachable for students. I gathered content from multiple state and university sources to ensure accuracy, then applied structural and stylistic editing techniques to create a cohesive, readable document.
Steps:
- Compiled relevant sections of Utah ATOD laws from official state and university websites.
- Reorganized content into a logical sequence with clear headings and subheadings.
- Applied plain language principles to clarify legal terms and remove redundancy.
- Created tables and visual structures to highlight key information and penalties.
- Conducted multiple editorial passes to refine tone, consistency, and accuracy.
Findings
The editing process revealed that accessibility and clarity are often limited in publicly distributed legal materials. By restructuring and rewriting the content, the revised version achieved stronger readability, improved visual organization, and greater relevance for student readers.
Key Findings:
- Excessive legal jargon: Original phrasing hindered comprehension for non-legal audiences.
- Poor document structure: Long paragraphs and inconsistent formatting made scanning difficult.
- Lack of hierarchy: Important information such as penalties and exceptions was buried within text blocks.
- Limited usability: The document was not designed for quick reference or educational distribution.
Recommendations
The final edit emphasized clarity, usability, and visual hierarchy to make the document more practical for student audiences and educational staff.
01
Simplify Legal Language
Use plain language and consistent sentence structure to ensure that critical information can be understood without legal background knowledge.
02
Strengthen Hierarchy and Navigation
Add headings, tables, and lists to improve readability and help users quickly locate specific laws or penalties.
03
Maintain Accuracy Through Careful Condensation
Remove redundancy while preserving legal intent and accuracy, ensuring all revisions meet state communication standards.
04
Apply Consistent Formatting and Tone
Use a professional but approachable tone and a uniform visual layout to support clarity and reinforce trustworthiness.
Reflection
This project demonstrated the importance of accessibility in technical and legal communication.
Transforming the material required balancing accuracy with readability—simplifying complex information without compromising its meaning.
The process reinforced how strong editorial structure, clear formatting, and plain language can make regulatory content more effective for its intended audience.
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