Letters to the Editor: We may dread grammatical corrections, but they’re still important

To the editor: During my 33 years as an administrative law judge, every case with a hearing had a written decision. I wrote hundreds of them. They included semicolons, colons and, when called for, the em dash (“You can blame me for all those em dashes in AI-generated text,” Jan. 13).

My first mentor/trainer was not just an experienced attorney and judge; in her prior career, she had been an English teacher. I sometimes dreaded receiving my drafts after her reviews, with her many edits and comments. I referred to her as “The Comma Czar” as she deftly removed or inserted punctuation to turn my lumps of clay into fine pottery.

She was instrumental in my transition from advocate to decider. Good grammar and punctuation are some of the hallmarks of clear, concise, convincing written communication.

David Rosenman, Culver City