He said, she said

Traditionally in English, masculine pronouns can refer collectively to both sexes. But recently, people have perceived sexism in that tradition, and have tried to write in a way doesn't appear to exclude one sex. Some efforts to do this don't come off too well; they remind me of this bit from Monty Python's Life of Brian?

Judith: I do feel Reg, that any anti-imperialistic group like ours must reflect such a divergence of interest within its
powerbase.
Reg: Agreed. Rogers?
Rogers: Yes, I think Judith's point of view is very valid, Reg, provided the movement never forgets that it is the unalienable
right of every man...
Stan: Or woman.
Rogers: ...or woman to rid himself...
Stan: Or herself.
Rogers: ...or herself...
Reg: Agreed.
Rogers: Thank you, brother.
Stan: Or sister.
Rogers: Or sister...where was I?
Reg: I think you'd finished.
Rogers: Oh. Right.
Reg: Further more, it it the birthright of every man...
Stan: Or woman.
Reg: Why don't you shut up about women, Stan? You're putting us off.

Now imagine that you're writing a brief for a three-judge appellate panel: Judge Judith, Judge Stan, and Judge Reg. If your views on sexed pronouns are like those of Judge Reg, you nonetheless must write to persuade Judges Judith and Stan. Similarly, if your views are like those of Judith and Stan, you must write to persuade (or at least avoid putting off) Judge Reg.

There are a couple of things you can do to learn how to avoid antagonizing any of these judges. One thing you can do is to read the Sexism essay in Garner's Modern American Usage or A Dictionary of Modern Legal Usage, both by Bryan Garner. The other thing you can do is wander around these two web resources:

• Gender-Free Legal Writing, by the British Columbia Law Institute.
• Gender-Neutral Pronoun FAQ, by Æther Lumina.