Legal Writing: A 360 Degree View from a Judge, an Attorney, and a Paralegal

This session explores how legal writing extends beyond formal briefs to emails, letters, and contracts that shape daily practice. Participants will learn why lawyers spend approximately 2.3 hours daily on writing and how the shift toward plain English is transforming the profession.

Master the core techniques that improve readability: short sentences, active voice, unburied verbs, and limited adjectives. This session emphasizes how credibility—built through candor, accuracy, and professionalism—is the most important element in persuasive legal writing.

Learn to lead with your strongest arguments and provide clear roadmaps for readers. This session covers the IRAC framework, effective use of authority, and when to avoid footnotes and block quotes.

Discover why distance from your draft is essential and how multiple read-throughs with different goals enhance quality. This session highlights the paralegal’s role as the last line of defense and the three C’s: clear, concise, and correct.

Explore how generative AI tools can assist with proofreading and error detection while understanding critical limitations. Learn about the hallucination problem, ethics concerns, and why independent verification of AI-generated citations is essential.

Apply five transformative edits: shorten sentences, convert passive to active voice, unbury verbs, replace adverbs with strong verbs, and edit with fresh eyes. Additional quick fixes address tone, footnotes, adverse authority, and the dangers of emotional emails.