To advocate for a client, the writer faces a big job: take the law (which may be complex) and the facts (which may be complicated); create a concise and persuasive argument based on the law and facts; and then convince the Court to agree with your client’s position. Easier said than done? Yes. But no matter your stage in your legal career—if you’re writing your first brief or if you have written hundreds—we can all consider new techniques to improve our powers of persuasion.

Join this advanced legal writing workshop to think through—or possibly even rethink—your writing methods, both from a structural and creative standpoint. Participants will receive tips and insight on researching, outlining, drafting and editing to maximize the effectiveness of written work product.

Session I - RESEARCH the law (the good and the bad) and KNOW the facts – Richelle W. Kidder

It sounds simple, but it’s true: the law is the foundation of any legal argument. This means that before tackling any argument, the writer must fully appreciate what the law is—whether good, bad, or somewhere in the middle. From there, the next layer is the facts, and you guessed it: the writer must have a solid grasp of not just what the facts are, but how they fit into the governing legal framework.

Key topics to be discussed:

• Techniques for research, with a focus on finding the best/most applicable case for your circumstances
• Tips for reviewing and organizing relevant facts for maximum impact
• Common pitfalls in legal research

Session II - THINK about how you will persuade the Court – Richelle W. Kidder

Think first, then put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard). That is the focus of Session II, where the presentation will offer suggestions about ways to optimally structure and organize an argument.

Key topics to be discussed:

• Best practices for condensing complex legal issues into discrete subparts
• Ways to let an idea “rest” before taking the next steps
• Use of visual graphics

Session III - WRITE logically, creatively, and persuasively – Richelle W. Kidder

Armed with the foundation (i.e., the law) and relevant facts, Session III will offer strategies for a structured approach to legal writing. This session will emphasize the use of visually persuasive formatting (e.g., headings, tables of contents) to make it easy for the Court to follow.

Key topics to be discussed:

• Strategies for organizing complex information
• Techniques for effective outlining
• How to resist writing the Introduction first

Session IV - EDIT (and edit, then edit, then edit some more) – Richelle W. Kidder

Nothing is worse than picking up a brief after it’s been filed and seeing a pesky typo right there on the first page. Or realizing that the case caption read “Untied States of America,” even though five people reviewed it before filing. No one is perfect, so Session IV will offer tips to identify (and correct) embarrassing mistakes. This session will also harken back to the prior topic, effective use of headings in legal writing, and will reiterate how an effective table of contents can summarily and persuasively tell your client’s side of the story.

Key topics to be discussed:

• Editing strategies for improvement
• Emphasis on use of stylistic techniques for effective advocacy

Closed-captioning available