Legal Writing at the Macro Level
Why Attend?
Focus on the “macro” to enhance your legal writing skills!
Taught by a lawyer and legal writing expert who has trained thousands of lawyers across the country, this webcast focuses on important communicative elements within a document at the largest structural and organizational levels. Although most experienced writers seem to believe that these issues are obvious or remedial - since they were, after all initially introduced in junior high English composition classes - they are surprisingly relevent and underappreciated at the professional level. In fact, ordinarily it is at this level where senior lawyers in law offices claim that their "junior attorneys can't write." The problem continues to be, however, that senior lawyers often do not know how to identify and discuss these "macro" defects that annoy them.
Sadly, there are no quick writing tricks that resolve these challenges. Instead, this webcast emphasizes fundamental principles of writing that allow editing to become both more effective and efficient. This webcast is therefore a must for all attorneys who want to become better legal writers.
What You Will Learn
Topics include:
The difference between the logic of an author's analysis and the coherence to a reader of that analysis
The difference in writing guidance between writing principles and writing techniques at the macro level of overall structure and organization
The principle of containers for one's information, with associated concepts of context, ordering, and structure
The qualities of a strong, ambitious introduction to any kind of legal document, including letters, briefs, and internal memos
Using roadmaps and focus paragraphs before conveying complex or detailed information
How to make the reader smart, attentive and comfortable -- whether they are a client, judge, or senior partner
This interactive seminar gives you the opportunity to submit questions in advance (email questions to aweinberg@ali-aba.org; please put "Terrell webcast question" in the subject line) and/or during the program for discussion by the instructor during a live, audio webcast at the end of the program.
Who Should Attend
Lawyers and other legal professionals who want to improve their legal writing and editing skills would benefit by attending this unique webcast.
Faculty
Timothy P. Terrell is a Professor of Law at Emory University School of Law in Atlanta, Georgia. For more than a decade, Professor Terrell and his company, LAWriters LLC, have conducted an array of effective writing programs for law firms, courts, bar associations, and government agencies across the country and abroad. He also has served as Director of Professional Development at King & Spalding in Atlanta. He is the co-author of Thinking Like a Writer: A Lawyer’s Guide to Effective Writing and Editing (PLI, Third Edition). In addition to Thinking Like a Writer, Professor Terrell has published books and articles principally in the areas of constitutional theory, jurisprudence, and legal ethics.
Program Schedule
12:00 noon Program Begins
1:45 p.m. Questions and Answers via live Audio Webcast
2:00 p.m. Adjournment
Total 60-minute hours of instruction: 2.0; total 50-minute hours: 2.4
Here's what registrants have said about this course:
"The instructor was energetic and very informative. Top notch.""Timothy Terrell is one of the best instructors on writing that I've ever heard--maybe the best. His oral and written presentations implemented the very "secrets" that he advocated. I'm considering buying his book, and I'll take any programs he offers in the future. Thanks."
Times
Eastern 12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. Central 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.Mountain 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Pacific 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.Alaska 8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.Hawaii 7:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.
