Presented by the CT Bar Institute

About the Program

Knowing the law is essential – but so is being able to communicate about it. Join writing coach and former attorney Rick Horowitz for a lively and practical session that will reintroduce you to your legal-writing toolbox, including a few tools you didn't know were in there.

This class explores the fundamentals (and the critical details) of creating clear, well-organized, persuasive legal documents. Briefs, memos, client letters, even daily correspondence benefit from your deeper understanding of what goes into successful writing, so we’ll examine good – and not-so-good – writing to see what worked, what didn't, and why. We’ll also re-examine some of the assumptions and habits that often lead lawyers down less-than-productive writing paths.

Among the topics we might cover:

• What should you include, and what can you leave out?
• Is your writing flexible enough to take on a variety of assignments and readers?
• Are there ways to overcome “blank-screen panic?”
• Should you use an outline? Are there better options?
• How do you help your readers (whoever they are) follow your argument (wherever it goes)?
• Shouldn’t your brief be a little more . . . brief?
• Can you make the in-house editing process more helpful – and less stressful?
• And do you really need all that legalese?

You'll come away with new skills, new strategies, and new confidence.

You Will Learn

• About specific writing problems common to lawyers, and better identify key factors that distinguish good from not-so-good legal writing
• That writing to different audiences, through different document types and platforms, requires a variety of approaches
• To make essential writing decisions before your fingers ever touch the keyboard
• About practical ways to think about, and overcome, “blank-screen panic”
• To be more effective at striking a proper balance between “complete” and “concise”
• How to improve writing that’s too wordy, complex, passive, or filled with jargon 
• To be better at providing early (and frequent) help to guide readers through complicated documents
• The vital roles that word choice and tone can play in effective legal writing;
• How to make “writing as a team” more productive – and less stressful
• Legal-writing strategies and approaches you can apply in your own offices and agencies, and can share with colleagues

The Connecticut Bar Association/CT Bar Institute is an accredited provider of New York State CLE. This program qualifies for newly admitted and experienced attorneys CLE credits. 

Attorneys seeking NY CLE credit who have been admitted to the New York State Bar for two years or less must attend the live seminar for skills or ethics credit, a fully interactive videoconference, or simultaneous transmission with synchronous interactivity. Diversity, Inclusion and Elimination of Bias CLE credits are only available as non-transitional credits. For further information please see the NYCourts.gov page on CLE: http://ww2.nycourts.gov/attorneys/cle/index.shtml. 

Please note that refunds will not be granted once course materials have been sent.

Cancellations made less than 2 business days prior to event are non-refundable.

Closed captioning will be available during the seminar presentation for virtual attendees.