Legal Writing: From Editor to Mentor
This program has been accredited by the Law Society for 4.5 New Member CPD Hours and 4.5 Professionalism Hours.
This two-part writing program is designed to help senior lawyers provide valuable and lasting feedback on the written work they review.
The first part of the program is a half-day practical and interactive writing workshop focused on sharpening participants’ editing and feedback skills. Participants complete a number of practical editing exercises and critique each other’s writing. The second part of the program is a 45-minute private writing consulting session revolving around the analysis of a current writing project.
Sample Program Agenda
Program Overview
♦ Rewriting: the essence of good legal writing
♦ Rewriting in stages
♦ Rewriting with your ears
♦ Writing warm-up
Stage One: Revising
♦ Evaluating content, organization, and structure
♦ Critiquing and revising excerpts from participants’ writing samples
Stage Two: Editing
♦ Examining length, clarity, and continuity
♦ Editing exercises
♦ Critiquing and editing excerpts from participants’ writing samples
Break
Stage Three: Proofreading
♦ Sweating the small stuff (spelling, punctuation, format, consistency, and editorial style)
♦ Proofreading excerpts from participants’ writing samples
Avoiding Red Ink: Feedback Tips and Templates
♦ How to focus on larger, substantive concerns and not get distracted by surface errors
Private Writing Consulting Sessions
Decision Writing Refresher
This program has been accredited by the Law Society for 4.0 Professionalism Hours.
This two-part writing program is designed to help tribunal lawyers and decision makers write clear, concise, and effective decisions.
The first part of the program is a half-day practical and interactive writing workshop focused on developing and refining participants’ fundamental decision writing skills. Participants analyze sample tribunal decisions and complete a number of practical editing exercises. The second part of the program is a one-hour private writing consulting session tailored to each participant’s unique writing needs.
Sample Program Agenda
Introductions & Workshop Overview
♦ Understand the Context & Purpose of Your Writing
♦ Capture Your Reader
♦ Compose Early & Revise Late
♦ Context Before Details
♦ Structure is Substance
Decision Writing ABCs
♦ Accessibility & Appeal
♦ Brevity
♦ Cohesion
Writing Warm-Up
Thinking & Planning to Write
♦ Freewriting Exercise
Break
Structure & Organization
♦ Point First Writing
♦ Transitions
♦ Reverse Outline Exercise
Continuity & Flow
♦ Constructing Clear & Effective Sentences & Paragraphs
♦ Editing Selections from a Sample Decision
Private Writing Consulting Sessions
Please contact us for detailed fee information.