Foundations of Legal Writing: Essentials for Litigation

With the advent of AI and chatbots such as ChatGPT, it may seem tempting to use such assistance rather than writing and doing one’s research. However, legal writing skills are still absolutely vital to the profession. This program will discuss such skills, covering essential components such as identifying one’s target audience, conducting proper research, and outlining and writing a brief. Using past examples of legal briefs, it will also discuss what courts do and do not find effective in them. Finally, it will give helpful resources and ways to continue developing these skills throughout one’s career.

This program is open to attorneys of all levels who wish to brush up on their legal writing skills but it may be especially helpful for those newer to the profession.

Learning Objectives:

• Learn the do’s and don'ts of legal writing
• Approach legal writing efficiently and effectively
• Write a persuasive legal brief
• Communicate concisely
• Overcome common pitfalls with legal writing
• Identify opportunities for continuous improvement as writers