eConference
2016 Legal Writing eConference
Contains material from May 2016 to Jun 2016
2016 Legal Writing eConference
3.97 out of 5 stars
What was the overall quality of the course (presentation, materials, and technical delivery)?
Rate the overall teaching effectiveness and presentation skills of faculty for the course.
How would you rate the value of the materials provided as part of the course?
Very good, practical advice on legal writing.
Some of the parts of the presentation were hard to follow in purely audio form, where the information was in material not included with the conference material. There were several parts of one of the presentations where the presenter was demonstrating formatting in a word document that did not translate with out a video. Overall, content very good and helpful.
Very helpful and informative.
Would be better with video
this was great until you get to the last few courses which were all about 2 minutes long.
I would have liked to see the video, particularly when the speakers are obviously referencing something, as was in past online CLEs. Also, at times the sound would get quiet. Not sure if this was due to a speaker moving away from the mic, or for other reasons.
Would have liked to have video.
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Whether you're a new attorney or a seasoned professional, effective legal writing is essential for a successful professional practice. Join experienced UT instructors for a step-by-step approach to great legal writing: learn what causes poor writing, explore the principles of clear and persuasive prose, and leave with practical tips and materials to help you bring excellence to your writing.
Includes: Audio Paper Slides
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1.
Pleasing the Court (May 2016)
Kamela Bridges
0.50
0.00
0.00
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Session 1
—30 mins
Pleasing the Court (May 2016)
Judges have opinions about legal writing too. Hear the best advice collected from a variety of judicial sources about what judges do and don’t like in legal writing.
Originally presented: May 2016 Legal Writing: Precision and Persuasion
Kamela Bridges,
The University of Texas School of Law - Austin, TX
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2.
Beyond Commas (May 2016)
Wayne Schiess
0.50
0.00
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Session 2
—30 mins
Beyond Commas (May 2016)
Legal writing is professional writing. Legal writers should master not only basic writing mechanics but also advanced skills. Learn the fine points of grammar that will add credibility and precision to everything you write. In addition, get to know the most reliable sources to consult when you need to answer a question that goes beyond commas—and when you need advice on commas, too.
Originally presented: May 2016 Legal Writing: Precision and Persuasion
Wayne Schiess,
The University of Texas School of Law - Austin, TX
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3.
Point/Counterpoint (May 2016)
Kamela Bridges, Wayne Schiess
0.50
0.00
0.00
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Slides
(pdf)
2 pgs
Session 3
—28 mins
Point/Counterpoint (May 2016)
Enjoy an enthusiastic and informative debate on three writing topics:
- Practical: How detailed should your pleading be—general or specific?
- Persnickety: Can we and should we avoid the default male pronoun (he, him, his) in legal writing? Are we sexist if we don’t? And can we use the singular they?
- Passionate: Legal citations for practitioner documents—in footnotes or in text?
Originally presented: May 2016 Legal Writing: Precision and Persuasion
Kamela Bridges,
The University of Texas School of Law - Austin, TX
Wayne Schiess,
The University of Texas School of Law - Austin, TX
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4.
Looks Matter (May 2016)
Wayne Schiess
0.50
0.00
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Session 4
—33 mins
Looks Matter (May 2016)
Learn to:
- layout a legal document so it welcomes readers—even those who read it on a screen;
- use Microsoft Word to enhance outlining and document navigation;
- generate a Table of Contents in 5 seconds; and
- make Microsoft Word’s grammar checker useful instead of laughable.
Originally presented: May 2016 Legal Writing: Precision and Persuasion
Wayne Schiess,
The University of Texas School of Law - Austin, TX
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5.
Too Much, Too Little, or Just Right (May 2016)
Kamela Bridges
0.50
0.00
0.00
Session 5
—29 mins
Too Much, Too Little, or Just Right (May 2016)
You found some relevant cases and you plan to rely on them, so shouldn’t you tell the reader about them? Or not, since no one wants to read a series of lengthy case summaries? Learn techniques for presenting legal authority concisely and efficiently, including selective use and placement of explanatory parentheticals.
Originally presented: May 2016 Legal Writing: Precision and Persuasion
Kamela Bridges,
The University of Texas School of Law - Austin, TX
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6.
Name That Penalty (Part I) (May 2016)
Wayne Schiess
0.50
0.50
0.00
Session 6
—27 mins
Name That Penalty (Part I) (May 2016)
Guess the consequences for lawyers who misquote, exceed the page limit, attack the judge, and just plain write poorly in this entertaining and informative multiple-choice quiz.
Originally presented: May 2016 Legal Writing: Precision and Persuasion
Wayne Schiess,
The University of Texas School of Law - Austin, TX
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7.
Why Good Writing Matters: A View from the Bench (May 2016)
Hon. H. DeWayne "Cooter" Hale
0.25
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Session 7
—20 mins
Why Good Writing Matters: A View from the Bench (May 2016)
Good legal writing helps the court understand what you're asking for, and why you're asking for it. Hear straight from the bench about what happens when papers are well written, and what can happen when they are not.
Originally presented: May 2016 Legal Writing: Precision and Persuasion
Hon. H. DeWayne "Cooter" Hale,
U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Northern District of Texas - Dallas, TX
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8.
Organization: Giving the Reader a Roadmap (May 2016)
Kamela Bridges
0.50
0.00
0.00
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Session 8
—33 mins
Organization: Giving the Reader a Roadmap (May 2016)
Sensibly ordering your writing is important, but not as important as ensuring that your reader knows the order you’ve chosen. Convey that order by using up-front conclusions and summaries, headings (both topical and explanatory), bullets, transitions, and connectors.
Originally presented: May 2016 Legal Writing: Precision and Persuasion
Kamela Bridges,
The University of Texas School of Law - Austin, TX
Show session details
9.
Persuading with Style (May 2016)
Wayne Schiess
1.00
0.00
0.00
Session 9
—53 mins
Persuading with Style (May 2016)
In legal writing, exaggeration, hyperbole, and sarcasm don’t persuade, and neither do bold italics, ALL-CAPS, or exclamation marks!!! Legal writers have more effective tools. Learn sentence- and word-level writing techniques ranging from punctuation to classical rhetoric that legal writers can easily add to their tools for persuasive writing.
Originally presented: May 2016 Legal Writing: Precision and Persuasion
Wayne Schiess,
The University of Texas School of Law - Austin, TX
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10.
You've Got Questions (May 2016)
Kamela Bridges, Wayne Schiess
0.75
0.00
0.00
Session 10
—38 mins
You've Got Questions (May 2016)
Attendees anonymously submit a question related to writing, and the presenters answer them.
Originally presented: May 2016 Legal Writing: Precision and Persuasion
Kamela Bridges,
The University of Texas School of Law - Austin, TX
Wayne Schiess,
The University of Texas School of Law - Austin, TX
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11.
Lawyers are Editors (Jun 2016)
Kamela Bridges
0.25
0.00
0.00
Preview Materials
Download session materials for offline use
Slides
(pdf)
6 pgs
Session 11
—19 mins
Lawyers are Editors (Jun 2016)
Bad writing becomes good and good writing becomes great only through editing. Get advice for improving your editing techniques, creating and using an effective editing checklist, implementing a thorough editing process, and editing in a time crunch.
Originally presented: May 2016 Legal Writing: Precision and Persuasion
Kamela Bridges,
The University of Texas School of Law - Austin, TX
Show session details
12.
Name that Penalty (Part II) (Jun 2016)
Wayne Schiess
0.25
0.25
0.00
Session 12
—23 mins
Name that Penalty (Part II) (Jun 2016)
More consequences for lawyers who fail to cite, omit binding law, blather on for pages, and just plain write poorly in this entertaining and informative multiple-choice quiz.
Originally presented: May 2016 Legal Writing: Precision and Persuasion
Wayne Schiess,
The University of Texas School of Law - Austin, TX