SKILL LEVEL

Litigation Writing Foundations

This workshop dishes up our most popular, proven tools for crafting excellent briefs, motions, memos, and other analysis. From writing style to tackling complex rules and legal arguments, this workshop will get associates and professionals court-ready in no time! 

Type

Workshop

Audience

1st-3rd years

Versions

90 min. or 3 hours

Format

In-person or live

Topics

Persuasive Style • Developing Your Rules • Tackling Authorities • Countering Opponents

SEE IT IN ACTION

Take a sneak peak at the Litigation Writing Foundations workshop

Explore sample techniques and skills featured in this workshop.

Using Labels and Naming Smartly

Use labels to help readers remember important information, including statutory provisions, key legal principles, factual concepts, important documents, and even entire arguments. 
STEP 1
Figure out when labels can help readers.
STEP 2
Choose your labels with thought and care.
STEP 3
Make sure your labels are consistent.

USING LABELS

Statutory Provisions

Repeating a statute’s numbers is horrible for fluency. Consider giving statutes a short name to refer to, especially if you use a specific provision a lot in a document.
“Section 2 of Article 324 applies in this case, too.”
“The land-use provision applies in this case, too.”

USING LABELS

A Legal Principle or Concept

When you have a key legal concept, explain it first, then use the label to instantly remind readers of this concept later. All the great legal writers use this tool (especially Justice Kagan): 
“The court should apply the jurisdiction-first approach to all claims brought under this statute.”

USING LABELS

Complicated Factual Concepts

Consider labeling complicated or abstract factual concepts so that they are easy to understand and memorable for readers.
“Hoffman’s Climbing manufactures its cams by melting down iron and layering it with steel in a proprietary process that combines the molecules in a unique way to make the finished product extremely durable. This metal-layering process is what Hoffman’s is suing the defendant for stealing.” 

Let’s see how the naming day technique comes together in an example from a real brief.

See It in Action

This “market-creation” theory of jurisdiction applies with special force in the pharmaceutical context, where companies often develop the demand for a new product; spend millions convincing the public it is safe; and conceal side effects (like cancer) that take decades to be linked back to their drug. GSK did all that here.
- Jonathan Hilton, Hilton Parker, LLC (Appellate Brief)

Ready to level up your team’s legal writing?

WORKSHOP TOPICS

See what’s covered in Litigation Writing Foundations

Litigation writing requires a combination of excellent style and formidable analysis. This workshop brings associates and professionals on a journey through the most effective persuasive writing techniques, alongside tactics for delivering clear messages about even the most complex legal issues. 
  Workshop topics can change due to regular updates and improvements

90-Minute Version

   Introduction

How to develop your litigation writing skills
Why writing about the law matters

  The Techniques

Persuasive writing foundations
Using strong verbs
Creating flow
Organizing your points
Tactics for writing about the law

   Review & Wrap-Up

Companion Course: Level Up Your Legal Writing

3-Hour Version

   Introduction

How to develop your litigation writing skills
Why writing about the law matters

  The Techniques

Persuasive writing foundations
Using strong verbs
Creating flow
Organizing your points
Tactics for writing about the law
Crafting smart citations
Leveraging authorities to persuade
Developing your rule pitch
Countering opponents effectively
Advanced persuasion strategies

   Review & Wrap-Up

Gameshow Review + Prizes
Companion Course: Level Up Your Legal Writing

COMPANION COURSE

Level Up Your Writing

The Litigation Writing Foundations workshop comes with a companion course: Level Up Your Writing. This course covers key writing techniques that will help your team cement their skills after the workshop.

HOW IT WORKS

Writing workshops made easy

Write.law makes it easy to plan your next workshop or workshop series. From choosing your topics to onboarding your team—we’re here to help every step of the way.
STEP 1

Choose your workshop

Pick a workshop (or workshops) from our online menu. Or contact our team to discuss the best workshops for your team.
STEP 2

Seamless scheduling

Our automated scheduling tool makes it easy and convenient to find dates and times that work for you and your team.
STEP 3

Onboarding

After you schedule your workshop, the Write.law team will reach out with detailed information about next steps and how to onboard your team.
STEP 4

Workshop day!

We host virtual workshops on Zoom. If you chose an in-person workshop, our trainer will travel to your preferred office or other location.
STEP 5

Post-workshop practice

Learning doesn’t end after workshop day! Your team can keep practicing their skills with online, self-paced lessons related to your workshop topic.
STEP 6

Workshop debrief

After your workshop, the Write.law team will share a debrief covering key stats and info about how everything went with your program.

WHAT’S INCLUDED?

Writing workshops  that deliver real results

Write.law workshops are led by legal writing expert and Write.law co-founder, Joe Regalia. No more boring talking heads. Your team will write, interact, and explore their new skills together. Plus each workshop comes with its on self-paced companion course.
Presentation
Workbook
Companion Course
Virtual or In-Person
Onboarding
WORKBOOK

Follow along and revisit later

Companion workbooks feature pre-workshop homework, as well as a breakdown of all the writing techniques covered in the workshop. Participants can download and save workbooks to revisit later. 
PRESENTATION

Engaging and interactive presentations

Write.law workshops feature engaging and interactive presentations from Write.law co-founder and trainer, Joe Regalia. Each presentation covers concrete techniques for improving your writing, real-world examples from top advocates, and practice to cement what you’ve learned. 
COMPANION COURSE

Companion courses for additional practice

Write.law Workshops comes with self-paced companion courses hosted on Write.law’s online training platform. Participants can learn and practice new writing skills before and after workshop day.
VIRTUAL OR IN-PERSON TRAINING

Virtual or in-person training

Virtual and in-person workshops both have a lot to offer. Go virtual to let your team learn from anywhere—all from the convenience of their office or home. In-person workshops are great for team building or all-day programs.
ONBOARDING

Onboarding your team is a breeze

We make it easy to schedule and show up for workshop day. Use our automated workshop scheduler to book your dates in under five minutes. The Write.law team will send onboarding instructions, workbooks, and everything you need before workshop day.

PRO SERVICES

Add coaching or a writing review

Get more from your writing workshop by adding virtual coaching or an in-depth writing review.

Virtual Coaching

1-1 coaching • 30 minute sessions
Add one-on-one coaching to your workshop. It’s the fastest way to improve individual writing skills.
  • Pre-coaching survey
  • 1-1 sessions (30 minutes each)
  • Flexible packages

Writing Review

1 document • Up to 15 pages
Have Write.law co-founder and renowned writing expert, Joe Regalia, review up to ten pages of your writing.
  • Review by Write.law co-founder Joe Regalia 
  • Inline comments and feedback 
  • Writing report and recommendations

MEET YOUR TRAINER

Elite Training by 
World-Class Talent

About Joe Regalia

Joe is a law professor, trainer, and attorney with a passion for legal writing, persuasion science, and technology.
Joe is a law professor, trainer, and attorney with a passion for legal writing, persuasion science, and technology. He combines his experience as both practitioner and professor to create exciting new ways to teach legal skills. Before co-founding Write.law, Joe graduated summa cum laude from the University of Michigan Law School, clerked for the Ninth Circuit, and worked as an associate at top AmLaw 100 firms.
Joe heads up Write.law's legal skills training team. He is also a member of the faculty at the William S. Boyd School of Law—the number one ranked law school for legal writing skills and research. Joe regularly leads training for leading firms and organizations, including Fortune 500 companies, the Department of Justice, and U.S. Courts of Appeals. 

About Write.law

We are on a mission to make legal skills training effective, easy to use, and engaging.
The legal industry is undergoing a tectonic shift. Technology, new business models, and evolving client needs are reshaping what it means to practice law. And that means the skills attorneys need to thrive are changing, too. 
Write.law’s core goal is to help attorneys see real results in their legal writing and other practice skill. We spent years studying and compiling science-backed and effective legal writing techniques used by the world’s best lawyers. Then we built courses and workshops using the latest educational science so that lawyers can become better legal writers step-by-step.

GET STARTED TODAY

Level up your legal writing

Join today and start improving your legal writing in as little as five minutes a day.