LANSING, Mich. and RIVERSIDE, Fla. – Cooley Law School’s Kimble Center for Legal Drafting, in partnership with Clarity International, will host a webinar, “Clear Legal Writing: New Cases, Resources, and Technology,” on Nov. 14. The webinar will be held from noon to 1:30 p.m. (ET).
Cooley Distinguished Professor Emeritus Joseph Kimble, Cooley Professor Mark Cooney, and attorney Ivy Grey will be the speakers.
Kimble will present, “Dipping into a new, FREE Book on Legal Drafting,” highlighting portions of his new book with co-author Bryan Garner, “Essentials for Drafting Clear Legal Rules.” The techniques outlined in their book, many of which are not widely known, are applicable to any type of legal drafting. The book is free and available online at Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts.
Cooney will speak about “How Legalese Jeopardizes Enforceability: New Court Cases,” discussing recent cases in which courts refused to enforce documents bogged down by legalese and poor design. The cases show that lawyers who think they’re playing it safe by recycling traditional legal forms are doing just the opposite: they’re taking on unnecessary risk.
“When attorneys present cases loaded with legal jargon, they are really doing a disservice to themselves in the courtroom,” said Cooney. “Judges are swamped. They don’t have time to sift through cases cluttered with legal ambiguity and thoroughly review and understand them. Serving judges with clear and concise information – in plain language – will only strengthen your case to your advantage.”
Grey is the creator of American Legal Style for PerfectIt, a proofreading software. She will focus on “Connecting Technology Training and Substantive Legal-Writing Skills,” providing a clearer view of generative AI’s potential – and limitations – for tomorrow’s legal writers, while sharing insights on other technologies and strategies for producing clear, forceful language.
Media and the public may register for the event through Webex.
WHEN: Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024
Noon – 1:30 p.m.
WHERE: Virtual Event
REGISTER: Online
About Cooley Law School: Cooley Law School was founded on a mission of equal access to a legal education and offers admission to a diverse group of qualified applicants across the country. Since the law school’s founding in 1972, Cooley has provided a modern legal education to more than 21,000 graduates, teaching the practical skills necessary for a seamless transition from academia to the real world. An independent, non-profit law school, accredited by both the American Bar Association and the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, Cooley holds classes year-round at its Michigan and Florida campuses.