Legal Writing Skills
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Learn about writing legal documents in clear, plain English writing.
Legal proceedings and concepts are complicated. Legal writing often makes them more so. Legal documents are larded with the passive voice, unnecessary parentheticals, and overly complex constructions. Learn to write legal documents in clear, plain English, and keep your readers focused on your message instead of decoding your prose.
Course Highlights
- Learn to assess your reader’s needs and likely responses to your writing
- Learn to choose content that will accomplish your objectives
- Learn how to organize and reorganize your documents
- Learn strategies to have the impact you want to have
- Learn how to write clear sentences using correct wording
- Learn how to write concisely while explaining fully
Course Description
The Legal Writing Skills course trains anyone working in the law to write legal documents that are clear, especially attorneys and paralegals. We use Bryan Garner's Legal Writing in Plain English. You learn to write legal documents that are understandable, professional, and effective in achieving your goals.
The instructor assesses your activities and evaluations to see what you have learned and what still needs polish, and then coaches you through learning legal-writing skills.
When You Complete This Course...
- You will increase the impact of your writing by learning to outline and plan before you write.
- You will learn to write clear, powerful legal documents that make your point instead of hiding it.
How It Works
Work Online
When you enroll, we give you access to all the online lessons and training materials. Each lesson builds on the lessons that precede it. We offer clear explanations for every part of our training and plenty of real-world examples of how to apply the skills you are learning.
Set Your Own Pace
You go at your own pace and submit assignments when you are ready. You don’t have to be online with other students or perform activities at specific times.
Instructor Feedback
Your instructor evaluates all your work, coaches you through learning the skills, and gives you personalized feedback on what you are doing well and what still needs polish. You can contact your instructor at any time if you have questions about your training, business writing, or the English language.
Certificate
When you finish the course within four months, you receive a graduation certificate.
Book
You may purchase the textbook from a bookseller such as Amazon.com. You will also study online training materials.
Course Outline
Lesson 1: Have clear objectives.
Lesson 2: Know the reader.
Writing sample 1 for feedback and coaching
Lesson 3: Use content to accomplish objectives.
Lesson 4: Check organization and reorganize.
Lesson 5: Write clear openings for new information.
Lesson 6: Use explicit guideposts for readers.
Writing sample 2 for feedback and coaching
Lesson 7: Use strategies to have the impact you want.
Lesson 8: Quote and cite correctly.
Writing sample 3 for feedback and coaching
Lesson 9: Use key words, definitions, explanations, and examples.
Lesson 10: Write using clear, simple words.
Lesson 11: Write clear, simple sentences.
Writing sample 4 for feedback and coaching
Lesson 12: Write clear, simple paragraphs.
Lesson 13: Write concisely.
Lesson 14: Use an attractive, easy-to-follow format.
Writing sample 5 for feedback and coaching
Lesson 15: Proofread for correctness.
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Writing Coaching by Dr. Robert Hogan
Dr. Hogan has been training writers for 40 years in universities, colleges of business, consulting companies, and professional writing companies.
Learn more about Dr. Hogan.Course Features
Course Materials: Online + Book (to purchase)
Certificate upon Completion: Yes
Instructor Feedback: Yes
Letter of Recommendation: Yes
Lesson Count: 15
Practice Activities: 13
Exams: 5
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The Business Writing Center’s highly trained instructors with backgrounds in higher education teach the latest best practices that we know enable business writers to write documents that are clear and have impact.
