Effective Communication and Legal Writing - The Goal of Persuasion

Effective Communication and Legal Writing - The Goal of Persuasion
1.0 General CLE Credits | CLE# VOD_2023017
Registration fee: $35 | Recorded June 6, 2023

The underlying purpose of any legal writing is effective communication.  And when lawyers write briefs, pleadings, or letters in their role as advocates, the goal of effective communication usually translates as the goal of persuasion. 

          In this hour-long presentation, retired Judge David Mannheimer will discuss the principles of effective writing — principles that will help you produce writing that is clear, concise, free of ambiguity, and persuasive.  Among the topics to be covered will be: 

* Identifying the “deep issue” — formulating a concise statement of the main question to be answered, or the main point you are trying to make

* Composing section headings and transition sentences that will help your readers follow your argument

* Word choice:  Using plain English when you can, and carefully explaining your terms when you can’t

* Structuring your sentences and your paragraphs to take advantage of the human tendency to pay closest attention to what comes first and what comes last

* Transforming long and cumbersome sentences into smaller, more digestible sentences

* The importance of proofreading (and proofreading again)

* The crucial advantage of finding and using a good editor

Judge David Mannheimer, Alaska Court of Appeals (ret.)

Judge David Mannheimer came to Alaska after graduating from law school in 1974.  Four years later, in 1978, he joined the Office of Criminal Appeals in Anchorage.  As an appellate advocate, Judge Mannheimer briefed and argued over 150 cases in the Alaska Supreme Court and the Alaska Court of Appeals.  In addition, during his 5½ years as chief of the criminal appeals office (1985–1990), Judge Mannheimer reviewed and edited hundreds of briefs written by the attorneys in that office.

          Judge Mannheimer began serving on the Alaska Court of Appeals in late 1990.  He retired from the Court in February 2019, but he later returned to work part-time for the Court as a pro tem judge.  During his three decades of judicial service, Judge Mannheimer has written more than two thousand judicial opinions.  He has also served as a faculty member at several appellate advocacy and legal writing seminars.

Program will be available for purchase on the Video-On-Demand catalogue  approximately 10 days after live event.