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The Power of Plain Language: Say Less, Win More (Part 1)

Learn to communicate and advocate more effectively at this advanced legal writing program. You will learn principles of plain language writing and document design to prepare persuasive, concise, and well-supported legal briefs and memoranda.

Join us so you can acquire the tools to:

Make your writing clear, concise, and persuasive
Strengthen your legal briefs and memoranda
Improve your advocacy

Topics covered include:

Legal Writing Law Practice

Agenda:

Introduction & Overview

Introduction of speaker, expertise in legal writing and plain language
Overview of six legal writing topics covered in Part 1 and Part 2

Plain Language Background

What is plain language?
History of plain language adoption

Plain Language Act of 2010
ISO Standard 24495-2

Why should lawyers use plain language?

Benefits for lawyers, clients, and general public

How do we write in plain language?

Writing Concisely — a Core Component of Plain Language

Concision overview — why is it important for lawyers?
Tools to write concisely

Eliminate empty phrases
Avoid nominalizations
Simplify words

Writing Clearly — Another Core Component of Plain Language

Clarity overview — why is it important for lawyers?
Tools to write concisely

Favor subject-verb-object construction
Avoid passive voice

Questions & Answers (as time permits)

Duration of this webinar: 60 minutes

Originally broadcast: December 11, 2025 9:00 AM PT

Webinar Highlights

This webinar is divided into section summaries, which you can scan for key points and then dive into the sections that interest you the most.

00:00 Introduction

Kathleen Dillon Narko, a Clinical Professor of Law at Northwestern University, is introduced as the speaker, with extensive experience in legal writing. The webinar focuses on the power of plain language in legal writing, aiming to improve clarity and conciseness. Kathleen outlines the topics to be covered, including plain language, concision, and clarity, with a promise of further exploration in a subsequent session. She emphasizes the importance of writing in plain language for both lawyers and non-lawyers, referencing the Plain Writing Act of 2010. The act mandates clear communication by federal agencies to enhance public understanding and accountability.

07:10 Understanding Plain Language

Kathleen mentions the international standard for plain language, emphasizing its characteristics of being relevant, findable, understandable, and usable. Joseph Kimball's advocacy for simple, direct, and human writing is highlighted, stressing the importance of plain language in legal contexts. Kathleen discusses the economic benefits of plain language, citing studies that show reader preference for clarity and conciseness. She notes that plain language reduces misunderstandings and saves time and money for organizations, particularly in legal settings. Judges and non-lawyers prefer plain language, since it enhances comprehension and reduces errors. Kathleen advises on writing in plain language, focusing on audience-centered communication to convey ideas clearly.

13:54 Concision in Legal Writing

Kathleen transitions to practical tips for writing in plain language, focusing on concision, clarity, and document design. She emphasizes the importance of eliminating unnecessary words and avoiding nominalizations to enhance clarity and conciseness. Richard Wydick's book 'Plain English for Lawyers' is recommended for its practical exercises in improving legal writing. Kathleen provides examples of simplifying phrases and replacing nominalizations with core verbs to streamline writing. She advises against using legalese and puffed-up language, advocating for straightforward and familiar words. The importance of audience-centered writing is reiterated, with a focus on making legal documents clear and concise. Exercises are provided to practice identifying and revising wordy or unclear sentences.

39:53 Clarity and Sentence Structure

Kathleen discusses the importance of clarity in writing, focusing on the subject-verb-object structure to enhance readability. She explains that this structure is the most comprehensible in English and advises keeping these elements close together in sentences. The session includes exercises to revise sentences to follow the subject-verb-object order. Kathleen warns against using passive voice, which can obscure the actor and make sentences longer and more ambiguous. She provides examples to illustrate the difference between active and passive voice, emphasizing the benefits of active voice for clarity. The presentation concludes with a preview of topics to be covered in part two, including document design and advanced editing strategies.

Please note this AI-generated summary provides a general overview of the webinar but may not capture all details, nuances, or the exact words of the speaker. For complete accuracy, please refer to the original webinar recording.

Speaker

Kathleen Dillon Narko Clinical Professor
Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law

Professor Kathleen Dillon Narko is a Clinical Professor of Law at Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law. She has taught legal writing since 1999, and her legal writing columns appear in the Chicago Bar Association’s flagship publication, the CBA Record. Professor Narko has over 25 years’ experience teaching a variety of legal writing courses, including Communication and Legal Reasoning (for first-year JD students), Common Law Reasoning (for international LLM students), and Advanced Legal Writing (for upper-class law students). Read More ›

Continuing Legal Education (CLE) Credits

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California CLE

Status: Approved

Credits: 1.00 General

Earn Credit Until: June 30, 2026

New Jersey CLE

Status: Approved

Credits: 1.20 General

Earn Credit Until: December 10, 2026

North Carolina CLE

Status: Approved

Credits: 1.00 General

Earn Credit Until: February 28, 2026

Texas CLE

Status: Approved

Credits: 1.00 General

Earn Credit Until: November 30, 2026

This presentation is approved for one hour of General CLE credit in California, and North Carolina. This program has been approved by the Board on Continuing Legal Education of the Supreme Court of New Jersey for 1.20 hours of total CLE credit. This course has been approved for Minimum Continuing Legal Education credit by the State Bar of Texas Committee on MCLE in the amount of 1.00 credit hours.

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