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The Power of Plain Language: Say Less, Win More (Part 2)

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:

Recap of Part 1

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

Writing Clearly, Continued

Tools to write clearly, continued

Prefer concrete subjects
Choose words precisely
Shorten sentences

Document Design — How a Document Looks Is As Important as What It Says

Tools to make your document more appealing

Typeface (font choice)
Alignment
White space

Caveat — always follow court rules

Organization and Advanced Strategies in Editing

Organization — effective paragraphs using TREAC
Advanced strategies in editing

Language Change and Inclusive Pronouns

Changing role of traditional grammar rules
Use of inclusive pronouns
How to write clearly with inclusive pronouns

Final Thoughts — Is Writing Well Worth the Effort?

Questions & Answers

Duration of this webinar: 60 minutes

Originally broadcast: December 17, 2025 10:00 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, known for her expertise in legal writing. Kathleen expresses excitement about continuing the training on plain language, emphasizing its importance in legal writing for both lawyers and non-lawyers. She outlines the topics covered in the webinar, including clarity, document design, advanced editing, and the use of inclusive pronouns. Kathleen recaps part one of the webinar, which focused on plain language, concision, and clarity, and discusses the benefits of plain language in legal contexts.

09:00 Clarity and Sentence Length

Kathleen continues with the concept of clarity, focusing on using concrete subjects and precise word choice. She advises keeping sentences to 25 words or less to avoid confusing readers and to maintain clarity. Kathleen highlights the impact of sentence length on readability and provides examples from literature to illustrate her points. She suggests using tools like Microsoft Word to assess sentence length and readability.

25:30 Document Design and Typography

Kathleen transitions to document design, stressing its importance alongside content in legal writing. She references the Seventh Circuit's recommendations on typography and document design to enhance readability. Kathleen explains the significance of typeface, alignment, and white space in making documents more accessible. She advises using proportional fonts and avoiding full justification to prevent readability issues. The section emphasizes the role of document design in engaging readers and aiding comprehension.

41:40 Organization and TRIAC

Kathleen discusses the elements of engaging and elegant legal writing, including varied sentence structure and tone. She introduces the TRIAC method for organizing legal analysis, emphasizing clarity and logical flow. She provides an example of using TRIAC to analyze a legal issue, highlighting the importance of clear conclusions. The section underscores the value of organization and editing in producing effective legal documents.

52:00 Language Change and Inclusive Pronouns

Kathleen discusses the evolving use of inclusive pronouns in legal writing, noting changes in grammar rules. She provides tips for writing clearly with inclusive pronouns, such as respecting chosen pronouns and avoiding gender references. Kathleen emphasizes the importance of adapting to language changes to ensure clarity and respect in legal writing. She concludes by reiterating the value of good writing for professional advancement and credibility. The section encourages continuous improvement in writing skills to enhance legal communication.

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 16, 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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