Words Matter: Developing and Perfecting the Skills Necessary to Produce Top-Quality Legal Writing

In the legal profession, words matter. Legal writing carries such great weight, and lawyers must master appropriate legal writing skills to create flawless briefs, contracts and other essential legal documents. This seminar will focus on helping you develop and sharpen your legal writing skills and will teach you to write more effectively using concise and persuasive language. You'll learn from some of the best legal writers in the field today – judges, faculty and practitioners – all with substantial experience drafting and analyzing legal writings. Legal professionals and students at any and all stages of their careers are welcome and invited to attend!

Please note: this program will take place as a live webinar via Zoom conferencing and CLE credits earned will be reported as distance education credit. Instructions for accessing the webinar will be provided in your registration confirmation email. Until further notice, limitations on distance education have been removed for all Indiana attorneys and judges due to the COVID-19 public health emergency.

Featuring: Hon. Heather Welch, Marion Superior Court; Kara Kapke, Barnes & Thornburg LLP; Joel Schumm, Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law

This program has been approved for credit in the following jurisdiction(s):

Indiana Commission For Continuing Legal Education

Credit has been approved with the Indiana Commission For Continuing Legal Education for 1.00 General credit.

Zoom Webinar

A Zoom link will be included in your registration confirmation email and resent the day of the program.  If you have trouble accessing Zoom, please contact dfitzgerald@indybar.org.

Cancellation Policy

RESERVATIONS/CANCELLATIONS FOR LIVE EVENTS.  To ensure the utmost accuracy in our reservation records, the Indianapolis Bar Association cannot accept reservations over the phone for CLE seminars, luncheons, or other programming. Reservations must be delivered or mailed to the Indianapolis Bar Association office, faxed to (317)269-1915, or e-mailed to iba@indybar.org. Reservations received less than 24 hours prior to an event and walk-in registrations cannot be guaranteed; they will be accepted on a space-available basis, will include an additional $5 charge, and may not include lunch. Cancellations must be made 48 hours prior to the program to receive a refund. If no cancellation is received, payment is due in full. For arrangements due to physical disability, please call the Indianapolis Bar Association at (317) 269-2000.

RESERVATIONS/CANCELLATIONS FOR ONLINE COURSES.  Your purchase provides a 30 day access from the time of purchase to view and complete the educational requirements of the Indiana CLE Commission.  Failure to complete the online course within 30 days will require you to re-enroll and purchase again in order to view and complete the education program.

NOTE: CLE credit will not be reported to the Indiana Supreme Court Commission for Continuing Legal Education (CLE Commission) until payment for the course has been received in full.  The CLE Commission will not approve online CLE credit if you previously received credit for the same live course.  It is your responsibility to monitor your credits.

OWNERSHIP AND USE OF IMAGES AND OTHER INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY.  All registrants, instructors, exhibitors and guests attending any Indianapolis Bar Association event acknowledge and agree (a) that they may be photographed and/or video-recorded during such event, (b) that any such photographs or recordings are solely the property of the Indianapolis Bar Association, and (c) that the Association may publish, duplicate, and otherwise use such photographs, recordings, and identifying information about the persons in the photographs and recordings to promote the Association and its services.