The First Annual National Institute Series on Writing Techniques for Winning Cases

Program Description

Lawyers often mistake forceful advocacy for belittling the other side’s case, exaggerating their own case, and berating opposing counsel. These and similar tactics are not only professionally irresponsible, they also annoy judges.

In Writing Techniques for Winning Cases, Gary Kinder emphasizes the importance of ethics in writing a persuasive brief and teaches lawyers how to: make judges want to decide for them, shape a case for impact, get the judge’s attention, present a case quickly and cleanly, capture a judge’s imagination, and create paragraphs of argument no opponent can deny.

He will teach you how to . . .

• Set a winning tone in your opening sentence
• Become the “fair advocate” judges rely upon
• Avoid unethical slurs that judges despise
• Focus your writing with a theme
• Introduce your client to the judge
• Respond to “Rambo”
• Tell the judge a compelling story
• Spot the weaknesses in your opponent’s case
• Sway judges with ideas “Rambo” could never imagine
• Compose clear, concise sentences
• Be zealous without being unethical
• Build a bulletproof argument
• Draft a brief in 21 minutes – it works!

Click here to download the complete program brochure. (PDF)

Session Details

About Gary Kinder

Gary Kinder offers a unique blend of talents: he is a highly acclaimed, best-selling author of narrative nonfiction, the same writing you put into your crucial fact statements; an inspiring speaker and natural teacher; and a lawyer who understands what you face every time you sit down to write. Not only does he write evocatively and persuasively, he can also explain how good writing works and why. He also mixes in a lot of humor to make his presentation one of the most memorable and enjoyable seminars you will ever attend.

Mr. Kinder developed his first course in 1988 to help lawyers streamline their writing and make it more accessible. Within months he was presenting the program to Latham & Watkins in Los Angeles and to other national firms. Today, Mr. Kinder teaches lawyers around the country how to do what he does so well: write precisely, vividly, and memorably. His program for litigators has evolved into an all-day presentation of advanced writing techniques that is one of the most highly recommended CLEs in the country.

Mr. Kinder does more than just talk about writing. His latest book, Ship of Gold in the Deep Blue Sea, spent nearly three months on the New York Times Bestsellers List. The review in the New York Times Book Review concluded: “Gary Kinder conns his literary vessel admirably, in fluent command of fascinating detail, judicial ramifications, and a disparate crew. The author writes beautifully – historical and technological reporting of a high order, as suspenseful and deft about the doomed steamer as the salvage vessels. Ship of Gold in the Deep Blue Sea is a 24-carat sea classic.” A second review in the New York Times called Kinder’s book “spellbinding.”

Think what he can teach you about how to keep a judge’s attention.

CLE Credit*

6.5 hours of CLE credit, including 3.25 hours of ethics credit in 60-minute states/7.8 hours of CLE credit including 3.9 hours of ethics credit in 50-minute states have been requested for each session of this program.*

Click here to view a map of MCLE States