Does reliance on legalese seem to obfuscate your ability to communicate efficaciously with clients, colleagues and adversaries?

The ISBA has scheduled a Master Series seminar to help lawyers develop better skills of “Effective Legal Writing.”

The presentation by Prof. Gregory G. Colomb of the University of Virginia Department of English will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, Jan. 12, at the Northern Illinois University campus in Rockford. (MCLE accredited 6.0 hours)

Colomb is not the typical language instructor. He provides a system or process to ensure that one's writing is both informative and persuasive.

He uses copies of actual briefs, memoranda and motions during interactive exercises to illustrate the best approach to a final work product in writing.

Colomb's popular course, which is geared to practicing lawyers, goes beyond chasing commas and arguing over “who” or “whom” is the subject of one's objectivity.

From 9 a.m. until the 12 noon luncheon break, the general topic is Clear and Direct Prose, emphasizing clarity, focus and flow.

The focus from 1 to 4 p.m. is on Informative and Persuasive Documents: framing readers' expectations, finding the best order, and keeping readers on track.

Colomb is an author of two University of Chicago Press books on communication skills. They are “Style: Toward Clarity and Grace” (1990) and “The Craft of Research” (1995), which received a Critics' Choice Award.

A graduate of Rice University, he has both a master's degree and a doctorate from the University of Virginia. He concentrates on writing studies, theory and 18th Century literature.

Tuition for this unique seminar is $195 for ISBA members and $295 for non-members. Call (800) 252-8908 to register.