Home / Writing to Persuade: Writing to Win: Writing to Earn Trust
To write to persuade, which is to say, to write to win, you must above all else, and first of all, write to win trust. Judges, clerks, arbitrators, mediators, and indeed, clients, are overworked. They are busy. They have more to read than they have time. They are irritated with bad writing. Which is to say unclear writing. Overwrought writing. Wasteful writing. If you want to persuade your client to send more work, to persuade your judge to actually read your brief (beyond the first page), you must immediately establish credibility – that he or she can entrust to you his or her time, attention, and patience. Students will work to unlearn bad habits, to overwrite “grammar” shibboleths, and to hone the craft of persuasive writing through a series of practical exercises as well as a larger writing project. The course will be taught by Adam P. Massey, a member in the New Orleans office of King & Jurgens, LLC who specializes in trial and appellate advocacy. Successful students will develop a quality writing example.
Summer 2019
Adam Massey