In the legal profession, the ability to communicate effectively is key to your success. Learn how to avoid common pitfalls and ensure your clients are not just happy but well-informed. Join us for a transformative program led by a renowned expert in legal drafting, where you'll learn how to elevate your writing skills and leave drafting mishaps behind. Don't miss this opportunity to consolidate your foundations and excel in the practice of law.
Description
Attend and earn 2 CPD units in Professional Skills
This program is applicable to practitioners from all States & Territories
Professional Skills
9.00am to 11.00am Plain English Drafting: Unlocking the Power of Effective Legal Communication
In this unique, in-depth and interactive session, together with Bob Milstein you will explore:
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- Plain English in legal writing: what it is and what it isn’t
- Why plain English writing matters for you and your firm: the voice of the firm’s brand, and the voice of your own brand as a professional
- Advisory writing versus transactional writing: the differences – and the similarities
- Reflecting on audience and purpose: an interactive exercise
- The issue of tone, and how to achieve it
- The myth of the professional, legal writing voice
- The special challenges of email
- What's new in the world of legal writing: the world's first's International Plain English Standard, and the promise (and threat?) of generative AI
- Tips, traps, techniques and guidelines aimed to help the lawyer get their reader through the document as painlessly as possible, and in a way that reflects well on the author, and where it’s an external communication, on the firm/the organisation
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Presented by Bob Milstein, Principal, Milstein and Associates; Principal, Words and Beyond
Chair:
Helen Lewin, Lawyer and Privacy Risk Management expert, Privacy Risk Management
Testimonials from Bob’s Prior Training Sessions:
"Excellent. This should be compulsory for lawyers and non-lawyers. Bob was a brilliant facilitator. He kept everyone’s interest, used real-life examples and gave everyone great reference material to take away."
"No matter what level of experience or knowledge you think you have when it comes to writing, Bob can help you to make it even better."
Presenters
Helen Lewin, Lawyer and Privacy Risk Management expert, Privacy Risk Management
Helen is a lawyer and an accomplished privacy expert. She has a significant depth of experience in providing strategic advice and driving significant privacy projects in both corporate and government sectors. With a background in commercial law, Helen has a diverse set of skills that include leadership in setting vision, providing strategic direction, developing policy, building capability and expertise and managing relationships within complex stakeholder environments. Helen is skilled at providing clear advice to senior executives and reporting to Board and Audit committees on a range of privacy, policy and corporate compliance issues focused on risk management and reputation and aligned to commercial objectives. Most recently Helen was the acting Deputy Privacy Commissioner for Victoria and prior to that was Telstra’s Chief Privacy Officer and Head of Corporate Compliance. Helen has well developed networks across professional, legal and government services and consults widely in both sectors keeping abreast of developments in privacy law both in Australia and internationally.
Bob Milstein, Principal, Milstein and Associates; Principal, Words and Beyond
Bob Milstein is a practising lawyer, specialising in health law and also a plain English trainer and document writer. His background in health law – and in particular health care liability litigation – initially sparked his interest in the importance of clear and reader-focused communications. Bob has been running clear writing/plain English training for more than 18 years, and in that time has provided a range of training services to law firms, regulators, government, business, insurers, tribunals and researchers.
