Legal Writing

This is a course offering introductory instruction in legal writing in English, including drafting legal documents and professional correspondence. Classes emphasize the organization of thoughts and ideas for the purpose of communicating legal concepts in understandable, coherent, and persuasive written form. In-class writing exercises reinforce class readings and discussion. This practical course is for lawyers, paralegals, legal secretaries, legal translators, company legal department employees, and anyone involved with or interested in law who wishes to better understand, conceptualize, and communicate in written legal English.

1. Organization of thoughts and ideas.
2. Communicate legal concepts in understandable, coherent, and persuasive written form.
3. Self-editing and continued improvement.

Lawyers, paralegals, legal secretaries, legal translators, company legal department employees, and anyone involved with or interested in law who wishes to better understand, conceptualize, and communicate in written legal English
English Level: Intermediate to High-Intermediate

Intermediate English Language Proficiency, High-Intermediate English Language Proficiency, Legal Studies

Legal Writing in Plain English, Third Edition: A Text with Exercises (Chicago Guides to Writing, Editing, and Publishing)

Christopher Rathbone

Christopher Rathbone is a foreign associate at the full-service law firm, City-Yuwa Partners in Tokyo where he specializes in international transactions. He has taught classes and provided seminars on legal translation, legal writing and contracts for Japanese, Korean, Cambodian and US universities, as well as the Tokyo offices of many top US law firms. As a long term resident of Japan who is fluent in Japanese, Mr. Rathbone’s classes and seminars provide both practical information and cultural insights. In addition to legal writing and contracts, he frequently gives presentations on diverse topics including Plain English and the legal profession in Japan and the US. As a health advocate, he also writes articles and speaks on the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and the intersection of tobacco and human rights. Mr. Rathbone graduated with honors from the University of Saskatchewan and earned a J.D. from the College of Law of the University of Saskatchewan and an LL.M. from Hokkaido University as a Monbusho Scholar. He is admitted as an attorney in Massachusetts.