Upcoming events calendar
Ryan McCarl, litigation attorney and author of Elegant Legal Writing, hosts events on legal writing, argumentation, and AI. All events begin at noon Pacific (3 p.m. Eastern) and are held live online through Zoom. Participants leave with a handout describing the techniques covered:
September 17 — AI Workflows for Lawyers (Presentation)
60-minute presentation and Q&A · $99 ($50 off)
Register for September 17 | More info
September 24 — Concision and Plain Language (Workshop)
90-minute workshop · $145 · 20-participant cap
Register for September 24 | More info
October 1 — Strong Sentences (Workshop)
90-minute workshop · $145 · 20-participant cap
Register for October 1 | More info
October 8 — Concision and Plain Language (Workshop)
90-minute workshop · $145 · 20-participant cap
Register for October 8 | More info
October 15 — AI Workflows for Lawyers (Presentation)
60-minute presentation and Q&A · $149
Register for October 15 | More info
McCarl regularly gives presentations to audiences of judges, law firms, and government agencies. Before co-founding Rushing McCarl LLP, he taught advanced legal writing and served as an AI Law and Policy research fellow at UCLA Law.
“I was really grateful for you sharing your firm’s example briefs, recommending books, and being so willing to answer questions. It was also really fun getting to be around a bunch of legal writing nerds!”
— Workshop Participant
Workshops focus mainly on live writing exercises along with teaching explanations and Q&A. They are participatory — though passive attendance with microphone and camera off is fine — and limited to small groups to allow real-time feedback. Presentations use a live lecture-and-demonstration format and Q&A.
AI Workflows for Lawyers (Presentation)
Dates: Thursday, September 17, 2026; Thursday, October 15, 2026
Time: Noon–1 p.m. Pacific (3:00–4:00 p.m. Eastern)
Format and duration: 60-minute live presentation and Q&A on Zoom
Rates: September 17 — $99 ($50 off); October 15 — $149
I’ll show you legal-AI workflows you haven’t seen before — ones requiring no software beyond a subscription to Claude or ChatGPT. I use AI to dictate document revisions; map evidence to pleadings and transcripts, checking for inconsistencies and gaps; and run detailed cite-checks against authoritative sources, exposing weak support so it can be replaced or attacked.
I’m a practicing litigator who knows how to code. I spent two years researching AI on the UCLA Law faculty, and I track AI developments every day. Join me for a live Zoom presentation and Q&A. You’ll leave with a handout of tips, custom instructions, and prompts.
Register for AI Workflows for Lawyers (9/17)
Register for AI Workflows for Lawyers (10/15)
Concision and Plain Language (Workshop)
Dates: Thursday, September 24, 2026; Thursday, October 8, 2026
Time: Noon–1:30 p.m. Pacific (3:00–4:30 p.m. Eastern)
Format and duration: 90 minutes, live on Zoom
Rate: $145 per session; attend either or both:
Register for the Concision and Plain Language workshop (9/24)
Register for the Concision and Plain Language workshop (10/8)
The law is complex enough; our prose must not add complexity. This workshop practices conveying ideas straightforwardly, using as few words as possible without sacrificing precision, and eliminating unnecessary jargon and legalese. After the workshop, attorneys will get a reference handout summarizing key techniques.
Strong Sentences (Workshop)
Readers should be able to understand a sentence in one pass without getting lost and needing to backtrack. This workshop explores how to give your prose a sense of forward movement and use varied sentence structures to control pace and emphasis. We’ll practice writing about characters performing actions, applying the given-new principle, and improving rhythm and emphasis. After the workshop, you’ll get a checklist to help you revise.
Date: Thursday, October 1, 2026
Time: Noon–1:30 p.m. Pacific (3:00–4:30 p.m. Eastern)
Format and duration: 90 minutes, live on Zoom; not recorded
Rate: $145
Register for the Strong Sentences workshop (10/1)
Future workshops and presentations
Future events will discuss topics such as using legal authority, mapping legal arguments, and more. Subscribe to the blog and follow Ryan (and the new ELW page) on LinkedIn for announcements. McCarl also conducts private workshops for law firms and agencies, and offers legal consulting and representation through his firm Rushing McCarl LLP. Contact him through email or LinkedIn to learn more.