Legal Writing Institute (LWI)

One function of LWI is to operate as an advocate for our community with the ABA Council on Legal Education. We are grateful for the work of Professors Mary Bowman and Bob Brain, who have largely led these efforts in the last several years. This week, Professors Bowman and Brain provided an update on the LWI listserv about their work. In that update, they shared that LWI has been granted “affiliate” status with the ABA, which means that starting with the May 2026 meeting, ALWD and LWI each now have a representative from our community at the ABA quarterly meetings. Professors Bowman and Brain also reported on the Council’s repeal of Standard 206, substantial revisions to Standards 205 and 207, and the upcoming discussion of Standard 405.

If you would like to know more about LWI's advocacy efforts regarding status, you can read about the work of the Professional Status Committee here: https://www.lwionline.org/resources/status-related-advocacy

We hope you will join us in Minneapolis at the LWI Biennial to continue conversations about these important developments that may be of interest to our community. If you haven’t registered yet, it’s not too late! Here’s the link: https://www.lwionline.org/conferences/2026-legal-writing-institute-conference

See you in Minneapolis!

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Hoping you’ll join us in Minneapolis next month! If you haven’t registered yet, here’s some reasons why you should!
Click here to register: https://www.lwionline.org/conferences/2026-legal-writing-institute-conference

🚨2026 Biennial Registration update!🚨

Because we know how many things faculty must do at the end of the semester, LWI has decided to keep early-bird registration for the 2026 Conference open until June 5.

If you have not already, be sure to register now for the discounted rate. https://www.lwionline.org/conferences/2026-legal-writing-institute-conference

Here are additional conference updates:

➡️Updated Conference Schedule Now Live. The latest schedule is available and full of exciting programming. A quick note on breakfast:
July 16 & 17: Light breakfast offerings
July 18: A full, hot breakfast to close out the conference

➡️Featured Plenary (July 15, 4:00 p.m.) Join us for a timely and compelling plenary featuring Minneapolis attorneys discussing their on-the-ground efforts in their community. More details coming soon.

➡️Keynote Speaker (July 16, 10:15 a.m.) We’re excited to welcome Charles Soule, a former immigration attorney turned acclaimed Marvel Comics writer. Soule is known for Daredevil and She-Hulk—stories that bring the world of law and superheroes together. He also serves as a consultant on the Daredevil television series, which is based in part on his work. His perspective at the intersection of law and storytelling promises to be unforgettable.

➡️LWI Membership Meeting (July 16, 11:45 a.m.) Connect with colleagues and stay informed as we share updates on LWI initiatives, review our budget, and celebrate this year’s award winners.

➡️Conference Gala (July 17, 7 p.m.) Celebrate with us at the Science Museum of Minnesota for an evening of connection, conversation, and fun in a truly unique setting.

LWI looks forward to welcoming you to Minneapolis and to a conference aimed at strengthening our community.

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Registration for 2026 LWI Critiquing Workshop is open!

Are you a new (or new-ish) legal writing professor who would like to enhance your skills in critiquing student work? Are you a veteran legal writing professor who would enjoy sharing your insights about critiquing student work with new colleagues? Then the 2026 LWI Critiquing Workshop is for you!

We are pleased to offer the Workshop as part of the 2026 LWI Biennial Conference at the University of Minnesota Law School in July. The Workshop will be held from 9:00 am until 12:00 pm on Wednesday, July 15 (the first day of the Conference), before the full slate of Conference activities begins. The Workshop will be led by Heather Baxter of Mercer, Camille Lamar of Nova Southeastern, and Laura Graham of Wake Forest.

The Critiquing Workshop has been offered at the last several LWI Biennials, and this is their sixth time working as a trio to facilitate it. Dan Barnett deserves credit for initiating the Workshop, and over the years, many people have been involved in its continuation. The purpose of the Workshop is to provide tips and strategies for effectively commenting on student work; we accomplish this through a combination of large-group sessions, individual work, and small-group sessions. The Workshop is designed with newer teachers in mind, and the small group sessions are led by experienced legal writing professors across the country.

Session 1: Large-group session led by Laura Graham, focused on the purpose and pedagogy of critiquing and the content of effective student feedback.

Session 2: Individual session, in which each participant reads and critiques a portion of a sample student memo.

Session 3: Small-group sessions led by experienced legal writing professors, in which participants discuss their critiquing methods, ask questions, and share suggestions.

Session 4: Large-group session led by Heather Baxter and Camille Lamar, focused on the mechanics of critiquing (including the pros and cons of various methods of delivering feedback) and tips on how to critique efficiently.

If you would like to participate in the Critiquing Workshop or volunteer as a small-group facilitator, please complete the registration form below by June 15, 2026. There is no additional cost for the Workshop, and a light breakfast will be provided.

Once the registration process is complete, we will send all participants and small-group leaders a detailed schedule and a packet of materials for the Workshop.

We look forward to seeing you at LWI in July!

Registration for 2026 LWI Critiquing Workshop The 2026 LWI Critiquing Workshop will take place at the Biennial Conference at Minnesota Law from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm on Wednesday, July 15, 2026. A light breakfast will be served beginning at 8:45 am. The full schedule of regular Biennial Conference activities begins that afternoon.

The Legal Writing Institute (LWI) is proud to announce the following members have been elected to the LWI Board of Directors:

• Heather Baxter (Mercer University School of Law)
• Adam Eckart (Suffolk University School of Law)
• Sherri Lee Keene (Georgetown Law)
• Sylvia Lett (University of Arizona College of Law)
• Susie Salmon (University of Arizona College of Law)
• Carolyn Williams (University of North Dakota School of Law)

These Board members will begin serving their four-year terms of office at the 2026 Biennial Conference.

They will join: President Brad Desnoyer (University of Missouri-Kansas City); Immediate Past President Abby Perdue (Wake Forest); Lori Johnson (UNLV); Robert Parrish (Emory); Nancy Soonpaa (Texas Tech); Jacob Carpenter (Marquette); Kristen Murray (Temple); Ellie Margolis (Temple); and Em Wright (Stetson).

Congratulations to these new (and returning) Board members!

Please join us in celebrating LWI’s first-ever Founders’ Day, a special day honoring the vision, dedication, and enduring legacy of the pioneering innovators who established LWI four decades ago. On April 3, 1986, Professor Laurel Currie Oates filed the Articles of Incorporation forming LWI, which are shown below.

Founders’ Day offers us a unique opportunity to reflect on our history, celebrate the legacy of our founders, and recognize how their values and vision still inform and inspire LWI’s mission. Please join us in honoring them and their legacy. We hope you will take a moment to celebrate this important milestone with us. Thank you to our founders and to all those who sustain LWI through the generous contributions of their time and talent.

In honor of Founders' Day, we are releasing the first few episodes in our new series: LWI Remembers, which is sponsored by LWI’s Institutional Memory Project:

· LWI Remembers: The Early Days (Hear from Laurel Currie Oates and Chris Rideout about the challenges they faced while teaching legal writing before the creation of the Legal Writing Institute). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C56AYoanPxk

· LWI Remembers: The Incorporation of LWI (Hear from Laurel Currie Oates about the incorporation of LWI). youtube.com/watch?si=4XLgfslZLKQA2fvq&v=zDXUbTMlHrg&feature=youtu.be

· LWI Remembers: Our First Logo (Hear from Laurel Currie Oates about the development of LWI’s original logo). youtube.com/watch?si=W8d33rgn8zLQ-74M&v=SHNxQKJ28s4&feature=youtu.be

Special thanks to Laurel Currie Oates, Chris Rideout, and all the members of the Institutional Memory Project for their work in developing this series. And thanks to Jonah Perlin for his technical assistance in its production. Be on the lookout for more interesting episodes in the future!

For more history of the Legal Writing Institute, you can read Mary Lawrence's article:https://www.lwionline.org/sites/default/files/History%20of%20LWI.11J.Leg.Writing213.pdf

and Karin Mika's article:https://www.lwionline.org/sites/default/files/Acknowledging%20our%20Roots_%20Setting%20the%20Stage%20for%20the%20Legal%20Writing.pdf

Happy Birthday to LWI!

There’s still time to get your nomination in for LWI's AI & Innovation Writing Contest! (You have until April 13!) See the post below for more details.

The Governing Board of the Sirico Scholars’ Workshop is pleased to announce the 2026 Sirico Scholars’ Workshop to be held at St. John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota from July 10-13, 2026.

Do you have an article in progress that you would like to publish in the August publication cycle? Are you a new scholar looking to build a scholarship community? Are you an experienced scholar looking to workshop a work in progress? If your answer to any of these questions is “yes,” then the Sirico Scholars’ Workshop is for you!

For more information, go here: https://www.lwionline.org/conferences/sirico-scholars-workshop

If interested, apply here: https://forms.gle/bZZqAP33Xw6DiPkt5

Sirico Scholars' Workshop The Governing Board of the Sirico Scholars’ Workshop is pleased to announce the 2026 Sirico Scholars’ Workshop to be held at St. John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota from July 10-13, 2026Do you have an article in progress that you would like to publish in the August publication cycle? ...

🚨Deadline tomorrow, February 1🚨Have you thought about serving on the Legal Writing Institute Board of Directors? We have begun the 2026 election process to fill six “director-at-large” positions on the Board. We encourage all members of LWI to consider running for a position, and we are especially interested in hardworking, dedicated, creative, and collaborative individuals who will offer diverse perspectives.

Nominations will be accepted through February 1, 2026, and can be completed here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSczhqQTe3XVwwlXFDrdLkLE-zq_IKyg752yl3llu-qWtwCjrg/viewform?pli=1&authuser=0

docs.google.com

LWI is now accepting nominations for the 2026 Teresa Godwin Phelps Award for Scholarship in Legal Communication for works published between January 1, 2025, and December 31, 2025. The deadline for nominations is 11:59 Pacific Time on February 27, 2026.

The Teresa Godwin Phelps Award for Scholarship in Legal Communication highlights LWI's discipline-building priority. This annual award recognizes outstanding scholarship that strengthens the discipline of legal communication. Naming the award in honor of Terry Phelps recognizes her consistent support for and encouragement of others’ scholarly work and her own exemplary scholarship in narrative, international human rights, and legal rhetoric, including the foundational article that nourished and influenced all subsequent study of the field, The New Legal Rhetoric, 40 Sw. L.J. 1089 (1986). This article was the essential introduction to the idea that legal writing was itself a field worthy of serious study.

For more information about the award and how to nominate an article, click here:

www.lwionline.org