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:
November 19 — AI Workflows for Lawyers (Presentation)
60-minute presentation and Q&A · $149
Register for November 19
December 3 — Concision and Plain Language (Workshop)
90-minute workshop · $149
Register for December 3
December 10 — Strong Sentences (Workshop)
90-minute workshop · $149
Register for December 10
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 cannot overstate how beneficial the session was … Having the space to collaborate, dissect sentences, and actively refine our craft in a focused, interactive setting made all the difference in translating theory into practice. It was a fantastic opportunity to step back and sharpen the saw alongside other professionals.”
—Steven D. Sciple, civil-litigation attorney, after attending the Concision and Plain Language workshop
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.
Legal AI
AI Workflows for Lawyers (Presentation)
Date: Thursday, November 19, 2026
Time: Noon–1 p.m. Pacific (3:00–4:00 p.m. Eastern)
Format: Live presentation and Q&A on Zoom
Rate: $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 run detailed cite-checks against authoritative sources, exposing weak support so it can be replaced or attacked; map evidence to pleadings and transcripts, checking for inconsistencies and gaps; and edit documents by talking about them.
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.
Legal Writing
Concision and Plain Language (Workshop)
Date: Thursday, December 3, 2026
Time: Noon–1:30 p.m. Pacific (3:00–4:30 p.m. Eastern)
Format: 90-minute workshop, live on Zoom
Rate: $149
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)
Date: Thursday, December 10, 2026
Time: Noon–1:30 p.m. Pacific (3:00–4:30 p.m. Eastern)
Format: 90-minute workshop, live on Zoom
Rate: $149
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.
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 offers private workshops and presentations for law firms and other organizations, and offers legal representation through his California-based firm Rushing McCarl LLP. Contact him through email or LinkedIn to learn more.