Legal Writing Institute (LWI)

08/21/2026

Volume 30 of the Journal of the Legal Writing Institute is live! The volume includes four articles, four essays on "The Past, Present, and Future of Legal Writing," and five essays from EICs including founding editor J. Christopher Rideout and the journal's newest EIC Andrele St. Val! Please give it a read!

Volume 30 of Legal Writing: The Journal of the Legal Writing Institute

07/18/2026

As we wrap up another unforgettable LWI Biennial Conference, we want to extend our sincere gratitude to everyone who helped make this gathering such a success.

Thank you to the more than 400 legal writing educators who joined us in Minneapolis. Your presentations, conversations, and willingness to share your ideas are what make the legal writing community so welcoming, innovative, and inspiring.

A special thank you to the University of Minnesota Law School for being such a wonderful host, and to Brad Desnoyer and the entire planning committee for creating an outstanding conference. Your vision, dedication, and countless hours of work made this event possible.

The connections made, ideas exchanged, and friendships strengthened over the past few days remind us why the legal writing community is so special. Thank you for being part of it. We can’t wait to see you in 2028 in Clearwater Beach, Florida!

07/04/2026

Happy Fourth of July!

Today, as we celebrate our nation’s independence, we also commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, one of the most influential pieces of legal writing in history.

The Declaration is a masterclass in advocacy, combining principle, structure, and persuasive reasoning to make the case for a new nation. Its words have shaped legal thought, inspired movements around the world, and remind us that writing has the power to change history.

As legal writing educators, we celebrate the enduring importance of clear, thoughtful, and persuasive writing. Every day, we help future lawyers develop the skills to advocate effectively and uphold the rule of law.

From all of us at the Legal Writing Institute, we wish you a safe and happy Fourth of July as we celebrate 250 years of the power of words.

06/23/2026

Thank you to those who have registered to attend the LWI Critiquing Workshop and to lead small groups. We have room for a few more new or new-ish professors, and we could use two or three additional small-group leaders to keep the groups truly small. See how to register below, and please do so by Friday, June 26, if you are interested!

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.

06/08/2026

We are just over a month away from welcoming you to Minneapolis! Our planning committees are working very hard behind the scenes to put on an amazing conference for you! If you haven’t registered yet, click here https://www.lwionline.org/conferences/2026-legal-writing-institute-conference to “Assemble” with us next month!

06/05/2026

We are six weeks out from the Biennial Conference, and the Conference Site Committee is excited to welcome you to the Twin Cities! Early Bird registration ends TODAY, June 5. There are still rooms available at two of our conference hotels, Aloft Minneapolis and Moxy Minneapolis. Please use the link below to register and book your rooms!

When you are not enjoying the phenomenal conference programming, the Twin Cites metro has something for everyone.

Do you love the outdoors? The Twin Cities metro has 58 regional parks and park reserves, including Minnehaha Park. We have 487 miles of interconnected trails! The city of Minneapolis, itself, has 22 lakes, including the Chain of Lakes where you can canoe, kayak, or paddleboard.

Do you prefer art? Minneapolis is home to the renowned Walker Art Center and Sculpture Garden, with an artist-designed Skyline Mini-Golf Course. Currently on exhibit: “Suzanne Jackson: What is Love” and “Christine Sum Kim: All Day All Night.” Minneapolis is also home to, among many others, the Twin Rivers Gallery, Minneapolis Institute of Art, and the Weisman Art Museum at the University of Minnesota.

How about sports or the theater? While the conference is happening, the Minnesota Lynx (WNBA) are playing the Los Angeles Sparks and the Portland Fire, Wicked is playing at the Orpheum Theater, Come From Away is playing at the Guthrie, and Beethoven Triple Concerto is playing at the Minnesota Orchestra.

Still want more? Visit Paisley Park, Hmong Village, Mercado Central, the American Swedish Institute, or the Somali Museum.

We look forward to seeing you in the Twin Cities this summer

06/04/2026

We are so grateful for the incredible attendance at LWI’s Second Annual AI & Legal Skills Virtual Conference, held on Tuesday!

This year’s conference had 217 registrants, which is more than a 50% increase from last year’s inaugural event. That growth reflects the energy, curiosity, and commitment of the legal writing community as we continue to think deeply and creatively about AI and legal skills education.

A huge thank you to the organizers, presenters, moderators, and attendees who made this conference such a success. We are especially grateful to Margie Alsbrook of Mercer University School of Law, Rebekah Hanley of the University of Oregon School of Law, and Desmund Wu of the University of Wisconsin Law School, as well as the University of Wisconsin Law School team, who did the heavy lifting with the technology.

Thank you for helping make this event such a meaningful and engaging conversation. We are already looking forward to continuing the discussion!

06/02/2026

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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06/01/2026

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

05/06/2026

🚨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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