On Thursday, 6 August 2020, at 8:00 a.m. PT, I’m doing a Law Insider webinar entitled “Training in Contract Drafting; What Works, What Doesn’t Work, and Why It’s Not Enough.” Go here to register.
Obviously I have training on my mind, what with launch of my new course Drafting Clearer Contracts: Masterclass. But the webinar won’t be me politely extolling the benefits of training. Some topics we’ll cover:
- Just as traditional contract language is dysfunctional, so is the way people learn to draft.
- The foundation for training in contract drafting should be how to say clearly in a contract whatever you want to say, and for that the only game in town is A Manual of Style for Contract Drafting.
- Changing how we train people has to be part of a broader change in how we draft contracts.
The seminar is hosted by Mike Whelan, a solo lawyer turned consultant. His business is called Lawyer Forward; that’s also the name of his book. And there’s his podcast. I expect an interesting discussion.
In honor of this webinar, allow me to exhume my 2014 post entitled “The Music Man” and the Traditional Approach to Training in Contract Drafting. I still love the analogy it draws, but I’m pleased I can now offer you a relevant clip from the great 1962 movie starring Robert Preston.
