Announcements for April 18 Workshop

•  In order to qualify for a Plain English certificate, you must attend a minimum of six workshops and complete the extra exercises for those six workshops.  If you believe that you will qualify for a certificate, please email Alysha at tsenga@email.arizona.edu.  She will check to make sure that you meet the requirements. We will begin distributing certificates on April 18.

• Our last Plain English workshop will be April 18.

• Plan on sandwiches.  Please bring your own drink.

• No preparation is required for this workshop session. We will be reviewing the material that was covered in the first eight workshops.

• For those who are working towards a Plain English certificate, make sure to email your exercises to Senior Writing Fellow Alysha Tseng no later than Monday, April 17.  She will place the hard-copy sample answers in your student folder int he first-floor mail room.  

• I encourage you to make an appointment with Alysha if you would like to go over your exercises or if you would like individual tutoring in Plain English. Once again, her email address is tsenga@email.arizona.edu. 

Announcements for April 11 Workshop

• Our next Plain English workshop will be April 11.

• Plan on sandwiches.  Please bring your own drink.

• No preparation is required for this workshop session. If you want, however, you may read pages 81-101 in Plain English for Lawyers (5th ed.). Copies are on reserve. Work through a few of the exercises on pages 101-106, and check your answers with the Appendix in the back of the book.

• For those who are working towards a Plain English certificate, make sure to email your exercises to Senior Writing Fellow Alysha Tseng no later than Monday, April 10.  Because we will be distributing sample answers at the Tuesday, April 11th workshop, Alysha cannot accept late exercises. Alysha's email is tsenga@email.arizona.edu. 

• I encourage you to make an appointment with Alysha if you would like to go over your exercises or if you would like individual tutoring in Plain English. Once again, her email address is tsenga@email.arizona.edu.

• Our last workshop will be on April 18.  In order to qualify for a Plain English certificate, you must attend a minimum of six workshops and complete the extra exercises for those six workshops.

Announcements for March 28 Workshop

• Our next Plain English workshop will be March 28.

• Plan on taquitos & quesadilla appetizers.  Please bring your own drink.

• No preparation is required for this workshop session. If you want, however, you may read pages 69-75 in Plain English for Lawyers (5th ed.). Copies are on reserve. Work through a few of the exercises on pages 76-79, and check your answers with the Appendix in the back of the book.

• For those who are working towards a Plain English certificate, make sure to email your exercises to Senior Writing Fellow Alysha Tseng no later than Monday, March 27.  Because we will be distributing sample answers at the Tuesday, March 28 workshop, Alysha cannot accept late exercises. Alysha's email is tsenga@email.arizona.edu. 

• I encourage you to make an appointment with Alysha if you would like to go over your exercises or if you would like individual tutoring in Plain English. Once again, her email address is tsenga@email.arizona.edu.

• We will have two more workshops after this one -- April 11 and April 18.  In order to qualify for a Plain English certificate, you must attend a minimum of six workshops and complete the extra exercises for those six workshops. 

Announcements for March 21 Workshop

• Our next Plain English workshop will be March 21. We will have no workshops on March 7 or 14.  (On March 7, Professor Rabe has a faculty meeting.  March 14 is during spring break.)

• Senior Writing Fellow Alysha Tseng will teach the March 21 workshop. Plan on pizza.  Please bring your own drink.

• No preparation is required for this workshop session. If you want, however, you may read pages 55-65 in Plain English for Lawyers (5th ed.). Copies are on reserve. Work through a few of the exercises on those pages, and check your answers with the Appendix in the back of the book.

• For those who are working towards a Plain English certificate, make sure to email your exercises to Senior Writing Fellow Alysha Tseng no later than Monday, March 20.  Because we will be distributing sample answers at the Tuesday, March 21 workshop, Alysha cannot accept late exercises. Alysha's email is tsenga@email.arizona.edu. 

• I encourage you to make an appointment with Alysha if you would like to go over your exercises or if you would like individual tutoring in Plain English. Once again, her email address is tsenga@email.arizona.edu.

Announcements for Feb. 28 Workshop

• Our next workshop will be February 28 at 12:15 in room 156. Plan on small sandwiches.  Please bring your own drink.

• No preparation is required for this workshop session. If you want, however, you may read pages 47-53 in Plain English for Lawyers (5th ed.). Copies are on reserve. Work through a few of the exercises on those pages, and check your answers with the Appendix in the back of the book.

• For those who are working towards a Plain English certificate, make sure to email your exercises to Senior Writing Fellow Alysha Tseng no later than Monday, February 27.  Because we will be distributing sample answers at the Tuesday workshop, Alysha cannot accept late exercises. Alysha's email is tsenga@email.arizona.edu. 

• I encourage you to make an appointment with Alysha if you would like to go over your exercises or if you would like individual tutoring in Plain English. Once again, her email address is tsenga@email.arizona.edu.

Announcements for Feb 21 Workshop

• There will be no Plain English Workshop on Tuesday, Feb. 14. (Prof. Rabe will be attending a lunchtime faculty meeting on that day.) 

• Our next workshop will be February 21 at 12:15 in room 156. For this workshop, we will be joined by students from Ocean University in China. Plan on pizza, veggies, and drinks. 

• No preparation is required for this workshop session. If you want, however, you may read pages 33-47 in Plain English for Lawyers (5th ed.). Copies are on reserve. Work through a few of the exercises on those pages, and check your answers with the Appendix in the back of the book.

• Senior Writing Fellow Alysha Tseng will no longer be offering Thursday office hours. We, however, encourage you to make an appointment with Alysha if you would like to go over your exercises or if you would like individual tutoring in plain English. Her email address is tsenga@email.arizona.edu.

Announcements for the February 7th Workshop Session:

• Our third workshop will take place on Tuesday, February 7 at 12:15 in room 156.

• Pizza will be served.  Please bring your own drink. 

• No preparation is required for this workshop session.  If you want, however, you may read chapters 3 & 4 (pp 23-32) in Plain English for Lawyers (5th ed.) Copies are on reserve.  Work through a few of the exercises on those pages, and check your answers with the Appendix in the back of the book.

• For those who are working towards a Plain English certificate, make sure to email your exercises to Senior Writing Fellow Alysha Tseng no later than Monday, February 6.  Because we will be distributing sample answers at the Tuesday workshop, Alysha cannot accept late exercises. Alysha's email is tsenga@email.arizona.edu. 

• We understand that workshop participants may occasionally need to miss a workshop session.  Therefore, in order to qualify for a Plain English certificate, you need only attend six workshops and complete the exercises for those six workshops.  We do encourage you, however, to attend as many of the workshops as possible.

Announcements for the January 31st Workshop:

• Our second workshop will take place on Tuesday, January 31 at 12:15 in room 156.

• Light refreshments (quesadillas and taquitos) will be served.  Please bring your own drink. 

• No preparation is required for this workshop session.  If you want, however, you may read pp 15-20 in Plain English for Lawyers (5th ed.) Copies are on reserve.  Work through a few of the exercises on those pages, and check your answers with the Appendix in the back of the book.

• For those who are working towards a Plain English certificate, make sure to email your exercises to Senior Writing Fellow Alysha Tseng no later than Monday, January 30.  Because we will be distributing sample answers at the Tuesday workshop, Alysha cannot accept late exercises. Alysha's email is tsenga@email.arizona.edu. 

• We understand that workshop participants may occasionally need to miss a workshop session.  Therefore, in order to qualify for a Plain English certificate, you need only attend six workshops and complete the exercises for those six workshops.  We do encourage you, however, to attend as many of the workshops as possible.

   

I was delighted that so many people attended our first Plain English for Lawyers workshop.  Below are some announcements that we discussed in the workshop session today.

• Those wishing to earn a Plain English for Lawyers certificate must attend at least six workshop sessions and must complete at least six workshop assignments.                                                     
• The assignment for this week's workshop is to complete -- from the hard-copy exercises that were distributed in class today -- two problems of your choice from Additional Exercise 1, two problems of your choice from Additional Exercise 2, and two problems of your choice from Additional Exercise 3.   By January 30, email your answers to Senior Writing Fellow Alysha Tseng at tsenga@email.arizona.edu.  Alysha will return her feedback to your student folder.                                                                                                                   
• If you would like to work through these assignments in a collaborative setting, come to Alysha's office hours in room 138 on Thursday, January 26 from 12:00 noon to 1:15 p.m. Alysha will be available at that time to answer questions and coach you through the exercises.                                                                                                                                          
• Our next class session will be Tuesday, January 31 at 12:15 in room 156. No preparation is required.  If you want, however, you can read pp 15-20 in Plain English for Lawyers (5th ed.) Copies are on reserve.  Work through a few of the exercises on those pages, and check your answers with the Appendix in the back of the book.

Preparing for the First Workshop

There is no requirement that you do anything at all before attending our first workshop session, but if you want to be super prepared, I recommend the following reading and introductory exercises:

1. Read pages 3-15 in Plain English for Lawyers (5^th ed.) Copies are on reserve, or you can order the book from an online bookseller.  Just be sure to get the 5th edition.

2. Work through the following problems:

•  Exercise 1, problems 1 & 2 (page 10)
•  Exercise 2, problems 1 & 2 (page 12)
•  Exercise 3, problems  1-5 (page 14)

Spring 2017 Schedule -- Plain English for Lawyers

 On nine Tuesdays  this semester, I will offer this not-for-credit noontime workshop.  The workshop is geared to J.D. students, but all College of Law students are welcome to attend.  Our text will be Plain English for Lawyers (5^th ed.) by Richard C. Wydick.  Several copies will be on reserve.  You can also purchase your own copy from an online bookseller. (There are inexpensive used copies available on Amazon and elsewhere, but be sure to get the 5^th edition.) All workshop sessions will be in room 156.  Refreshments will be served.


Plain English for Lawyers, 12:15 p.m., room 156

Jan. 24             Chapter 1 – Why Plain English?

Chapter 2 – Omit Surplus Words (exercises 1-3)

Jan. 31             Chapter 2 – Omit Surplus Words (exercises 4-5)

Feb. 7              Chapter 3 – Use Base Verbs, Not Nominalizations (exercise 6)
                        Chapter 4 – Prefer the Active Voice (exercises 7-8)

Feb. 21            Chapter 5 – Use Short Sentences (exercise 9)
                        Chapter 6 – Arrange Your Words with Care (exercises 10-11)

Feb. 28            Chapter 6 -- Arrange Your Words with Care (exercises 12-14)

March 21        Chapter 7 – Choose Your Words with Care (exercises 15-16)

March 28        Chapter 8  -- Avoid Language Quirks (exercise 17)

April 11           Chapter 9 – Punctuate Carefully (exercise 18)         


April 18           Catch-up and Review