A Joint Program of The Advocates’ Society and Osgoode Professional Development

Canada’s premier written advocacy program is back to offer individualized feedback and discussion with experienced judges, practitioners and writing instructors.

Effective written advocacy is a crucial skill for any lawyer regardless of their area of practice. Designed for lawyers with 2-5 years of experience, this program will help you advocate in a clear, concise, and compelling manner.

What You’ll Learn

  • Take your written advocacy skills to a new level with:
  • Expert instruction on how to improve written argument from a team of trial and appellate judges, writing professionals and top legal practitioners
  • Small “hands-on” groups with a maximum of eight participants
  • Individual feedback and critique of your writing sample
  • Valuable tips you can use to immediately improve the precision, strength and persuasiveness of all your legal writing
  • Advice on how best to engage the reader who counts ‒ the judge
  • Insight from a panel of judges on what works and what to avoid

FORMAT

The program will consist of both live, in-person (November 30, 9:00am-4:30pm) and online (December 2 and 4, 4:00-6:00pm) plenary and small group sessions. Participants must attend all sessions to complete the program.

MANDATORY WRITING SAMPLE

A copy of a legal writing sample must be submitted through our online learning portal prior to the program. By late October 2024, you will receive further instructions on how to submit your writing sample. We ask that you submit your writing sample by November 19, 2024, to give our faculty sufficient time to review prior to the program.

WHAT TO SEND:

Given the structure of the program, we recommend that you submit a factum. A factum on behalf of the applicant, appellant or moving party is preferred, but if necessary, a respondent’s factum is acceptable. If you have not yet written a factum, a written argument or other court submission is also acceptable.

Articles and/or other written legal and nonlegal documents (e.g., internal briefs) are not acceptable.

It is imperative that the sample not relate to matters currently before the courts – no exceptions.

Please email megan@advocates.ca if you have any questions or concerns about your writing sample.

PLEASE NOTE:

  • Your name MUST BE clearly marked on the front page of the sample.
  • Do not include supplementary documentation and appendices.
  • Ensure your writing sample is preloaded on your computer during the program

JUSTICE MARVIN CATZMAN BURSARY FUND

This bursary was created in memory of Justice Catzman, whose commitment to improving legal writing

was underscored by his participation in the Written Advocacy program. It provides a candidate who would not otherwise be able to attend the program due to financial constraints, full admission to the program. To apply, send a CV, a cover letter, and a copy of your previous year’s tax return by October 1, 2024 to: Gail Geronimo, Program Lawyer at ggeronimo@osgoode.yorku.ca

Who Should Attend

  • Litigation lawyers at all levels of experience and practice areas, but particularly those with at least one year of experience
  • In-house counsel
  • Sole practitioners
  • Crown attorneys
  • Criminal defence lawyers
  • Government counsel
  • Articling students who have drafted submissions