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Testimonials

Here is what Marilyn’s clients have said about

WORKSHOPS FOR LAWYERS

Click on client name to read testimonial.

ACE Insurance Company of North America
Ivy Kusinga, Head of Learning & Development

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, LLP
Dennis M. Race, Esq., Partner in Charge of Hiring and Attorney Development

Allen & Overy LLP
Elizabeth Fuchs, Senior Manager, Associate Development and Legal Recruitment

Alschuler Grossman Stein & Kahan LLP
Dana N. Levitt, Esq., Managing Partner

Arent Fox Kintner Plotkin & Kahn, PLLC
Colleen O’Hara, Professional Development Coordinator

Arnall Golden Gregory LLP
William H. Kitchens, Esq., Managing Partner

Babst, Calland, Clements & Zomnir P.C.
Kenneth K.Kilbert, Esq., Chair, Professional Development Committee

Baker & Hostetler LLP
Jeanie M. Fulton, Recruiting Coordinator

Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC
Susan S. Wagner, Esq., Shareholder and Director of Professional Development

Blackwell Sanders Peper Martin LLP
Peter B. Sloan, Esq., Recruiting and Career Development Partner

Bond, Schoeneck & King, PLLC
Gary Goodwin, Executive Director

Bricker & Eckler LLP
Randall P. Headley, Director of Human Resources

Brown Rudnick Berlack Israels LLP
Steven E. Greenbaum, Esq., Managing Director, Litigation Department

Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, P.C.
Mark T. Barnes, Esq., Shareholder

Carter, Ledyard & Milburn
Richard G. Pierson, Esq., Partner

Dickstein Shapiro Morin & Oshinsky LLP
Rachel W. Jones, Manager of Professional Education and Training

Dorsey & Whitney LLP
Bryn R. Vaaler, Esq., Director of Professional Development

Federal Aviation Administration
Office of the Regional Counsel
Monroe P. Balton, Esq., Regional Counsel, Western Pacific Region

Foley & Lardner LLP
Kara E. Nelson, Esq., Director, Legal Recruiting and Development

Hale and Dorr LLP
Jane B. Eiselein, Esq., Co-Director of Training and Professional Development

Heller Ehrman LLP
Jody Rosen Knower, Senior Professional Development Manager

Hirschler Fleischer
John W. Vaughan, Jr., Esq., Partner, Associates Training Committee

Hiscock & Barclay LLP
Douglas J. Nash, Esq., Practice Group Leader, Commercial Litigation Practice Group

Irell & Manella LLP
Andrei Iancu, Esq., Partner

Keating, Muething & Klekamp, P.L.L.
Robert E. Coletti, Esq., Partner

Kilpatrick Stockton LLP
Lindsay E. Jeansonne, Attorney Training and Development Manager

LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene & MacRae L.L.P.
Diane Costigan, Director of Legal Personnel & Professional Development

Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company
Steve Katz, Second Vice President & Associate General Counsel

Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP
Allison Zatorski, Training and Development Specialist

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone, P.L.C.
Marjory G. Basile, Esq., Principal and Chancellor, Miller Canfield University

Nutter, McClennen & Fish, LLP
Richard Sheehy, J.D., Ph.D., Manager of Legal Training & Development

Palmer & Dodge LLP
R. Lisa DiLuna, M.Ed., J.D., Director of Professional Development and Ombudsperson

Pitney, Hardin, Kipp & Szuch LLP
Elizabeth J. Sher, Esq., Chair, Professional Development Committee

Preti Flaherty Beliveau Pachios & Haley LLC
Roy T. Pierce, Esq., Partner

Richards, Layton & Finger
Megan S. Greenberg, Manager of Associate Development

Schottenstein, Zox & Dunn Co., LPA
Victoria E. Powers, Esq., Shareholder, Director of Associate Professional Development

Seltzer Caplan McMahon Vitek
David J. Zubkoff, Esq., Partner, Chair, Attorney Development Committee

Shaw Pittman LLP
Kathleen A. Kelly, Chief Recruiting Officer/Director of Professional Programs

Steptoe & Johnson LLP
Rosemary Kelly Morgan, Director of Attorney Services and Recruiting

Stoel Rives LLP
Kay David, Director of Professional Development

Thompson Hine LLP
Dianne S. Coscarelli, Esq., Partner

Tucker Arensberg, P.C.
Linda Acheson Pool, Esq., Chief Operating Officer

U.S. Department of Commerce

General Counsel's Office
Jane T. Dana, Esq., Deputy General Counsel

Woods Oviatt Gilman LLP
Paul A. Farnsworth, Legal Administrator

Wolff & Samson PC
Gage Andretta, Esq., Partner

Williams Mullen
A. Brooks Hock, Esq., Chair, Associates Committee

All quotations used with permission.

“Thank you again for the excellent writing workshop that you recently conducted at our firm. I received many positive comments from those who attended and also from the partners who have already seen improvement in the writing of several associates. From the perspective of a managing partner, it is great to see this immediate return on our investment.

We spend a significant amount of time, effort, and money in recruiting bright, entry-level associates, and our ability to guide their professional development is critical to our continued success. Although most of this training is done by our partners and senior associates, having an outside consultant with your experience and credentials provide group and one-on-one coaching on writing skills was very effective. Your emphasis on the editing process is sensible, clear, and powerful, and even some of our best writers found your approach and suggestions beneficial.

Past experience shows that helping young lawyers improve their writing skills rarely commands a partner's full attention. The partner is frustrated because he or she cannot believe that such a highly educated, motivated and compensated associate has deficient writing skills. In turn, the associate is frustrated because normally the feedback received runs along the lines of “this is awful, fix it.” Your workshop goes a long way toward filling this void, and we look forward to having you return.”

William H. Kitchens, Esq., Managing Partner
Arnall Golden Gregory LLP (Atlanta)

“I have nothing but compliments and gratitude for Marilyn and her fine class. The class is extremely well-organized and Marilyn is a concise and clear communicator. She understands what ruins the writing of most lawyers and she has a number of quick, easy steps to solve the problem. I am a senior lawyer and presumably I know something about writing, but I learned a lot from Marilyn's course and I know the associates in my firm soaked up the information like sponges.

I heartily recommend her to any law firm considering a writing class for its lawyers.”

Dana N. Levitt, Esq., Managing Partner
Alschuler Grossman Stein & Kahan LLP (Santa Monica, CA)

“Marilyn Bush LeLeiko is a real pro when it comes to teaching lawyers and paralegals how to write well. She approaches this often daunting task with energy, enthusiasm and creativity. Marilyn has the experience and “teaching smarts” to tailor her presentation, with great results, to any sort of audience, whether it be a law firm, a corporate legal department or a regulatory agency.”

Steve Katz, Second Vice President & Associate General Counsel
Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (Springfield. MA)

“[T]hank you for the excellent writing workshop that you conducted at our firm. Ken Laptook and I received unanimously positive comments from the attendees. The presentation was very informative and useful, doubtless due to the skillful and entertaining methods you utilized to hold the attention of lawyers who initially believed their Saturdays could be more productively employed in other pursuits. From their enthusiastic responses, you obviously changed their minds. . . . We not only consider the investment worthwhile, but also intend to ask you back for either a seminar or one-on-one workshops or both in the near future.”

Gage Andretta, Esq., Partner
Wolff & Samson PC (West Orange, NJ)

“Thank you again for returning to Schottenstein, Zox & Dunn to conduct your wonderful writing workshop for our associates. The participants found the workshop to be very worthwhile and effective and consider the written materials an excellent desk-top reference. The question and answer session, group discussions and exercises were all valuable and practical. Because your workshop is specifically geared toward legal writing, our associates have been able to apply the skills learned immediately, regardless of their areas of practice.

It was a pleasure to meet and work with you and I look forward to the next opportunity to bring you back to Schottenstein, Zox and Dunn.”

Victoria E. Powers, Esq., Partner
Chair, Attorney Development Committee
Member, Management Committee
Schottenstein, Zox & Dunn Co., LPA (Columbus, OH)

“Thank you for presenting your seminar entitled “Communicating Effectively in Writing” to our summer and first-year associates on June 21, 2007 in Atlanta. We were extremely impressed with your knowledge of the legal writing issues that plague young attorneys, as well as the organized and efficient solutions you offered to solving drafting problems. The interactive nature of your seminar maintained associates' attention on a sometimes dry topic, and your practical approach to ensuring a clear and concise written work product helped teach our associates both structure and flexibility in the writing process. Our attorneys also greatly appreciated your many helpful tips on avoiding grammatical errors. Furthermore, you received high marks for your written materials, particularly your proofing checklist, a source which many of our associates have begun using on a regular basis.

Your attention to planning and your professionalism ensured that the seminar ran smoothly and with no glitches. Thank you again for a wonderful learning experience. We greatly enjoyed working with you.”

Lindsay E. Jeansonne, Attorney Training and Development Manager
Kilpatrick Stockton LLP (Atlanta)

“Thank you for the legal writing seminars you provided in connection with the firm's 2007 summer associate program. We have worked with a number of consultants over the years, and your seminar far exceeded my expectations. The feedback we received from our summer associates was extremely positive. The summer associates reported that you delivered a practical, highly informative and fun seminar, which was a wonderful supplement to their law school legal writing programs. They could easily relate to your examples, and they raved about your Editing Checklist. Based on this feedback, I passed along your name to the firm's Professional Development Director, recommending that she offer your writing workshop to our associates and senior counsel.

Your management of the seminar details was also seamless. This past summer we had 160 summer associates in 14 different offices, and coordinating training is no small task. We opted for videoconferencing, and I greatly appreciated your willingness to accommodate our needs. You seemed very comfortable using videoconference technology and with the idiosyncrasies that accompany it. You maintained regular communication with us regarding deadlines and the information you needed from us, and the seminars were flawlessly executed. I was particularly impressed with your ability to engage the summer associates in the satellite offices, a detail other presenters typically overlook.

Your professionalism and thoroughness are unparalleled, and I very much look forward to working with you in 2008!”

Kara E. Nelson, Esq., Director, Legal Recruiting and Development
Foley & Lardner LLP (Milwaukee)

“Marilyn LeLeiko conducted a Legal Writing workshop for 46 attorneys in December of 2007. The program, which was delivered with a mix of lecture style and group exercises, was very successful. In collaborating with Marilyn my observation is that she has structured a consulting process that will yield a strong result for her clients. Her willingness to effectively customize the program content to the context of the company, her direct knowledge of the challenges within the legal realm, coupled with her engaging and surprisingly witty facilitation style, all combine to give her high credence.”

Ivy Kusinga, Head of Learning & Development
ACE Insurance Company of North America (Philadelphia)

“Thank you for conducting an excellent writing workshop for the litigation associates of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck. Your high degree of professionalism and organization made it extremely easy to plan and organize the writing workshop. With respect to the workshop itself, I received very favorable reviews from the associates who attended and I was fortunate to have the opportunity to attend as well. Not only were your presentation and materials helpful and well organized, you kept the audience interested and engaged.

With fewer and fewer cases actually going to trial, effective legal writing is more important than ever. I have no doubt that the practical advice and helpful reference material you provided will make the attendees better legal writers and more effective advocates for our clients.

Again, thank you for making it so easy to work with you and for conducting a wonderful program.”

Mark T. Barnes, Esq., Shareholder
Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, P.C. (Denver)

“It was such a pleasure to welcome you back to Milbank's New York Office earlier this year for both one-on-one writing sessions as well as a group writing workshop. You conducted workshops several years ago at Milbank and it would be an understatement to say that your reputation preceded you. The announcement of your individual and group sessions was enthusiastically received by both our partners and associates, many of whom remembered your earlier sessions at Milbank.

The feedback I received about your presentations has been nothing but glowing. The attorneys who participated found the sessions useful and practical and they were able to immediately put to use the skills they learned in their daily writing.

Your organization and attention to detail make it a pleasure to work with you. I look forward to welcoming you back to Milbank this summer for workshops in our New York, Los Angeles, and D.C. Offices.”

Allison Zatorski, Training and Development Specialist
Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP (New York)

“Thanks again for your excellent workshop for our new associates. The comments I have heard and read from the associates have been very favorable, including “Very effective,” “Very informative,” “Great job! This was extremely useful,” and—the comment most near and dear to my heart —“Very informative, very helpful—well worth the four hours.” Given the high degree of skepticism of this audience, this is high praise indeed.

I asked you to conduct this workshop after previewing your program because I agree with everything you say about writing. You cover not only common mistakes, but also ways to make writing more effective by making the reader's job easier. And you manage to do that while keeping your audience engaged and entertained.”

Susan S. Wagner, Esq.
Shareholder and Director of Professional Development
Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC
(Birmingham, AL)

“Thank you for the very successful workshop you conducted at our firm [for] 72 associates of all levels, as well as some partners. The attendees found the workshop valuable, well presented and interesting. They especially liked your examples and the one-on-one sessions.

Your professionalism from start to finish was very helpful to our technical staff and office services people.

I look forward to working with you again.”

Andrei Iancu, Esq., Partner
Irell & Manella LLP (Los Angeles)

“[T]hank you for the excellent and very valuable writing workshop which you presented for Miller Canfield attorneys in June. [Participants'] evaluations . . . are very positive. In addition I want to share with you my own thoughts about the experience as well as some of the feedback I got from those attorneys who attended the session.

The workshop attendees ranged from summer associates to senior level equity partners. It included litigators and transactional attorneys. I must admit I had some skepticism as to how you were going to conduct a workshop which would be relevant to all. As you know I could only stay for the opening hour because of a personal issue. What I saw in that short time convinced me that you had things well in hand and could provide four hours of value to the nearly 70 attorneys who attended. When I debriefed some of the participant the next day the most prevalent comments were 1) Marilyn was an excellent communicator and very easy to listen to, 2) the workshop moved at a good pace and was over before one knew it, and 3) it was well worth the time.”

It was a joy to have you as part of our Miller Canfield University program. Your professionalism and thoroughness are exemplary and make you very easy to work with. We look forward to working with you again in the future.”

Marjory G. Basile, Esq., Principal and Chancellor, Miller Canfield University
Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone, P.L.C.(Detroit)

“[T]hank you for presenting the Law Writing Seminar in our Syracuse, NY office . . . . We received overwhelmingly positive feedback from our Associates. The course was extremely well organized and provided relevant information in a timely manner. To quote a few of our Associates:

“A very hands-on CLE. A large volume of material was covered in a relatively short amount of time. Excellent hand outs.”
“Excellent presentation skills, extremely knowledgeable about the subject matter, very useful, practical advice.”
“Invaluable resources to take away as reference material.”

Our administrative staff greatly appreciated your professional and organized approach in planning the logistics of this seminar. We consider the seminar a resounding success and look forward to working with you in the future.”

Gary Goodwin, Executive Director
Bond, Schoeneck & King, PLLC(Syracuse, NY)

“Marilyn LeLeiko was a guest speaker at Allen & Overy's First Year Training Program . . . . She conducted a two-and-a-half hour program . . . . The attorneys who attended were from our New York, London and Hong Kong offices. . . .

[The program] was a good, lawyer-focused presentation with practical examples of writing by others. [T]he slide presentation and Q&A session were great and extremely valuable.

Ms. LeLeiko was very professional, engaging, clear and straightforward. She was extremely knowledgeable and flexible as an instructor. The attorneys only wished that the program could have been longer!

We would gladly invite Ms. LeLeiko to Allen & Overy for future programs.”

Elizabeth Fuchs
Senior Manager, Associate Development and Legal Recruitment
Allen & Overy LLP (New York)

“[T]hank you for the writing seminar you conducted for us at our DC office.
I believe this is the seventh time we have offered your seminar and, as always, everything went smoothly. You are prepared down to the very last little detail. My staff and I are always impressed.

Of course, most importantly, our associates, and a few more senior lawyers
as well, have received you and your seminar so well. I know they are a
tough audience and willing to tell me what they really think. Their
comments tell me that you truly understand the legal environment and know how to help lawyers develop their writing skills for this environment. They have been impressed, and that is high praise.

Thanks again. I look forward to working with you on our next seminar.”

Kathleen A. Kelly
Chief Recruiting Officer/Director of Professional Programs
Shaw Pittman LLP (Washington, DC)

“I just left the workshop you conducted this afternoon for our Summer Associates. You did a wonderful job, and I say that with the experience of having worked with a variety of nationally prominent trainers who have presented to our lawyers and Summer Associates over the years.

You were supremely organized, efficient, and effective. You took the time to customize your presentation for our firm, and you were sensitive to our firm's cultural preferences and idiosyncrasies in legal writing.

Above all, you conveyed the key fundamentals of practical, effective legal writing in an engaging, entertaining way. Well done!”

Peter B. Sloan, Esq., Recruiting and Career Development Partner
Blackwell Sanders Peper Martin LLP (Kansas City, MO)

“The programs were superb. Your instruction was invaluable in helping the participants to improve their writing skills through your practical, hands-on techniques and suggestions.

All of the feedback we received on the programs was extremely positive. The participants appreciated your concrete advice and found the exercises and the one-on-one sessions extremely helpful. They also recognized your understanding of the dynamics and time constraints which often exist in the legal profession.

Your comprehensive written materials will surely be a valuable resource which can be referred to in the future.

From a logistical standpoint, your efficiency, organization and attention to every detail added ease to the planning process and ensured an outstanding program.

We appreciate the time and effort you put into the programs to provide the participants with this important training. It was a pleasure working with you and we look forward to working with you again in the future.”

Jane B. Eiselein, Esq.
Co-Director of Training and Professional Development
Hale and Dorr LLP (Boston, Washington, DC, New York, Princeton, NJ)

“I wanted to share some of the feedback I received about your
workshop and thank you again for an excellent, and productive,
presentation.

As you may recall, we had lawyers with varying levels of experience
attend the workshop. From first years to partners, all were very
impressed with the content of the workshop and with your presentation skills. All of the attendees felt the examples you discussed in the workshop were extremely practical and could be utilized in their
everyday practice. They enjoyed the group activities and the
interactive examples and particularly liked the section on common
grammatical mistakes. Many looked forward to reviewing the written
materials they received and making your binder a permanent part of
their office library! Overall, I would say that your workshop was a
big hit here at Nutter and I look forward to working with you again.

Thank you again for an excellent workshop.”

Richard Sheehy, J.D., Ph.D.
Manager of Legal Training & Development
Nutter, McClennen & Fish, LLP (Boston)

“Your one-day workshops provided to our associates in our Cincinnati and Cleveland offices were well received and highly rated by all attendees. I sat in on the program you presented in Cleveland. Your presentation was engaging, it focused on the practical and it contained an interesting mix of humorous anecdotes and examples.”

Dianne S. Coscarelli, Esq., Partner
Thompson Hine LLP (Cleveland)

“I wanted to let you know once again how pleased we were with the Writing Skills Workshops you put on in our New York and Washington, D.C. offices this summer. Written evaluations (as well as more informal reports) were excellent.

I was delighted to have had the opportunity to attend the Washington, D.C. session myself. Your presentation was engaging, entertaining and very much on target for our lawyers and staff. Your written materials and exercises were excellent and a lot of fun. Reports regarding the one-on-one sessions were also extremely positive.

My staff and I also greatly appreciated your organization and attention to detail in working out logistics. We work with quite a few outside consultants. You make it easy!

We are looking forward to working with you again soon.”

Bryn R. Vaaler, Esq., Director of Professional Development
Dorsey & Whitney LLP (Minneapolis, New York, Washington, DC)

“Thank you once again for presenting your Writing Workshop for Lawyers to our associates yesterday. I cannot recall any other program we have sponsored receiving such acclaim from our attorneys.

I am delighted that I was able to attend the Workshop myself. Your presentation was engaging, informative, and well organized, and the fact that you are an attorney and have experience in private practice made your comments and suggestions particularly helpful. Your practical approach to writing and improving the written product is exactly what we were looking for, and I expect that our investment will be returned many times over.”

Roy T. Pierce, Esq., Partner
Preti Flaherty Beliveau Pachios & Haley LLC (Portland, ME)

“[T]hank you for a well-received and very successful writing workshop. . . . I was able to observe first-hand the superior quality of your teaching methods and the obvious rapport you established with the thirty or so lawyers in attendance. . . .

. . . We have retained several different instructors over the years, and I am pleased to tell you that you are among the best regarded by the participants. In fact, in addition to the very positive feedback reflected on the formal evaluation forms that you have seen, I asked my partners to let me know if they received any direct feedback from the lawyers in their departments. The response was consistent and overwhelmingly positive (and occasionally amusing). The comments included, “I heard that the instructor was terrific. This comes from a couple of associates who are tough to make happy.” “I ran into one associate. Unsolicited, he said that the seminar was 'great,' and that the presenter was well-prepared and a professional.” . . . From my perspective, if you can please and motivate even the unenthusiastic and hard to please, you must be doing something right!”

Elizabeth J. Sher, Esq., Chair, Professional Development Committee
Pitney, Hardin, Kipp & Szuch LLP (Morristown, NJ)

“Thank you for the superb job you did conducting a full-day writing workshop at Palmer & Dodge on March 3, 1999. The program you presented was carefully crafted, tightly presented and extremely well received. . . . [Participants included] first year associates . . . experienced associates and senior counsel.

Everyone was enthusiastic about your workshop and praised it highly. . . . You offered them concrete and practical ways to improve the process of writing and the written product. You provided very useful resources in your superb print materials. The attendees enjoyed the fast past and intensity of your presentation, and the opportunity to work together on the interactive portions of your workshop. The attorneys who attended the individual sessions with you think your input on their written work was one of the most valuable learning experiences they have had.

The range of the evaluation form used to rate your workshop is from one (poor) to eight (excellent). Your scores were all sevens and eights. This is the highest rating for any workshop the Palmer & Dodge Professional Development Committee presented in 1998-99.

It was my pleasure to observe your writing workshop. I think your work is terrific. You know your audience and provide an environment that fosters learning. You were a delight to work with in planning this workshop. You are efficient, organized and knowledgeable. I look forward to your return . . . for another wonderful writing workshop.”

R. Lisa DiLuna, M.Ed., J.D.
Director of Professional Development and Ombudsperson
Palmer & Dodge LLP (Boston)

“Thank you again for conducting your writing workshop for our junior associates, all of whom found the experience valuable and immediately applicable to their daily practice. Those of our associates who participated in your one-on-one training sessions found them particularly helpful in addressing their individual needs. . . . I look forward to making your writing workshop for lawyers a regular part of our associate training.”

Richard G. Pierson, Esq., Partner
Carter, Ledyard & Milburn (New York)

“We were pleased to have you conduct a writing workshop at our Annual Firmwide Orientation. I am confident that the information and skills you provided to our first-year associates will continue to assist them in their development as junior associates.

The associates were impressed with your presentation and thought the one-on-one sessions were critical to ensuring confidence and motivation at the beginning of their legal careers. They mentioned your training was helpful and appreciated the “real world” examples you incorporated into your presentation. We are very satisfied with the results!”

Diane Costigan, Director of Legal Personnel & Professional Development
LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene & MacRae, L.L.P. (New York)

“Thank you for presenting your Writing Workshops for Lawyers to the attorneys in our New York office last month. The program was very well received, and the workshop materials will be a valuable resource to which attendees can continue to refer throughout their legal careers. Your emphasis on practical examples made the presentation especially effective.

I very much enjoyed working with you and appreciate the care you took to make the process as smooth as possible. We look forward to having you back at Heller Ehrman for future workshops.”

Jody Rosen Knower, Senior Professional Development Manager
Heller Ehrman LLP (New York)

“It was a pleasure working with you . . . . We had not conducted a workshop of this nature in many years and we found it to be very timely and well received. Our attorneys and paralegals thought the course content and examples were very useful and they appreciated your ability to present the material with a complete understanding of how it relates to the everyday practice of law.”

Paul A. Farnsworth, Legal Administrator
Woods Oviatt Gilman LLP (Rochester, NY)

“[T]hank you for presenting your “Writing Skills Training for the Law Office“ workshop to our attorneys. The presentation was extremely well organized, practical and enjoyable, and we have received nothing but positive feedback from many who attended.

Through your practical hands-on techniques and suggestions, we are confident the instruction you gave, in both the seminar and one-on-one sessions, will be valuable in helping our attorneys improve their writing skills.

We highly recommend your workshop . . . . It was a pleasure working with you. We look forward to having you back at Hiscock & Barclay for future workshops, and to working with you on developing a “Lunch & Learn” series on legal writing.”

Douglas J. Nash, Esq.
Practice Group Leader, Commercial Litigation Practice Group
Hiscock & Barclay LLP (Syracuse, NY)

“Thank you for conducting your writing workshop at Arent Fox . . . . Each attorney who participated in the seminar thought you were extremely effective at teaching the practical skills necessary for legal writing. . . . [W]e greatly appreciate your expertise and I look forward to working with you again in the future.”

Colleen O’Hara, Professional Development Coordinator
Arent Fox Kintner Plotkin & Kahn, PLLC (Washington, DC)

“Thank you for your efforts once again. As you know, your writing workshop is the first of the professional training opportunities that we offer to our summer associates, and it helps set the mark for what we expect of their assignments.

We are so pleased that your workshop each year is well attended and well received. We think this is an essential component of our training program. Our associates also find it beneficial and rewarding.

Again, many thanks for your efforts on our behalf. We look forward to seeing you next year.”

Rosemary Kelly Morgan, Director of Attorney Services and Recruiting
Steptoe & Johnson LLP (Washington, DC)

“I have received nothing but excellent reviews from the more than 50 partners and associates who attended. This was both the best attended and best received in-house seminar we have had at this firm. While I had expectations that your workshop would benefit our associates, having attended myself, I can verify that it also offered great insight and ideas to more experienced attorneys in your audience. . . . Please feel free to use us as a reference at any time. We look forward to working with you again.”

Robert E. Coletti, Esq., Partner
Keating, Muething & Klekamp, P.L.L. (Cincinnati)

“Thank you once again for visiting our offices recently to conduct your writing workshop for lawyers. From the Chairman of our Litigation Department, a trial lawyer with thirty-plus years of experience, to the most newly minted of associates, your presentation was uniformly well received and appreciated. Shareholders and associates alike came away from the seminar with a common vocabulary for communicating about commonly encountered writing challenges. In light of the fact that we chose to have our workshop on a Saturday morning, we also came away with an appreciation for the selective, efficient, and effective manner in which you organized and presented a subject as extensive as it is important. Again, thank you.”

David J. Zubkoff, Esq.
Shareholder and Director of Associate Professional Development
Seltzer Caplan McMahon Vitek (San Diego)

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for the Writing Workshop you recently presented to our Litigation Associates. The instruction was excellent, the exercises outstanding, and the reference materials an invaluable resourcethat our Associates will refer to often.

I also very much appreciate your flexibility in working with me to customize the workshop to our Firm's particular needs.

I highly recommend your Writing Workshop and look forward to bringing your program back to our Firm in the future.”

Steven E. Greenbaum, Esq., Managing Director, Litigation Department
Brown Rudnick Berlack Israels LLP(Boston)

“For the third year in a row, your Writing Workshop for Lawyers was a big success at Stoel Rives. I have heard nothing but rave reviews . . . . I especially enjoyed your sense of humor, which keeps the audience interested in what you have to say. The small group exercises are extremely effective at both reinforcing the information you are conveying as well as encouraging interaction among the participants, which is an important secondary benefit when we bring associates from all offices together.”

Kay David, Director of Professional Development
Stoel Rives LLP (Portland, OR)

“[P]articipants in the one-on-one sessions . . . found the targeted advice to be very helpful and they appreciated the freedom that one-on-one training brings to the instruction. . . . I appreciated your guidance and candor based on your many years of experience working with large law firms. . . . [Y]our Writing Workshop for Lawyers is the product of a veteran educator.”

Rachel W. Jones, Manager of Professional Education and Training
Dickstein Shapiro Morin & Oshinsky LLP (Washington, DC)

“Thank you for presenting your writing workshop in our office earlier this year. Our associates were very enthusiastic about the skills and practical information they received and felt comfortable applying the information immediately. Several of our partners also attended the program and informed me it was the best and most informative they have seen. It is helpful to know you can also conduct long-distance follow-up training . . . ."

Jeanie M. Fulton, Recruiting Coordinator
Baker & Hostetler LLP (Columbus, OH)

“[O]ur associates found the workshop very valuable and are using the skills learned at the workshop in their daily legal writing. Your book is also an excellent reference tool for them to use in their practice. One associate asked that I schedule this program earlier next year so that our new associates can benefit immediately upon their arrival from your helpful strategies and suggestions.

. . . While some of our associates feared the writing program would not hold their attention, your dynamic presentation and specific suggestions allayed any of their concerns. Many thanks for presenting such an interesting program.”

Megan S. Greenberg, Manager of Associate Development
Richards, Layton & Finger (Wilmington, DE)

“Thank you for the writing workshop that you recently conducted at our department. I received many positive comments from those who attended. Your instruction was valuable in helping the participants to improve their writing skills through your practical, hands-on techniques and suggestions. Once again, thank you for an excellent workshop.”

Jane T. Dana, Esq., Deputy General Counsel
U.S. Department of Commerce (Washington, DC)

General Counsel's Office

“Thank you again for the excellent Writing Workshop for Lawyers you conducted at BCCZ earlier this month. As the long-time chair of our Professional Development Committee, I can unequivocally say that your workshop was one of our best training programs ever. You, of course, have seen the written course evaluations, which are uniformly very good/excellent, but I want you to know that the informal feedback I have received has been extremely positive, too—from new associates, senior shareholders and clients. It was a pleasure working with you, and I hope that we can have you back in the future.”

Kenneth K. Kilbert, Esq.

Shareholder and Chair, Professional Development Committee

Babst, Calland, Clements & Zomnir, P.C. (Pittsburgh)

“Thank you for conducting your writing workshop at Akin Gump's Washington office last month. Your instruction, in both the seminar as well as the one-on-one sessions, was essential in helping to improve our associate's writing skills . . . .

We received overwhelmingly positive feedback on all aspects of your program. The participants appreciated your background as a practicing attorney and your sensitivity to their assignments and responsibilities. . . . We look forward to working with you again in the future.”

Dennis M. Race, Esq.
Partner in Charge of Hiring and Attorney Development
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, LLP(Washington, D.C.)

“I want you to know how much I enjoyed your legal writing class and how valuable I think it is.

Because we are attorneys we write a lot, and because we do, we tend to develop habits, some bad and some good. Every now and then we need to step back and take an objective look at what we produce. . . . [Your] course content was exactly as I expected. You covered the subjects my staff needed to work on, and your delivery was excellent. You made the learning experience enjoyable. I would recommend the course to all of my contemporaries at the Federal Aviation Administration or to anyone else who might ask. I hope we have the opportunity to use your services in the future.”

Monroe P. Balton, Esq.
Regional Counsel, Western Pacific Region
Federal Aviation Administration (Los Angeles)

“I wanted to formally thank you for conducting your "Writing Workshop for Lawyers" at our offices . . . . The comments from those who attended were all very positive. It was a pleasure to work with a professional like you.”

Randall P. Headley, Director of Human Resources
Bricker & Eckler LLP (Columbus, OH)

“Many thanks for the excellent presentation you gave to our lawyers and clients on February 26, 2004. The program was very valuable to us for several reasons:

* The presentation and the materials were of very high quality. They addressed very clearly and pointedly the problems our lawyers face every day with their professional writing;

* We were able to obtain Continuing Legal Education credit for our firm's lawyers—and for our in-house counsel clients—at a very reasonable cost; and

* Because we invited clients, we were able to include them in this very informative and entertaining program, and provide them with CLE credits—at no cost to them, while providing us with an opportunity to spend time with our clients.

The feedback from our firm's lawyers and our clients was extremely positive and enthusiastic. Everyone appreciated that you made the topic fun. I was also pleased that the program was appropriate for litigators and non-litigators alike. You truly provided something for everyone!

We also greatly appreciated how well run your presentation is, and how smoothly you worked with our staff to make sure the logistical items were handled well in advance. There were no last-minute surprises or requests, which always helps to insure a successful program.

We would definitely recommend you to other law firms, and to our client organizations as well.”

Linda Acheson Pool, Esq., Chief Operating Officer
Tucker Arensberg, P.C. (Pittsburgh)

“Please accept our thanks for the exceptional writing skills workshop you presented to our associates. I have only heard the most positive of comments from all who attended. I hope you will let us call upon you again in the future to assist us in our training program.”

John W. Vaughan, Jr., Esq, Partner, Associates Training Committee
Hirschler Fleischer (Richmond, VA)

“Thank you for the top quality workshop which you conducted for our Richmond associates. I have received many wonderful comments about the program. The attendees were appreciative of the tips, the exercises and, perhaps most importantly, the interesting way in which you presented the material.”

A. Brooks Hock, Esq., Chair, Associates Committee
Williams Mullen (Richmond, VA)

All quotations used with permission.

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