8:30AM Registration and Continental Breakfast
9:00AM – 4:00PM Workshop (Including Luncheon)

9:00AM - INTRODUCTION

• The state of contract drafting
• How people learn to draft
• The costs of deficient drafting
• The goals for the program

9:15AM - THE TWO RULES

• Be consistent
• Use standard English

9:30AM - THE FRONT AND BACK OF THE CONTRACT

• The title and introductory clause
• The function and layout of recitals
• The traditional recital of consideration
• The concluding clause
• The role of exhibits and schedules

10:00AM - THE LANGUAGE OF THE BODY OF THE CONTRACT

• The different categories of contract language and their function
• How to distinguish between categories
• Why does it matter?

10:30AM - COFFEE BREAK

10:45AM - THE LANGUAGE OF THE BODY OF THE CONTRACT

11:00AM - THE LAYOUT OF THE BODY OF THE CONTRACT

• How to present sections, subsections, and enumerated clauses
• Using Adams’s enumeration schemes
• Issues of typography
  

11:30AM - USING DEFINED TERMS

• Selecting and using defined terms
• The two kinds of definitions
• The role of the definition section
• Using an index of defined terms
  

12:00PM - LUNCHEON

1:00PM - AMBIGUITY

• Different kinds of ambiguity
• How to avoid them

1:30PM - SELECT WORDS AND PHRASES

• Problematic words and phrases
• Clearer alternatives

2:00PM - DRAFTING AS WRITING

• Some general principles of good writing

2:30PM - COFFEE BREAK

2:45PM - BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER

• Redrafting sample provisions

3:45PM - EFFECTING CHANGE

• The individual
• The organization

4:00PM - WORKSHOP CONCLUDES