Legal Definitions - Association of Legal Writing Directors

ALWD, or the Association of Legal Writing Directors, is a nonprofit organization comprised of current and former directors of law school legal writing programs, primarily in the United States. Established in 1996, its main purpose is to improve legal writing education, support scholarship, and represent legal writing teachers.

ALWD stands for the Association of Legal Writing Directors.

The Association of Legal Writing Directors (ALWD) is a professional, non-profit organization primarily composed of current and former directors of legal writing programs at law schools, mostly within the United States. Established in 1996, its core mission is to enhance the quality and effectiveness of legal writing education across the country. ALWD achieves this by supporting legal writing educators, promoting research and scholarship in the field, facilitating communication among its members, and developing valuable resources for law schools and students, such as its widely used citation manual.

• Example 1: Professional Development for a New Director

  Imagine a newly appointed director of legal writing at a university law school. This individual, while an experienced legal writer, is new to the administrative and pedagogical challenges of running an entire program. They might feel overwhelmed by tasks like curriculum design, faculty mentorship, and integrating new technologies. This director would likely turn to ALWD for guidance. They could attend ALWD's biennial conference to learn best practices, join its listserv to ask questions of seasoned colleagues, or access ALWD's published research on effective teaching methods. This illustrates ALWD's role in providing essential professional development and a supportive network for leaders in legal writing education.

• Example 2: Adopting a Standardized Citation Manual

  Consider a law school faculty committee tasked with reviewing the school's current legal citation style guide. The committee wants to ensure that students are learning a clear, practical, and widely accepted method for citing legal sources. After evaluating various options, they decide to adopt the ALWD Citation Manual for all first-year legal writing courses. This decision demonstrates ALWD's influence in setting standards and providing accessible educational tools that directly impact how law students learn to cite legal authority, preparing them for professional practice.

• Example 3: Advocating for Program Excellence During Accreditation

  Suppose a law school is undergoing its periodic accreditation review by the American Bar Association (ABA). The review committee is scrutinizing the quality and resources dedicated to the school's legal writing program. To demonstrate its commitment to excellence, the law school's dean might highlight how their program aligns with best practices promoted by ALWD, reference data from ALWD's annual survey of legal writing programs to benchmark their offerings, or point to the qualifications of their legal writing faculty, many of whom are active ALWD members. This scenario showcases ALWD's broader role in advocating for robust legal writing education and helping law schools meet high academic standards.