Cheryl Stephens, Mentor/Muse

Workshops on Legal Communications

Legal Writing and Editing

Delivering quality client services presumes effective communication techniques are at your disposal. Improve your basic writing skills and learn the subtleties of persuasive and effective legal writing and editing. Adopt the problem-solving approach to each writing task. Learn the to avoid the common problems with traditional legal writing style.

Modernize Your Correspondence Style

Learn to write to your clients and other lawfirms in a way that gets results and makes friends of your potential enemies. Get update to date with changes in format, punctuation, salutations, vocabulary and the psychology of communication. This workshop looks at the special challenges in legal letters within general rules for writing modern business letters. Gain useful and practical information

Legal Communications Skills Workshop

Useful for legal assistants and other staff responsible for client contact. Learn active listening skills, comfortable interviewing technique, and gender-free and bias-free communication tips. These oral skills contribute to developing well-grounded skills in written communications. The workshop will move from building the oral-skills base to considering the best processes for effective legal writing.

Active Listening Skills Workshop

If you think you are a good listener - this course is for you. 75% of good listeners will say they aren't good listeners. The rest of us who think we are doing fine need to improve our skills to improve our ability to hear what our coworkers, bosses and clients are actually saying. Effective listening can make you more efficient and more productive - and improve all your business and personal relationships. Lee Iacocca said that good employee listening skills can make "the difference between a mediocre company and a great company". Learn some simple techniques to bercome a more effective employee and human being.

Non-toxic Humour in the Lawfirm Workplace

Research has shown that a work environment that tolerates and supports stress-reducing humour is more efficient and productive - not to mention more fun to work in. To be beneficial the humour has to be non-toxic - avoiding racist, sexist and ethnic insults. In this workshop you'll learn of practical methods, activities and events that have worked in other workplaces.

Plain Language and Bias-free Communications to Improve Client Relations

Surveys show the public considers interpersonal skills, including communications skills, of crucial importance when picking a lawfirm and deciding whether to return to the same firm. Get a grip on these basic communcications challenges: Cut the legalese and learn to talk and write like a human being. Listen to yourself and find-out why some people may take offence at your unconscious bias and acceptance of stereotypes. Learn how to communicate better, more effectively and without pushing anybodies buttons.