The Speaker

Ken is widely recognized as the leading authority on contract language.

According to the Canadian periodical The Lawyers Weekly, “In the world of contract drafting, Ken Adams is the guru.” Recently, one blogger referred to him simply as “Mr. Contract Drafting,” and another referred to his “intellectual ferocity.” Just as importantly, Ken is an engaging speaker, bringing to bear enthusiasm and his sense of humor. For more about Ken, go here.

The Book

Both Presentation and Masterclass are based on Ken’s book A Manual of Style for Contract Drafting (MSCD).

It’s the only authoritative guide to the building blocks of contract language. It has sold tens of thousands of copies, and it’s in widespread use internationally. The first edition was published by the American Bar Association in 2004; the 667-page fifth edition was published in February 2023. In a 2018 review, the Law Society Gazette said MSCD is “extraordinary.” Go here for more information.

Participants in Masterclass and Presentation will receive a discount code allowing them to purchase a copy of MSCD (print version or ebook) from the American Bar Association for 30% off the regular price of US$139.95. Organizations that have a group participate will have the option of buying copies of the print edition at a greater discount. For more details, see the pages regarding Presentation (here) and Masterclass (here).

The Courses

Pick Presentation or Masterclass, depending on how much time you have available and how intensive you want your training to be.

Ken Adams offers two different courses.

Drafting Clearer Contracts: Presentation consists of two 3-hour sessions on consecutive days. For more information, see this page (or click on Presentation at the top of the page). To register, go here (or click on Register at the top of the page).

Drafting Clearer Contracts: Masterclass consists of eight live hour-long online sessions held once a week, supplemented by reading and quizzes. For more information, see this page (or click on Masterclass at the top of the page). To register, go here (or click on Register at the top of the page).

The Need

Traditional contract language is dysfunctional.

Why rely on Ken Adams's training? Because traditional contract language is dysfunctional. It’s full of archaisms, redundancies, random verb structures, and ill-conceived conventional wisdom, so drafting, reviewing, and negotiating contracts wastes time and money. Traditional contract language also creates confusion that wastes yet more time and money, particularly as it routinely leads to disputes. (For more on the dysfunction, see the introduction to Ken's book A Manual of Style for Contract Drafting, here.)

Continuing Legal Education

At no extra charge, continuing-legal-education credit for jurisdictions in the United States is available for attending a live component of Presentation or Masterclass.

When you register, you will be asked to state the one or more US jurisdictions where you want CLE credit.

No credit is available for viewing recordings or, in the case of Masterclass, time spent preparing for live sessions. Accreditation is handled by the American Bar Association’s ABA MCLE Accreditation Service. After you register, we will email you further information on the CLE process.

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