Testimonials

Tom is the teacher I rely on when I want to offer my attorneys advanced persuasive writing training. At my previous firm, Winston & Strawn, Tom offered a workshop on advanced persuasive writing techniques to litigation and transactional attorneys in our Los Angeles office. They loved it! I’ve also had him offer a similar session in my current firm with similarly great results! He is a commanding presence; he has kept our attorneys’ attention and interest throughout his sessions. Both his teaching methods and materials were very effective. Our attorneys specifically commented on the helpfulness of his detailed examples.

Tom gives comprehensive takeaway materials, everything from multiple annotated briefs to handouts on eliminating excess words. All his materials were very practical in that they related directly to meaningful writing issues that our attorneys confront on a daily basis. He avoided obscure writing and grammar issues that may be interesting but are unlikely to arise in the actual practice of law. 

I appreciate that in both of my firms he worked with us to ensure that the program was tailored to our needs. Both times he gave me and our attorney development staff a thorough outline of his proposed program well in advance of the session to comment upon. And he gave us his final teaching materials weeks before his session. In short, he was both flexible and prepared.

At Winston and here at Baker we’ve enjoyed having him in the office for a day. He’s friendly and gracious to all our support staff and our attorneys. He makes us look good, and our attorneys in both firms were thankful for their firms’ investment in their careers.

Based upon the feedback I have received about Tom’s programs, we intend to follow up with Tom to teach another advanced program and formulate a presentation and workshop for our summer associates. We also will take advantage of the one-on-one writing coaching that he offers to our attorneys.

Tom is a genius legal thinker, writer, and teacher. I initially asked Tom to work with me as a writing consultant so he could help me write and edit major briefs for high-leverage matters, including dispositive motions and appeals. I loved his work so much that I asked him to join my firm. We simply don’t lose when he works on a brief.  He possesses a rigorous, analytical mind.  He identifies arguments from statutes and cases that my colleagues often miss.  He also articulates and argues complex facts clearly, concisely, and pointedly.

For example, I worked with Tom on a receivership and fraudulent transfer matter where the facts were impossibly complicated. Tom revised the organization of the fact section, and he clearly described the fraudulent transactions in much less space than in my draft.  He then argued these facts majestically to defeat two separate motions for summary judgment.  He also punished another defendant in that matter who tried to obscure his self-dealing.  My own writing has improved simply from reviewing Tom’s edits.

Tom developed a writing academy for our attorneys, staff, and interns.  We benefited by participating in a Zoom session every Friday morning.  Tom is a marvelous instructor who patiently and clearly presents his lessons.  He presented information so it can be easily absorbed and internalized. He elaborates to illustrate his points. And he handles questions with encouragement.  Our lawyers and paralegals responded well to Tom’s support.  Tom tied his answers to questions to multiple writing principles but did so clearly.

Tom created writing exercises for each writing academy session.  Our lawyers and paralegals practiced writing or editing passages selected from our earlier briefs.  Tom commented on each and everyone’s revisions and also annotated all the writing problems.  We appreciated the great sample answers describing more information in fewer words.

Our writing significantly improved.  Our more senior lawyers now spend less time revising work.  We can bill more efficiently and devote more time to proactivity rather than reactivity.  I’m thrilled that a painful part of my job—critiquing my attorneys’ work—is now significantly easier.

Tom is an amazing writing coach. He not only transformed my writing but also my writing confidence. When my firm offered associates the opportunity to work with Tom, I jumped at the chance. And I am so happy I did. Tom invests in you in a way that you can actually feel, and he creates the space to allow you to make mistakes and grow. During every session, you can feel his passion for writing, and making sure you fully understand his detailed, personalized feedback. The tools he equipped me with to write clearly, effectively, and concisely are invaluable. Many months later I still reference his handouts and writing materials almost daily. Thank you Tom for making me a more confident legal writer!

Tom’s program was one of the best trainings I have attended during my legal career. Even after law school and practicing for several years, his training was incredible. It changed my writing, wholesale. His focus on concrete and manageable skills, like active versus passive voice, word choice, and avoiding nominalizations, has taken my writing to a new level already. I implement his skills every day, even in emails. This has helped me to understand my own ideas more clearly and to be more persuasive. His advanced writing strategies, which focus on more challenging skills, are the roadmap to stellar appellate writing. He explained these strategies very clearly and documented them in his PowerPoint presentation. The writing exercises he worked us through helped us apply these strategies, and the annotated briefs helped us see the whole picture. I never thought stellar writing was within my reach. Now with his excellent training and comprehensive and well-organized materials, I feel confident that my writing can reach that level. 

I’ve been teaching legal writing at Yale Law School for over thirty years. I’ve also worked as a legal writing consultant for numerous top law firms, and Tom has helped me prepare critiques of attorneys’ writing samples. I can’t think of anyone better than Tom to provide individual legal writing coaching to practicing lawyers. Tom crafts spectacular critiques. He excels at identifying problem areas in attorneys’ writing and finding examples in their work that  illustrate these problems. Tom and I see some very bloated, indirect writing that often values complicated terminology over short, plain words. Tom’s revisions distill all that muck into short, clear, and precise sentences that are easy to read, no matter how complex the subject. He doesn’t just fix the sentences; he explains the specific strategies the lawyer can employ to replicate Tom’s revisions. He seeks to help attorneys build their skills, not demean them for their mistakes. Finally, Tom works hard, and he happily took on more critiques when necessary, even when he was already facing a tight deadline. His work doesn’t suffer when he’s under time constraints.

Tom is worth the investment. If you engage him to work with your attorneys, you have my word that their writing will improve dramatically.

Tom was instrumental in advancing my legal writing skills. He expertly distills the art of persuasive legal writing into practical and approachable techniques. These techniques have had a tremendous impact on my work.  And his dedication and commitment as a coach are unmatched. Tom takes the time to truly understand individual strengths and weaknesses, and tailors his one-on-one sessions accordingly. Through his customized coaching, Tom empowered me to write more clearly and persuasively. I wholeheartedly recommend Tom for anyone looking to enhance their legal writing!

Tom is a fantastic teacher whose program is filled with advanced legal writing techniques presented in a clear, concise, and organized manner.  Tom is adept at interweaving his specific lessons on structuring analysis, legal arguments, and use of proper authorities with opportunities to practice as you learn.  The end result is a must-attend legal writing course full of thoughtful and personalized feedback that leaves you as a stronger and more confident writer.  The course also provides invaluable teaching materials, handouts, and annotated writing samples that any practicing lawyer will reference repeatedly in the future.  The infectious energy, passion, and humor that Tom brings to his presentation of the material is a delightful bonus.  I cannot recommend Tom highly enough: 10/10 gold stars.

Tom is an amazing writing coach! He doesn’t just correct your writing—Tom makes sure that you understand his edits. He is my secret weapon! Several senior attorneys and partners have said that I have “naturally good writing that cannot be taught.” Well, that simply isn’t true. It can be taught, and I learned from the best! Even today, I have Tom’s voice in my head when I write.

Tom is a gifted writing coach. I always thought writing was my weakness, but Tom helped me tap into my writing skills and build confidence in my writing style. Tom is a master at persuasive writing, and it is evident that he has a passion for writing and coaching. Tom is very responsive—and provides line by line feedback. I still rely on Tom’s writing tips and training materials. And I have encouraged everyone in my firm to work with Tom. I’m confident that Tom can improve anyone’s writing skills with his master class in persuasive writing.

I attended Tom’s Rutter Group MCLE program on writing persuasive introductions and statements of facts. What a great program! One of the best I’ve attended in my fifteen years of practice.  It’s obvious that Tom thinks deeply about how best to convey material to attorneys at all levels of experience. He not only provided advanced persuasive writing techniques but identified why those techniques work and how to apply them effectively by contextualizing them in detailed, annotated writing samples. 

Tom is a dynamic speaker: his humor, energy, and passion for teaching were evident throughout.  Time flew, despite a topic that less-prepared instructors would have made turgid, pedantic, and joyless. His program was superbly organized and perfectly paced. And his teaching materials gave me great takeaway materials and specific techniques to refer to in my future work. I gained more confidence to edit and enhance my own writing, as well as my colleagues’ writing. I already see the change in my writing and am looking forward to attending his next MCLE session!

Tom has provided intensive, persuasive writing workshops for attorneys at both my previous and current firms. His workshops deliver! I’ve noticed a clear difference in the written analysis of the associates who have attended his workshops. Tom drills down to develop both core and advanced writing and advocacy skills that—all too often—are not taught in law school. Best of all, he consistently runs the associates through multiple exercises in which they practice applying his techniques, and he provides immediate and detailed feedback to drive his lessons home. His materials are excellent, focusing on meaningful teaching points rather than academic minutiae. Tom is professional, responsive, exceedingly well-prepared, and easy to work with. I recommend him highly!  

Tom provided an excellent workshop on writing persuasive introductions and statements of fact at our firm attorneys’ retreat. His presentation was insightful, well-organized, and dug deeper than other presentations; he didn’t just state what one should do, but helped show how to do it with concrete analytical and writing tools—all with an engaging and humorous teaching style. He’s a valuable resource.