Becoming Golden

written by Brownie Ebal and Nakiyimba Victoria

On 11th February 2025, the East Africa Law Society (EALS) convened a session on Effective Legal Writing: Enhancing Your Practice through Effective Client Communication. EALS, the premier regional bar association for East Africa, brings together legal professionals to promote excellence, advocacy, and capacity building in the legal field.

The session focused on why clear, structured, and client-focused legal writing is crucial for building trust, improving client relationships, and enhancing a lawyer’s professional reputation. Legal writing is not just about technical accuracy—it determines how clients perceive legal advice, how well they understand their legal position, and ultimately, how they act on it.
The discussion was moderated by David A. Asiedu, who set the stage with a compelling scenario: a client in distress calls their lawyer for urgent advice. How the lawyer communicates—balancing clarity, reassurance, and precision—can make all the difference. Below are the key takeaways from the session:

• Delivering Difficult News with Sensitivity – James Mukasa Sebugenyi (S&L Advocates) emphasized that lawyers must frame their communication carefully, especially when delivering bad news. He advised against third-party communication, which can lead to misunderstandings, and recommended always conducting a situational analysis, avoiding excessive legal jargon, and revising messages before sending to prevent emotional responses.

• The Importance of Clarity – Kamami Christine Michira (Partner, IKM Advocates) highlighted common pitfalls in legal writing, such as overcomplicated language and failure to consider the client’s perspective. She stressed precision in wording, correct use of legal terminology, and the importance of punctuation to avoid contractual misunderstandings. Her advice: read widely, sharpen writing skills, and prioritize clarity over complexity.

• Managing Client Expectations – Edith Michael Mtweve (Senior Consultant, Victory Attorneys & Consultants) spoke on proactive client communication. She advised setting clear expectations from the outset, avoiding over-promising, and using tools like checklists and timelines to help clients understand legal processes. Regular updates help reduce anxiety and build long-term trust.

• Building Long-Term Client Relationships – Gabriel Mading Apach (Commercial Law Lecturer, University of Juba) underscored the need for responsiveness and consistency in client communication. He warned against conflicting messages from different firm members and stressed the importance of a standardized communication strategy. His advice update clients proactively, listen patiently, and present legal advice in understandable terms.

• Becoming a Thought Leader in Legal Writing – Aslam Moosajee (Executive, ENS Africa) encouraged lawyers to analyze and summarize judgments in plain English to establish themselves as experts in their fields.

• Making Legal Writing Impactful – Francis Kamulegeya (Non-Executive Director, MTN Uganda) highlighted the power of structured, credible writing, sharing an example of how well-crafted legal writing influenced a tax policy change.

• Lessons from Media & Editing – Carol Alyse Beyanga (Media Consultant, Uganda) provided an external perspective, emphasizing that legal writing should be engaging, clear, and analytical, rather than a mere repetition of court rulings.

• Legal Writing and Social Impact – Isabel Acquah (Executive Director, Certa Foundation) encouraged lawyers to use their writing skills to support marginalized communities, startups, and legal education initiatives.

In conclusion, effective legal writing is not just about what lawyers say, but about what clients understand, how they feel, and how they act. Strong communication builds trust, prevents misunderstandings, and enhances the lawyer-client relationship. Lawyers who master this skill stand out as credible advisors and thought leaders.

For more insights about the session, please click on the link to watch the full video: https://www.youtube.com/live/7q–a9ggucs?si=CgFjRr3iyDqRE0ij

For more information about the subject, please visit: https://ealawsociety.org