Legal Definitions - Association of Legal Writing Directors

The Association of Legal Writing Directors (ALWD) is a non-profit organization made up of directors and former directors of legal writing programs in law schools, mostly in the United States. It was established in 1996 to improve these programs and support research and scholarship in the field.

The ALWD conducts an annual survey of legal writing programs in collaboration with the Legal Writing Institute. It also holds a biennial conference, maintains a listserv, represents writing teachers before the American Bar Association, and publishes various resources, including the ALWD Citation Manual.

For example, if a law student needs to cite a source in their paper, they can use the ALWD Citation Manual to ensure they are following the correct format. The ALWD also provides a platform for legal writing directors to share ideas and best practices, ultimately improving the quality of legal writing education.