Wayne Schiess

Wayne Schiess

  • Senior Lecturer - The David J. Beck Center for Legal Research, Writing, and Appellate Advocacy

Faculty Profile: Wayne Schiess

Main Profile Content

Biography

Wayne Schiess teaches legal writing, legal drafting, and plain English and speaks frequently on those subjects. He has also written dozens of articles and five books on practical legal-writing skills. He graduated from Cornell Law School, practiced law in Dallas, and then came to Texas Law. He blogs about legal writing at LEGIBLE.

Courses for Spring 2024

View Course History

Professional Activities

2023

2023

Seminar speaker

Law firm of Lloyd Gosselink, International Association of Industrial Accident Boards and Commissions, Texas Department of Public Safety, UTCLE, Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, SEALS Annual Conference, El Paso Dept. of Homeland Security Office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Texas Department of Insurance, Modern Family Law, Austin Bar Association Administrative Law Section

 

2022

2022

Seminar speaker

Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, Texas Second (Fort Worth) Court of Appeals, Texas Public Utilities Commission, Immigration & Customs Enforcement--El Paso Office of General Counsel, UTCLE Advanced Adminstrative Law Seminar, Texas Association of Appellate Court Attorneys, Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, Texas Office of the Attorney General, Multi-State Tax Commission.

2021

2021

Seminar speaker

Speaker on legal writing for Austin Bar Association, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement--Department of Homeland Security (Buffalo, New York, and El Paso, Texas), Texas Department of Insurance Division of Workers' Compensation, Texas Office of Injured Employee Counsel, Texas Court of Ciminal Appeals, Texas Office of the Attorney General.

2020

2020

Seminar speaker

Speaker on legal writing for UTCLE, Texas Department of Insurance, TDI General Counsel Division, Texas Office of the Attorney General, Texas Bar CLE, and Northern District of Florida Office of the Federal Public Defender.

2019

Seminar speaker

Speaker on legal writing for Austin Bar Association, Texas Public Utilities Commission, Texas Office of Injured Employee Counsel, UTCLE, Texas Department of Insurance, Texas Office of the Attorney General, Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, Texas Advanced Paralegal Seminar, Law firm of Hunton Andrews Kurth, Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, Texas Bar CLE, U.S. Attorneys Office--Southern District of Texas, Texas Center for the Judiciary, Teacher Retirement System of Texas.

2018

2018

Seminar speaker

Speaker on legal writing for British Petroleum, Austin Bar Association, Texas Public Utilities Commission, Texas Office of Public Insurance Counsel, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Texas State Office of Administrative Hearings, National Association of Workers' Compensation Judiciary, Office of Special Counsel--Immigration and Customs Enforcement, UTCLE, Texas Department of Insurance, Texas Office of the Attorney General, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Office of Assistance Secretary for Civil Rights, Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, Capital Area Paralegal Association, Law firm of Lloyd Gosselink, Bell County Bar Association

2017

2017

Seminar speaker

Seminar speaker on legal writing for Andrews Kurth LLP, Texas Office of the Attorney General, Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, National Association of Workers Compensation Judiciary, Texas Ethics Commission, UTCLE, and State Bar of Texas.

2016

2016

Seminar speaker

Seminar speaker on legal writing for Andrews Kurth LLP, Texas Office of the Attorney General, Austin Bar Association, Office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, National Association of Workers Compensation Judges, UTCLE, State Bar of Texas, and Texas Department of Insurance.

2014

November 30, 2014

Seminar speaker

Various

Seminar presenter and speaker on legal writing for UTCLE School Law Conference, Texas Office of the Attorney General, Austin Bar Association, UTCLE Conference on Criminal Appeals, Association of Judicial Disciplinary Counsel, Office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, Entergy Texas, Inc., and Texas Office of the Comptroller.

2013

November 30, 2013

Seminar speaker

Various

Austin Bar Association, Texas Office of the Attorney General, Texas State Office of Administrative Hearings, Law Firm of Rash Chapman, Texas Department of Insurance, Texas Office of the Comptroller, Texas Court of Criminal Appeals.

November 8, 2013

Visiting speaker

Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law, Arizona State University

Legal Communication & Rhetoric Visiting Scholar. Made possible by support from ALWD through a grant to support the Legal Communication & Rhetoric Visiting Scholars Grant Program

2012

November 30, 2012

Seminar Speaker

Various

Speaker on legal writing for Austin Bar Association, State Bar of Texas, UTCLE, Texas District & County Attorneys Association, Texas Court of Criminal Appeals.

2011

November 30, 2011

Seminar speaker

Various

Speaker on legal writing for Austin Bar Association, State Bar of Texas, Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, Texas Department of Aging and Disability, and Center for Plain Language / Clarity / Scribes annual conference.

2010

November 30, 2010

Columnist

Austin Lawyer magazine

Author of monthly column on legal writing for Austin Lawyer magazine.

November 30, 2010

Seminar Presenter

Various

Seminar speaker on legal writing for the State Commission on Judicial Conduct, Teacher Retirement System of Texas, and the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals.

November 30, 2010

Award finalist

Center for Plain Language

Drafting consultant for the revised Texas Pattern Jury Charges, which were named a finalist for a Clearmark Award.