Legal Writing Institute
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
THE LEGAL WRITING INSTITUTE (LWI) IS A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION WHOSE MISSION IS TO IMPROVE LEGAL WRITING, TO PROMOTE AND IMPROVE LEGAL WRITING INSTRUCTION, AND TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC AND THE MEMBERS OF THE BAR ABOUT LEGAL REASONING, RESEARCH, AND WRITING. TO THAT END, THE LEGAL WRITING INSTITUTE PROVIDES A FORUM FOR THE EXCHANGE OF IDEAS ABOUT LEGAL WRITING AND ABOUT RESEARCH AND SCHOLARSHIP REGARDING LEGAL WRITING. ANY PERSON INTERESTED IN THESE ISSUES MAY BECOME A MEMBER. LWI IS RUN FOR THE BENEFIT OF ITS MEMBERS. NO FURTHER SELECTION CRITERIA APPLIES.
- Income
- $391,291
- Spending
- $231,153
- Spent on programs
- 94%
- Reserves
- 20.7 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 67%
- Employees
- 0
- Volunteers
- 300
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Strong: 100 out of 100.
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 20.7 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 0% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 41% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 284% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1594% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Good: 75 out of 100.
Independent board
25 of 2516 of 16 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
0 of 8Reports no written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
0 of 7Reports no written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Independent check of accounts
6 of 15Its accounts were not audited or reviewed by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (4)
- $166,316 spent. LWI BIENNIAL CONFERENCE:THE FLAGSHIP BIENNIAL CONFERENCE DRAWS AROUND 450 PARTICIPANTS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND AROUND THE WORLD FOR FOUR DAYS OF SHARING INFORMATION, LEARNING NEW IDEAS, CELEBRATING AT A GALA EVENT, AND CONTINUING CONVERSATIONS WITH FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES. LAW SCHOOL'S SUBMIT PROPOSALS TO HOST THIS PRESTIGIOUS CONFERENCE. BENCH AND BAR CONFERENCE:THE APPLIED LEGAL STORYTELLING CONFERENCE DRAWS AROUND 100-125 PARTICIPANTS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND AROUND THE WORLD FOR THREE DAYS OF SHARING INFORMATION, LEARNING NEW IDEAS, CELEBRATING AT A GALA EVENT, AND CONTINUING CONVERSATIONS WITH FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES.
- $18,177 spent. THE SIRICO SCHOLARS' WORKSHOP:WORKSHOP IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR BOTH NEW AND EXPERIENCED LEGAL WRITING SCHOLARS TO GATHER IN SMALL GROUPS TO PROVIDE CRITIQUES AND SUPPORT FOR EACH OTHER'S WORK IN PROCESS. EACH PARTICIPANT IS EXPECTED TO HAVE A WORK IN PROCESS THAT, WHILE NOT YET COMPLETED, IS AT A STAGE OF DEVELOPMENT WHERE OTHER SCHOLARS CAN REVIEW THEIR WORK AND PROVIDE CONSTRUCTIVE FEEDBACK. THE FORMAT INCLUDES BOTH SMALL AND LARGE GROUP SESSIONS. EVERY PARTICIPANT IS ASSIGNED TO A SMALL GROUP OF THREE OTHER SCHOLARS PLUS AN EXPERIENCED SCHOLAR/FACILITATOR AND IS EXPECTED TO REVIEW AND PROVIDE CRITIQUES IN A HELPFUL GROUP SESSION FOR THE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE GROUP. THERE WILL ALSO BE SEVERAL LARGE-GROUP MEETINGS THAT WILL INCLUDE DISCUSSION OF NAVIGATING THE PUBLICATION PROCESS, HOW TO FIND OR MAKE TIME TO WRITE, AND OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOLARLY DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.ONE-DAY WORKSHOPS:EVERY YEAR IN NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER, LWI SPONSORS ONE-DAY WORKSHOPS ON SELECTED TOPICS AT LAW SCHOOLS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. THESE WORKSHOPS OFTEN GIVE MEMBERS AN OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND A CONFERENCE IN A MORE INTIMATE SETTING CLOSE TO HOME AND HELP BUILD REGIONAL RELATIONSHIPS AMONG FACULTY. FOR 2024, 50 PARTICIPANTS HAVE REGISTERED.SUMMER AND WINTER BOOTCAMPS AND VIDEOS:THE BOOTCAMP PROVIDES AN INTRODUCTION TO TEACHING 1L LEGAL WRITING FROM EXPERT LEGAL WRITING FACULTY AS WELL AS ADVICE FROM MORE JUNIOR COLLEAGUES ABOUT GETTING STARTED. TOPICS INCLUDE MANAGING THE 1L LEGAL WRITING CLASSROOM, ACTIVITIES AND EXERCISES, DEI IN THE LEGAL WRITING CLASSROOM, GRADING AND GIVING FEEDBACK, AND TEACHING WITH TECHNOLOGY. BOOTCAMP PARTICIPANTS RECEIVE TWO DAYS OF INTERACTIVE TRAINING AND LEAVE THE BOOTCAMP WITH A SET OF TEACHING MATERIALS AND RESOURCES THEY CAN USE IN THEIR FALL COURSES. THERE ARE ALSO OPPORTUNITIES TO SOCIALIZE AND NETWORK WITH FACILITATORS AND OTHER PARTICIPANTS. FOR THE 2024 SESSIONS, 61 PARTICIPANTS ATTENDED THE IN-PERSON SUMMER BOOTCAMP, 108 JOINED THE DECEMBER ONLINE SESSION, AND 49 RECORDED SESSIONS HAVE BEEN SOLD.
- $27,629 spent. JOURNAL OF LEGAL WRITING WEBSITE:IN ITS NEARLY 30 YEARS OF PUBLICATION, THE JOURNAL HAS ENCOURAGED AND COMMUNICATED SCHOLARLY RESEARCH DEVOTED TO THE THEORY, SUBSTANCE, AND PEDAGOGY OF LEGAL WRITING.
- $6,133 spent. BLACKWELL AWARD RECEPTION (CO-HOST WITH ASSOCIATION OF LEGAL WRITING DIRECTORS):RECEPTION HONORING THE BLACKWELL AWARD RECIPIENT. THE AWARD RECOGNIZES A PERSON WHO HAS MADE AN OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO IMPROVING THE FIELD OF LEGAL WRITING BY DEMONSTRATING THE ABILITY TO NURTURE AND MOTIVATE STUDENTS TO EXCELLENCE; A WILLINGNESS TO HELP OTHER LEGAL WRITING EDUCATORS IMPROVE THEIR TEACHING SKILLS AND LEGAL WRITING PROGRAMS; AND AN ABILITY TO CREATE AND INTEGRATE NEW IDEAS FOR TEACHING AND MOTIVATING LEGAL WRITING EDUCATORS AND STUDENTS. IN JULY 2024, APPROXIMATELY 75 PEOPLE ATTENDED THE EVENT.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 30, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 10, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since May 1991.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 7, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.