WORKSHOP ON LEGISLATIVE DRAFTING

JUNE 16-27, 2008

tuition fee: $3950
 
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INTENDED AUDIENCE: Members of parliaments, executive, and judicial branches; law drafters, lawyers, and other individuals with an interest in effective legislative drafting techniques and methods.

COURSE OBJECTIVES: This seminar stresses learning by doing. Participants will transform specific legislative proposals into draft legislative language and structure, including the drafting of a bill. Instruction will include the basics in drafting common statutory provisions. The United States legislative process will be introduced as a case study.

COURSE OUTLINE

Legislative Drafting Principles and Analysis

  • Applying legislative drafting principles and analysis to proposals for new legislation.

Elements of Legislative Drafting: Rules and Exercises

  • Achieving the intended legal effect;
  • Structuring and organizing bills and other legislation;
  • Drafting amendments, repeals, and superseding language to existing law;
  • Drafting clear legislative sentences.

Hands-On Drafting of Legislation

  • Drafting a bill from a specific legislative proposal;
  • Legislative devices to avoid constitutional confrontation with executive authority: exceptions, waivers, and accountability provisions.

Drafting Common Legislative Provisions

  • Enforcement provisions;
  • “Power of the purse” funding provisions;
  • Grant programs;
  • Governmental commissions.

Legislative Process

  • Law and social policy development;
  • Negotiating styles and techniques;
  • U.S. and foreign legislative process;
  • Implementation of treaties through domestic legislation;
  • Role of legislative committees in developing legislation;
  • Role of professional legislative services.

NOTE: This course will include meetings on Capitol Hill to observe the legislative drafting process.

 

Online Reference Materials on Legislative Drafting

Compiled by Elliot C. Chabot, esq. United States House of Representatives for the International Law Institute, 2005