On August 6-8, 2024, the USAID Rule of Law Program supported training sessions to enhance the legal writing skills of the Public Defender’s Office (PDO) staff. The training saw participation from 23 individuals across various PDO departments, including the Equality Department, Gender Department, Child Rights Department, Department for the Protection of Persons with Disabilities, and the Division of Strategic Litigation.

Led by Eter Chachanidze, a distinguished expert in legal writing, the training focused on critically evaluating existing PDO recommendations and reports issued to state and non-state actors, identifying strengths, and pinpointing areas for enhancement. Participants were taught the importance of adapting legal documents to the comprehension levels of their targeted audience. The sessions covered best practices in legal writing, with international examples demonstrating effective document creation, citation standards, and argumentation techniques.

A highlight of the training was the introduction of the IRAC/TREAC method, a structured approach to legal writing. This method emphasizes key sections such as factual background, hypothesis, regulation/norm, application, and conclusion. The IRAC (Issue, Rule, Application, Conclusion) and TREAC (Thesis, Rule, Explanation, Application, Conclusion) frameworks are designed to help legal professionals organize their analyses clearly and logically. By adhering to these structured approaches, participants can produce documents that are both coherent and logically organized.

The training also included practical exercises, allowing participants to refine their drafts with expert guidance and feedback. The sessions featured individual and group work, presentations, and in-depth discussions. The training concluded with a summary that reviewed best practices and explored strategies for integrating these techniques into daily work.

The PDO staff members who participated found the intensive training program beneficial, deepened their understanding of document development, and enhanced their professional capabilities.