Scribes—The American Society of Legal Writers has posted the video of its March 5, 2026 CLE program featuring Professor Wes E. Henricksen of Barry University School of Law, winner of the 2025 Scribes Book Award. The program centers on Henricksen’s acclaimed book, In Fraud We Trust: How Leaders in Politics, Business, and Media Profit from Lies—and How to Stop Them, and is now available on the Scribes website. In a conversation with Justice Michael B. Hyman of the Illinois Appellate Court, Chair of Scribes’ Book Award Committee, Henricksen discussed the question that drove the book: why large-scale lies in politics, business, and media can cause real harm yet often fall outside traditional fraud law. He explained how mass deception now moves faster and farther than legal rules designed for one-on-one wrongdoing, and why any serious response must account for both public harm and First Amendment protections. The program also showed why the book earned Scribes’ top honor. Henricksen made a difficult subject accessible without watering it down. He spoke about how deception works, why it is so hard to detect, and how the law might respond more effectively. As the Book Award Committee recognized, the book stands out not just for its research, but also for its clear, readable writing. For lawyers, judges, professors, and students, the conversation offered an added bonus: practical insight into the writing process. Henricksen described book writing as a long cycle of drafting, revising, cutting, and returning to the manuscript with fresh eyes. He also shared advice familiar to every good legal writing teacher: strong writing rarely appears in one draft. It gets better through time, discipline, and revision. The recorded program is worth watching for anyone interested in legal writing, free speech, and the growing problem of large-scale deception in public life. Watch the video on the Scribes website: https://scribes.org/2026/02/09/scribes-2025-book-award-cle-program-on-thursday-march-5-2026/

February 7, 2026: Scribes—The American Society of Legal Writers is pleased to welcome ix new directors to the Board. Their work spans the appellate bench, complex litigation, attorney training, legal writing education, and law librarianship. Collectively, they bring a wealth of legal writing expertise that will advance Scribes’ mission and strategic goals.