Legal Writing: A 360 Degree View from a Judge, an Attorney, and a Paralegal

Paige Adamczyk, Moderator | Adamczyk Legal PC

Paige Adamczyk is an ethics practitioner and entertainment attorney at Adamczyk Legal PC. She handles cases in ethics, including State Bar defense and moral character applications and determinations, intellectual property, and entertainment law throughout California. She serves as counsel and legal consultant for various artists, production companies and entertainment entities in Los Angeles and the surrounding area. Ms. Adamczyk is a member of the Association of Professional Responsibility Lawyers (APRL), the Los Angeles Intellectual Property Association (LAIPLA), the Beverly Hills Bar Association (BHBA), the American Bar Association (ABA), the Los Angeles County Bar Association (LACBA) and is the second Vice President of the Association of Disciplinary Defense Counsel (ADDC).Her free time is dedicated to Shelter2Service, a non-profit organization she started for the benefit both shelter animals and individuals with disabilities.

Ryan S. Little | Little Legal, LLLC

Ryan S. Little is the founder of Little Legal, a multi-state legal ethics firm with clients across California, Hawaii, and Alabama. He advises lawyers and law firms on compliance, risk management, and disciplinary defense, with a focus on resolving complex professional responsibility issues through precise legal writing and strategic communication.

Ryan began his career as disciplinary counsel for the Hawaii Office of Disciplinary Counsel, where he litigated cases from investigation through trial and appeal. He later joined a West Coast firm’s renowned legal ethics group, representing high-profile lawyers and major law firms in matters before the State Bar of California.

In 2024, Ryan launched Little Legal with one goal: to help lawyers “do the right thing” when it comes to ethics. The firm’s reputation for excellence and discretion has attracted a client base that includes some of the most recognizable names in the legal profession.

He is a member of the ABA’s Center for Professional Responsibility and the Association of Professional Responsibility Lawyers (APRL), where he chairs the Membership Committee. Ryan is a frequent speaker on legal ethics issues—including trust accounting, conflicts of interest, and regulatory gray areas in cannabis and AI—and has presented to the Hawaii State Bar Association, the National Organization of Bar Counsel, and the San Francisco Bar Association. His insights have appeared in Bloomberg Law, Law360, the Daily Journal, and other media outlets.

Ryan holds degrees from Auburn University and the William S. Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawaiʻi.

Giselle Gerardo | Cha Law Ethics

Giselle Gerardo is a senior legal assistant at a law firm specializing in legal ethics, with over a decade of legal experience supporting attorneys in trial preparation, legal research, and drafting complex legal filings. She previously worked with the U.S. Department of Justice at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Criminal Division, and the Harriett Buhai Center for Family Law. During her tenure at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Giselle was honored with the Department of Justice’s Executive Office for United States Attorneys (EOUSA) Director’s Award for Superior Performance by a Litigative Team. Giselle holds a Master of Arts in National Security Studies and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, with a minor in Pre-Law. She is also a state-certified domestic violence advocate and holds a California Court Interpreter Certificate from the Southern California School of Interpretation. Her expertise in legal writing, court procedures, and case management reflects a career dedicated to precision, clarity, and client-centered advocacy.

John Morelli | Jacobs, Schwalbe & Petruzzelli, P.C.

Mr. Morelli is a certified civil trial attorney who has been actively appearing before juries since he was admitted to the bar in 1981. The Supreme Court of New Jersey has Certified Mr. Morelli as a Civil Trial Attorney, a distinction that less than 2% of attorneys achieve. Mr. Morelli is a 1981 graduate of Rutgers University Law School. He holds a B.A. degree from LeMoyne College in Syracuse, New York. While an undergraduate, Mr. Morelli was a member of the Pi Gamma Mu National Honor Society. He graduated cum laude, with honors in Political Science in 1978.

He is admitted to practice in the states of New Jersey, Pennsylvania and California as well as the United States District Courts for New Jersey, the Eastern and Middle Districts of Pennsylvania, the Southern District of California, the United States Claims Court and the United States Supreme Court. He is a member of the New Jersey State Bar Association, the Camden County Bar Association, the California Bar Association and the California Lawyers Association.

Mr. Morelli served as the Municipal Court Judge for Waterford and Voorhees Townships, the Boroughs of Stratford, Woodlynne and Collingswood from 1997 until 2018. Mr. Morelli has served as a member of the Municipal Court Practice Committees for the New Jersey State Bar Association and the Camden County Bar Association. He has authored The History of the Municipal Courts which appeared in New Jersey Lawyer magazine as well as articles on Lincoln the Lawyer and a book chapter in the New Jersey Municipal Court Practice Manual. Mr. Morelli has also been appointed by the New Jersey Supreme Court to the District IV Ethics Committee where he served for 10 years. He served as the Vice Chair, then as Chair of the District IV Ethics Committee during his tenure on the committee. Mr. Morelli has argued cases before the New Jersey Supreme Court and has been involved in over forty reported cases.

Mr. Morelli served as the City Attorney and Director of the Department of Law for the City of Trenton, New Jersey from 2018 until 2021. In addition to supervising the staff attorneys, Mr. Morelli was responsible for the management of all litigation matters, all urban redevelopment projects as well as the drafting of all resolutions and ordinances on behalf of the City. He served as the chief legal advisor to both the Mayor and City Council. As City Attorney, Mr. Morelli was responsible for the drafting of a comprehensive zoning ordinance for medical marijuana facilities in the City of Trenton. He has negotiated redevelopment and land use agreements involving some of the largest national marijuana companies.

Mr. Morelli also drafted a comprehensive regulatory plan for the marijuana industry within the City of Trenton which has served as a model ordinance for other municipalities within the State as well as throughout the country. Since 2024, he has been actively involved in the defense of California State Bar disciplinary matters both with Cha Legal Ethics and Erin Joyce Law. He is also the author of The Angel Theory and Intended Consequences.

I. Everyday legal writing that matters | 2:00pm – 2:15pm

II. The essentials of clarity and credibility | 2:15pm – 2:30pm

III. Structuring for impact | 2:30pm – 2:45pm

IV. Revision strategies that work | 2:45pm – 3:00pm

Break | 3:00pm – 3:10pm

V. Modern tools for better writing | 3:10pm – 3:25pm

VI. Rapid-fire writing fixes: The 5 edits rule | 3:25pm – 3:40pm