Top of Their Game

Meet Dr Annetta Cheek: a true trailblazer of the plain language movement. 

After 25 years as a federal employee, Annetta saw firsthand how badly government communication was failing the people it was meant to serve. From chairing PLAIN, the federal interagency plain language group, to serving as chief plain language expert on Vice President Al Gore’s National Partnership for Reinventing Government, she became one of the most influential voices pushing for clarity, accountability and human-centered communication. In this episode, Annetta shares how she discovered plain language, what it took to convince government that clarity was worth legislating for, and the long road to passing the US Plain Writing Act of 2010. It’s a powerful conversation about persistence, persuasion, and the real-world impact of writing that people can actually understand.Learn more about Annetta's work:  

• Introducing Annette Cheek on the International Plain Language Federation. 

• Annetta’s profile on Clarity International. 

• These word cops stand guard to keep language clear and simple, in the Los Angeles Times. 

Top of Their Game has been brought to you by In-Game Learning: the most fun you'll ever learn. 

Meet Prof. Joe Kimble — a true legend of plain-language legal writing.

After 35 years teaching legal writing at Cooley Law School, helping draft the US Federal Rules of Evidence and Civil Procedure, and authoring three landmark books, Joe has spent a career proving that the law can be clear, human and accessible.

In our very first episode, Joe shares how he found plain language, the lessons he’s learned along the way, and why clarity matters for all writers — legal or not. We couldn’t imagine a better guest to kick things off.

Learn more about Joe’s work:

• Law books

• Kids’ books

• Selected articles

• Plain Language Column

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