Chris Rideout

Professor Chris Rideout is a faculty member at Seattle University School of Law, specializing in legal writing pedagogy and rhetorical theory. His scholarship explores the intersection of narrative rationality, persuasion, and cognitive psychology in legal contexts. Since the 1990s, he has contributed significantly to redefining legal writing instruction through interdisciplinary frameworks.

• Primary research areas: Legal writing, narrative theory, rhetorical analysis
• Key contributions: Integrating Aristotelian rhetoric with modern psychological models of persuasion
• Editorial work: Led scholarly initiatives on legal writing research (1991)

His 2008 article Storytelling, Narrative Rationality, and Legal Persuasion established foundational insights into narrative-based legal reasoning, while later works like 2009 Voice, Self, and Persona in Legal Writing examined authorial identity in legal discourse. Though no formal awards are documented in the provided materials, his publications have been downloaded over 7,000 times, indicating significant scholarly impact.