After graduating from Northwestern University, Mike began his career with the CongressionalDigest, a publication that has earned a reputation, over a span of 80 years, for presenting different sides of complex political issues in lean, unpretentious language. Years later, in a 1996 interview, he recalled the experience:
As an instructor, Mike is not a dull ivory-tower type. His background includes . . .
Conducting writing programs for staff professionals from more than a hundred U.S. House and Senate offices.
Editing the Department of Veterans Affairs' FY 2000 Annual Performance Report, ranked first by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University among submissions from all federal departments.
Writing and editing briefs and other legal documents that have played a significant role in successful legal actions.
Editing books and articles that have been featured prominently in the national media, including The Washington Post, Legal Times, Federal Times, NBC's Today show, and CNN's Larry King Live.
Editing the Hill Rag, a Capitol Hill newsmagazine, from 1980 to 1982. The publication grew from 36 pages to 98 pages, and advertising revenue increased 300 percent.
Teaching secondary school English in Washington, D.C.; Berkeley, Calif.; Prince Frederick, Md; and Washington Depot, Conn.
Making television commercials in New York for Fortune 500 companies.
Mike McClory's presentations are lively and interesting as well as informative and up-to-date. Participants in his classes have come from a broad cross section of business, government, and nonprofit organizations:
Mike McClory has taught writing to people of all ages and backgrounds, from fourth graders to Ph.Ds. In 1983, he began developing a simple, practical writing system — the WriteSmart 12-Step System — based on the techniques used by America's top professional writers and editors. Since then, thousands of participants in his classes have learned how to make their reports (letters, proposals, legal and technical documents, e-mail messages, etc.) as easy to read as a magazine article.
Academy for Educational Development
U.S. Government Printing Office
Sutherland, Asbill & Brennan
Department of Veterans Affairs
U.S. House and Senate (both parties)
Association of American Medical Colleges
General Dynamics
National Association of Homebuilders
Department of Agriculture
Government Technology Services Inc
Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts
Environmental Protection Agency
Department of Defense
Department of Transportation
National Audobon Society
Newsweek Magazine
Department of Justice
Group Health Association
Burson-Marsteller
Amtrak
American Psychological Association
Bureau of National Affairs
Educational Testing Service
Federal Trade Commission
American Gas Association
American Ecology Corporation
The Smithsonian Institution
National Petroleum Council
Tracor
MCI
American Pharmaceutical Association
National Association of Securities Dealers
Wider Opportunities for Women
Social Security Administration
Federal Communications Commission
Life Cycle Engineering
LCC International
IBM
FBI
ACTION
Peace Corps
Marine Corps Institute
Research Institute of America
WilmerHale
The Nature Conservancy
Baker & McKenzie
Library of Congress
U.S. Supreme Court
US West (now Quest)
Public Health Foundation
WOR – TV
ANSER
Prince George’s County
Cassidy & Associates
American Association of Architects
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
State Justice Institute
Wheat First Securities
National Urban League
Congressional Hispanic Caucus
Department of Treasury
Chronicle of Higher Education
Warner-Lambert
Meridian Corporation
AARP
TRW
General Services Administration
General Accounting Office
The Learning Group
Bureau of Indian Affairs
AMS
NASA
Phoenix Systems
National Institutes of Health
With more than 25 years of experience in business, government, editing, and education, Mike McClory has a unique understanding of your day-to-day writing problems – and how to solve them.
Working with seasoned professional editors was full of surprises. I found, for instance, that people in the publishing business expend an enormous amount of time and energy applying the fundamentals of grammar, usage, and punctuation. In a few weeks, I learned more about writing than I had learned in four years of college.
