Legal Writing Program

Required Courses

Contracts or Criminal Law with a Writing Component

Each first semester student is also enrolled in a small-section doctrinal course with a writing component. During the semester, students complete two or three writing assignments based on doctrinal course material, receiving feedback on each.

Introduction to Legal Research

This course meets in the early weeks of both the fall and spring semesters. Classes are taught by the professional librarians and cover print and electronic formats used for researching state and federal judicial, administrative, statutory and secondary sources. The course requires completion of weekly assignments and midterm and final examinations.

Legal Writing I

Legal Writing I covers research strategy, forms of legal reasoning, professionalism, and predictive legal writing. The course examines organizational paradigms and the use of authorities in analyzing questions governed by (1) a single-issue analysis; (2) a conjunctive analysis (a rule with mandatory elements); and (3) a factors analysis (articulated or unarticulated). Typically, at least one of the assignments will be based on a statute. The course teaches writing as a constructive process and requires completion of at least two major writing assignments (one state law and one federal law) and a final examination.

Legal Writing II

Legal Writing II continues coverage of research strategy, forms of legal reasoning, and professionalism, but now in the context of a new form of discourse – persuasion. The course examines organizational paradigms and the use of authorities in (1) questions governed by an articulated or unarticulated factors analysis; and (2) questions raising a pure issue of law. Students will study the standards of appellate review and will write at least one appellate brief. Typically, one of the assignments will require statutory construction. Course requirements include completion of at least two major writing assignments and two oral arguments. Membership on the school's Moot Court Board is based primarily on performance on the final brief and oral argument of this course.

Seminars

Under the supervision of a professor, upper division students complete a traditional academic seminar paper or another writing task of approximately the same scope and difficulty. Seminars in a variety of subject matters are offered. Recent examples are:

• Great Trials
  
• Mass Media
  
• Sports Law
  
• Feminine Jurisprudence
  
• Constitutional Law
  
• Elder Law
  
• American Legal History
  
• Civil Rights
  
• Corporate Issues
  
• Disability Law
  
• Public Education
  
• Legal Ethics
  
• Labor Law
  
• Environmental Law
  
• Domestic Relations Law
  
• Animal Law