English 271: Introduction to Legal Writing
MWF 11:15-12:10
Dr. Melissa Bloom
Basil 131; (585) 385-7397 mbloom@sjfc.edu
This course is intended to be an introduction to reading and writing legal documents. Students in this course will learn the different kinds of legal documents lawyers rely on and create, but will also learn methods of reading and analysis that are crucial to work in the law. Individually and as groups, students will research, read, and analyze cases and write up their findings in the proper formats, primarily the Legal Memorandum and the Legal Brief. At the end of the semester, students will present their findings as if they were arguing before a trial judge.
This is, primarily, a writing course. You must expect to do a good amount of writing and to bring it to class on the assigned days. You’ll find (in this class and in your life) that everything counts. Paragraphs still need to be appropriate lengths, and run-ons still count against you; whatever writing issues you have had coming into this class will still haunt you. Know your weaknesses. Prepare to work on them, in addition to the class material.
At the end of this semester you will:

Be able to read and analyze a rule of law

Understand and employ precedent decisions

Demonstrate the difference between descriptive and probative language
 Understand and employ the different “genres” of legal writing
Required Material:

Legal Writing , Neumann and Simon

Plain English for Lawyers, Wydick
You should also have:

A three ring binder big enough to keep several cases in. Your research will be online but you will want to print it all out, both for class and writing purposes

Highlighter(s), preferably several in different colors, again for class and your own writing practice.
Grade and Classroom Policies:
I expect you to come to class prepared. This means you have the book with you, you have done the reading, and you are prepared to talk about it, even if that takes the form of asking questions. Questions are wonderful.
In addition to regular reading, participation, homework assignments, and occasional quizzes, you will take a midterm and a final, and you will write 4 “papers” – Two Legal Memos and two Legal Briefs. You will need to do some research for these, but will be guided by Nancy Greico, who is a specialist in legal research for instruction.
7% Unit 1 (reading law, exercises and quiz)

15% Memo 1 (HW parts worth 10% of grade)
20% Memo 2
15% Brief 1 (HW parts worth 10%)
20% Brief 2
7% Trial participation (dress well, prepared well, spoke professionally, responded well)
8% Midterm
8% Final
Attendance Policy: Students may miss two classes without penalty. Three late arrivals will equal one absence. Subsequent absences will lower your final grade in the course.
Cell Phones: If your cell phone draws attention to itself in any way -- this includes the buzzing of
"vibrate" -- during class, then you will be asked to bring snacks for all to the next class meeting. If you have a personal situation that requires you leave your phone on, let me know before class begins.
Otherwise, turn it off. If you send or read a text message during class you will be counted absent for the entire class period.
Policy on Plagiarism : Plagiarism is the undocumented use of another person’s ideas, organization, or research on a written assignment. It is plagiarism to turn in a paper written by another student or to copy or paraphrase any portion of your text from another source (study guides, articles, books, another student’s paper or the Internet) without proper documentation. Any case of plagiarism will be prosecuted according to the guidelines in the SJFC handbook. Students who plagiarize will receive an F for the course.
Policy on Disabilities: In compliance with St. John Fisher College policy and applicable laws, appropriate academic accommodations are available to you if you are a student with a disability. All requests for accommodations must be supported by appropriate documentation/diagnosis and determined reasonable by St. John Fisher College. Students with documented disabilities (physical, learning, psychological) who may need academic accommodations are advised to make an appointment with the Coordinator of Services for students with disabilities in the Office of Academic
Affairs, Kearney 202. Late notification will delay requested accommodations.
Reading and Assignment Schedule
All reading and assignments are to be completed on the day listed. Schedule is subject to change.
W 1/14
F 1/16
Unit One: Reading Legal Documents
Read Chapters 2-4
M 1/19 Martin Luther King Day, NO 11:15 and 12:20 classes
W 1/21 Read chapters 1, 5-7, w/exercises [whenever there are exercises at the end of a chapter, you are expected to do them]
F 1/23 Quiz
M 1/26
W 1/28
F 1/30
M 2/2
W 2/4
Read Chapters 8-10
Exercises due/discussed/more in class
Library Session
Unit 2: The Legal Memo Read Chapters 14 & 15
Read Chapters 16 & 17, Appendix A (p. 267)

F 2/6
M 2/9
W 2/11
Read Chapters 18 & 19
F 2/13 Recess Day, No Classes
M 2/16
W 2/18
Memo 1 due.
Library assignment on Statute. (BB)
CREAC for Memo 2. (BB) F 2/20
M 2/23
W 2/25
F 2/27
Relevant cases (BB). Read Wydick 1-4
Statement of Facts. (BB)
M 3/2
W 3/4
F 3/6
Reading chapters 20-24. Rule Explanation (BB)
Rule Application (BB)
Midterm exam
Spring Break No Classes 3/9-3/13
M 3/16 Classes resume at 8:00 a.m. Memo 2 final due.
W 3/18
F 3/20
M 3/23
W 3/25
Unit 3: The Legal Brief
Read Appendices B, C, D
Read Chapters 25, 27, 28
Turn in Statement of Case (for adoption case)
Read Chapters 29-31
Facts/Elements chart
Read chapters 34 & 35
Loose outline of argument (highlight section headings)
Read Chapter 33 (skim)
Draft of Questions Presented and tentative policy argument
Library #2, exploring next case F 3/27
M 3/30
W 4/1
F 4/3
Wydick chapters 5-7 and 9
Brief 1 due draft of statement of facts,* question presented,* preliminary statement due
Using checklists
Annotated bibliography (see BB)
M 4/6
W 4/8
Anticipating Argument
Draft of Brief 2 due (see BB)
No Classes 4/9- 4/12 F 4/10
M 4/13 No Class
W 4/15 Read Chapters 32 and 36
F 4/17 Hearings

M 4/20
W 4/22
F 4/24
Hearings
Hearings
Hearings
Final Exam. Revised Brief due at exam.