LAWYERING SKILLS & STRATEGIES
SPRING 2016 COURSE INFORMATION
PROFESSOR MERLE MORRIS
mmorris@central.uh.edu
15 /Suite 15 BLB/713-743-2208
Office Hours: Mon. 1:00-2:00; Tue. 3:30-4:30; Thurs. 3:30-4:30 & By Appointment
Course Objectives
This semester you will continue to refine the legal analysis, research, and communication skills you
learned last semester. You will also learn oral and written advocacy skills, how to communicate with
clients, Texas citation form, legal drafting and scholarly writing.
Course Grade
The Law Center mandates that this course be graded on a curve between 2.8 and 3.2 with a mandatory
grade level percentage distribution requirement. The course is graded anonymously. Your grade in this
class will depend upon your performance on each graded assignment, your satisfactory completion of all
ungraded assignments.
Graded Assignments
Subject to grade adjustments covered in this Course Information, your final grade is comprised of the
following:
1. Appellate Brief Assignment (60%): due in the LSS office suite at 8:30 a.m., Monday, April 11;
2. Final Exam (30%): Tuesday, April 19 from 1:00-3:00;
3. Class Participation (10%).
If you turn in your Appellate Brief Assignment or your Final Drafting Assignment late, I will reduce your
grade by one grade level for the first hour (or part of the hour) that the paper is late (e.g., from a “B+” to a
“B”). After the first hour, I will reduce your grade by one additional grade level for every hour that the
paper is late. If your Assignment is turned in after 5:00 p.m. on the due date, I will not accept it, and your
course grade will be an “F.” Additionally, if you do not sit for the Final Exam, you will receive an “F” in
this course. If you are unable to complete the Assignments before the due dates, or if you are unable to sit
for the Final Exam when it is scheduled, you must submit a written request to me before the due dates or
the Exam date. In the event of a true emergency, you may contact me after the due dates or the date of
the Final Exam, but be advised: computer problems, including printer problems, do not constitute
true emergencies.
Ungraded Assignments
Throughout the semester I will assign a number of ungraded assignments that you must complete to my
satisfaction. Any work that in my discretion does not reflect a good faith effort will have to be rewritten
to an acceptable standard within a prescribed time; additionally, I may require a rewrite because an
assignment needs further work. All assignments are due at the beginning of the class, unless otherwise
stated. If you turn in more than one ungraded assignment late, I may lower your course grade by one
grade level (e.g., from a “B” to a “B-”). Any ungraded assignment not turned in at all will automatically
result in a lowering of your course grade by one grade level. Be sure to retain a copy of all your
assignments, both graded and ungraded. Core Grammar for Lawyers is an ungraded assignment and
requires completion. Finally, ten percent (10%) of your final grade depends upon class participation.
Participation contemplates your attention to and timely completion of ungraded assignments. In addition,
I expect you to be attentive and respectful to our guest speakers.
Class Attendance
In accordance with the Law Center attendance rules, you may miss no more than five scheduled classes or
mandatory class activities in this course. On your sixth absence, I will send you to the Associate Dean for
Student Affairs for consideration of withdrawal from the Law Center. I reserve the right to count you as
absent if you are not in the classroom or other specified location ten minutes after the class has begun or
are unprepared for class.
Web Course/Email Accounts
We will be using a web course maintained by The West Education Network (TWEN), where I will post
messages and important materials for the class. I will require you to register for the web course and will
hold you responsible for all material I post. From time to time, I will send you important messages via
either the email address you’ve used to register for the web course or your law school email address, and I
will assume that you will check both accounts (if they are different).
Legal Writing Center
Remember that you may obtain free individual tutoring at the Legal Writing Center, located in room 14D
BLB, just next door to the LSS suite. Several outstanding third-year law students staff the Center. They
will answer your questions on legal writing, research, and citation and will be able to help you with basic
grammar skills, proper English usage, and sentence/paragraph construction. You may schedule
appointments with the Writing Center tutors by emailing C_LawLegalWritingCenter@central.uh.edu or
calling 713-743-0759. Walk-ins are also welcome. Additionally, the Center will email “Writing Tips of
the Week” to you.
Honor Code
The Honor Code applies to this class. You are responsible for complying with the Honor Code and for
knowing its provisions. If you have questions about a certain activity, please ask me. I do not want
anyone to forego possible valid, valuable assistance because of unnecessary fears of the Honor Code, nor
do I want anyone to be placed at risk by inadvertent violation of the Honor Code.
Computer Use and Other Disruptions
In accordance with the Law Center’s computer use policy, I prohibit computer use in class for anything
other than completing activities I direct, taking notes, or accessing previous notes for my class, unless
otherwise directed by me. Similarly, to avoid disrupting the class, unless I give you permission, please
turn off your cell phone and avoid talking with your colleagues during class.
Course Materials
I will expect you to obtain the following materials for use in this course:
 Bradley G. Clary and Pamela Lysaght, Successful Legal Analysis and Writing: The Fundamentals
(3d ed. 2010).
 Tracy L. McGaugh & Christine Hurt, Interactive Citation Workbook for The Bluebook: A
Uniform System of Citation (2015 ed.).
 The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation (20th ed. 2015).
 The Redbook: A Manual on Legal Style (3d ed.).
 Texas Rules of Form (13th ed.).
 Supplemental Readings Packet labeled for my class.
 Core Grammar for Lawyers/On-line, no fee. Completion required.