SOURCEBOOK ON
LEGAL WRITING PROGRAMS
By
General Editor
Professor Eric B. Easton,
University ofBaltimore School ofLaw
Professor Mary Beth Beazley,
The Ohio State University Michael E. Moritz College ofLaw
Professor Bradle:L9~ry,
----------'---:::;-::-----::-::---::University ofMinnesota Law School
Professor Davalene Cooper,
New England School ofLaw
Professor Jo Anne Durako,
Stetson University Collegf} ofLaw
Professor Kristin Gerdy,
Brigham Young University J Reuben Clark Law School
Professor Jane Kent Gionfriddo,
Boston College Law School
Professor Jan Levine,
Temple University James E. Beasley School ofLaw
Professor Sue Liemer,
Southern Illinois University School ofLaw
Professor Pamela Lysaght,
University ofDetroit Mercy School ofLaw
Professor Nancy Soonpaa,
Texas Tech University School ofLaw
Professor Michael Smith,
Mercer University Walter F: George School ofLaw
Professor Mark Wojcik,
The John Marshall Law School
for
THE COMMUNICATION SKILLS COMMITTEE
THE SECTION OF LEGAL EDUCATION AND
ADMISSIONS TO THE BAR
THE AMERICAN BAR'ASSOCIATION
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Preface
Preamble
I.
XUl
1
GOALS OF A FIRST-YEAR LEGAL WRITING
COURSE
5
A~erstanding
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
. II.
the LegatSystemof the
United States
Analyzing Facts, Issues, and Legal Authorities
Conducting Efficient Legal Research
Communicating Effectively in Writing and
Orally
Recognizing and Addressing Professional
o'..........
Responsibility Issues
Appreciating the Varying Roles of the Lawyer,
from Analyst to Advocate
Applying Knowledge and Skills to Solve Legal
Problems
CONTENT IN FIRST-YEAR COURSES
A. Reasoning and Analysis Instruction
1. Basic Course Content
2. Integrating Legal Analysis, Research, and
Writing
3. Teaching Analytical Skills
B. Writing Instruction
1. Documents Commonly Used in Writing
Assignments ...;..................................................
2. Characteristics of Good Writing Assignments "
3. Incorporating Required Drafts
o'......
4'. Skills Taught
a. Organization
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C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
H.
1.
III.
b. Format
c. Writing Style
, ,
d. Citation Form
Research Instruction
1. Basic Research Instruction in the First Year
2. Upper-Level Research Instruction
Oral Advocacy Instruction
1. Oral Argument
a. Teaching the Skills
b. Demonstrating and Evaluating Skills
2. Other Oral Skills
Lawyering Skills Instruction (Interviewing,
Counseling, and Negotiation)
Norms of the Profession, Including Ethics
1. Introduction to Legal Ethics
2. Efficiency and Time Management
3. Other Professional Norms and Expectations
4. Academic Dishonesty, Plagiarism, and
Collaboration Policies
Teaching Self-Reliance or the Ability to
Educate Oneself
Overview of Curricular Sequence: Nature and
Number ofAssignments
a. First Semester
b. Second Semester
Tradeoffs and Choices
.
PEDAGOGICAL METHODS IN FIRST-YEAR<
COURSES
A. Teaching Classes
1. Teaching Techniques
2. Teaching and Learning Theory
B. Commenting on Papers
1. Critiquing Written Work
2. In-Class Review................................................
3. One-an-One Conferences
4. Grades
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C. Issues Specific to Effective Teaching of Research..
1. Pedagogical Approaches
a. Integrated versus Isolated
;.......
b. Process versus Product
2. Decisions About Staffing
a. LRW Professor Model................................
b. Collaborative Model............
c. Librarian Model..........................................
3. Evaluation of Students' Research Skills
4. Computer-Assisted Legal Research
:IJ~Tlre-111Ip~()rtan:ee-of-(Jo-o-d-Judgmeht in Teaching ..
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Iv.
GRADING AND ACADEMIC CREDIT
A. Grading Policies
B. Credit
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v:
STAFFING MODELS AND OTHER
PERSONNEL ISSUES
;........... 81
A. Full-Time Long-Term Writing Professors
87
1. Tenure-Track or Tenured Professors
: 87
a. Hired to Teach Legal Writing
87
i. Pedagogical and Curricular Advantages
and Disadvantages
87
11. Financial Costs of the Program
88
111. Suggested Student/Faculty Ratio
89
IV. Other Considerations
89
v. Role of the Director
91
b. Hired to Teach Legal Writing and Doctrinal
Courses
91
2. Clinical or Contract-Track Professors with Job
Security and a Role in Faculty Governance .... 93
a. Pedagogical and Curricular Advantages and
Disadvantages
;.................................. 93
b. Financial Costs of the Program
94
c. Suggested Student/Faculty Ratio
95
d. Law School and Programmatic Politics
95
e. Role of the Director
97
'~
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Page
B. Full-Time Short-Term Legal Writing Teachers
1. Contract-Track Teachers Without Job Security
orVote
a. Pedagogical and Curricular Advantages and
Disadvantages
b. Financial Costs of the Program
c. Suggested Student/Faculty Ratio ..
d. Law School and Programmatic Politics
e. Role of the Director
2. Graduate Law Students (Fellowships)
-a.-j;)edagogical~andGmricular Advantages and
Disadvantages
b. Financial Costs of the Program
c. Suggested Student/Faculty Ratio
d. Law School and Programmatic Politics
e.Role of the Director
C. Doctrinal Faculty Teaching Legal Writing
1. Pedagogical and Curricular Advantages and
Disadvantages
2. Financial Costs of the Program
3. Suggested Student/Faculty Ratios
4. Law School and Programmatic Politics
5. Role of the Director
D. Adjunct Professors
'"
1. Pedagogical and Curricular Advantages and
Disadvantages
2. Financial Costs of the Program
3. Suggested Student/Faculty Ratios
4. Law School and Programinatic Politics
5. Role of the Director
,
E. Third-Year Student-Teachers
1. Pedagogical and Curricular Advantages and
Disadvantages
2. Financial Costs of the Program
3. Suggested Student/Faculty Ratios
4. Law School and Programmatic Politics
5. Role of the Director
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F. Hybrid Program Designs
1. Possible Combinations
2. Special Concerns
G. Additional Instructional Support
1. Writing Specialists
a. Role of the Writing Specialist
i. Holding Student Conferences
ii. Training Legal Writing Professors
iii. Providing Workshops
iv. Publishing Scholarly Articles and
--------'Rooks
-;:-:~:.-:.:;.:.;
b. Status and Cost Issues
c. Role of the Director
2. Student Teaching Assistants
a. Role of Student Teaching Assistants
:
i:Ptoblem: Preparatioli
ii. Research Training
iii. Grading Aspects of Papers
iv. Answering Questions
v. Conducting Practice Arguments
vi. Providing Support
b. Choosing and Compensating Teaching
Assistants
VI.
HIRING A DIRECTOR
A. Structuring the Job
B. Methods of Hiring a Director
C. What to Look for in an Applicant
VII. 'ADMINISTRATION, TRAINING, AND OTHER
DIRECTOR'S RESPONSIBILITIES
A. Styles of Leadership
B. Processes for Hiring Legal Writing Professors
C. Supervisory Issues
1. Decisions: Books, Syllabus, Assignments,
Grading Policies, and Deadlines
2. Communication and Meetings
c~
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3. Student Evaluations
4. Training and Mentoring ..,
5. Evaluating Legal Writing Professors
,
a. Evaluating Tenure-Track Faculty
b. Evaluating Long-Term Contract Faculty
c. Evaluating "Capped" Faculty, Part-Time
Adjuncts, and Student Instructors
i. Capped Faculty
ii. Adjunct Faculty
iii. Student Teachers
d_ClassrooillcEvaluationsc -...... .•........................
6. The Director as Political Buffer
L
7. Dealing with the Administration, Faculty, and
Students
VIII. BEYOND THE FIRST YEAR: UPPER-LEVEL
PROGRAMS
A. Programmatic Issues
~
1. Upper-Level Courses Defined
2. The Need for Upper-Level Courses
3. Status Issues Affecting Upper-Level Courses
4. Staffing Options
5. Credit Hours, Student-Faculty Ratios
6. Program Structures
a. Required or Optional
b. Sequence or Smorgasbord
c. Focused or Integrated
d. Certificate Programs
B. Types of Upper-Level Courses
~................
1. Horizontal Courses
a. Legal Drafting Courses
i. General Legal Drafting Courses
ii. Transactional, Litigation, and
Legislative Drafting Courses
iii. Subject-Specific Drafting Courses
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Page
iv. Drafting Assignments in Doctrinal
Courses
l
v. Clinical Courses with Drafting
Instruction
b. Designing a Legal Drafting Program
c. Seminar Courses
d. Judicial Opinion Writing
2. Vertical Courses
a. Advanced Appellate Advocacy
b. Advanced Persuasive Writing
---~-~
c. AdvancedlYlemorandum Writing
d. Advanced Research
3. Hybrids: Survey Courses on Advanced Legal
Writing
4. Integrated Courses
a. Skills-Based Courses
b. Doctrine-Based Courses
c. Writing Across the Curriculum
C. Co-curricular and Extra-curricular Instruction in
Advanced Skills
1. Scholarly Writing
a. Seminar Courses or Independent Study
b. Scholarly Paper Competitions
2. Moot Court Teams
3. Law Review Advising
4. Bar Exam Preparation
5. Placement Workshops
6. Consulting with Other Professors' Classes
IX.
LAW STUDENTS WHO SPEAK ENGLISH AS A
SECOND LANGUAGE
A. The Students
1. LL.M. Students Who Plan to Return to Their
Home Countries
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2. LL.M. Students Who Plan to Take a State Bar
Examination
3. J.D. Students Who Speak English as a Second
Language
4. Non-Degree Students
5. EFL Students
B. Meeting Student Needs With Special Classes
C. IdentifYing Resources
D. Materials and Methods
E. Evaluating ESL Students
-------cP-.Gemmitment
::-:.-;;:
X.
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ABA ACCREDITATION STANDARDS AND
LEGAL WRITING
A. Introduction
B. About the Section of Legal Education and
Admission to the Bar
C. Promulgation of Standards
:
1. Brief Review of the Process
2. Importance of the Public Comment Phase
3. Role otAffiliated Groups .............•..................
D. Standards Affecting Legal Writing
"I. 1996 Revisions
2. 2000-2001 Revisions
3. 2003-2005 Revisions
4. Why the Standards Do Not Refer to Salaries
E. Inspection Process
F. Conclusion
Appendix: Works Cited
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Bibliography ofBooks, Articles, and Periodicals
on Legal Writing Programs and Instruction
http://www.abanet. org/legaled/publications/pubs.html
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