Course Description
Legal Process, Analysis, and Writing. Lawyers solve problems. This course is designed to introduce you to a variety of the skills necessary to solve legal problems. The focus this semester is on objective written communication. The easiest way to become an excellent lawyer is to hone the skills every solid professional writer possesses, including skeptical curiosity, a sense for organization and detail, and, of course, impeccable writing skills. This course will " develop and sharpen the knowledge and skills key to the effective practice of law; including the basic structure of the U.S. legal system, case and statutory analysis, recognizing distinctions between holding and dicta, and understanding the role of precedent and hierarchy of authority; " emphasize the need to identify purpose, audience, and context for each document; " address fundamental principles of organization on a large-scale and small-scale basis; " include instruction in writing, research, legal citation, and oral advocacy.
Updated: 04/05/2011