LINDA EDWARDS

Public Lecture

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Event Details:

A FREE PUBLIC LECTURE ON THE POWER OF NARRATIVE

You are invited to join Arizona Law's outstanding legal writing faculty for this free public lecture by Professor Linda Edwards, a national star in the legal writing field. She will be speaking on "Briefs That Changed the World: The Myth of Redemptive Violence." CLE credit is available. Below is her own short description of the one-hour presentation on a technique often used by the government in criminal appeals.

Event Information:

Speaker: Prof. Linda H. Edwards
JALWD Visiting Scholar in Rhetoric & Writing

Date: Wed Nov 3, 2010

Time: 3:00 - 4:00 pm

Location: Ares Auditorium

Topic: Briefs That Changed the World: The Myth of Redemptive Violence

About the Speaker:

Linda H. Edwards is Professor of Law at the William S. Boyd School of Law, University of Nevada Las Vegas, where she teaches Property I and II; Wills, Trusts, and Estates; and Law and Rhetoric. Before joining the Boyd faculty, she was the Macon Professor of Law at Mercer University. Professor Edwards is the author of three books and numerous articles in the areas of Legal Writing and Property. She is a frequent speaker at national conferences on writing and persuasion, and she was the recipient of the 2008 Thomas F. Blackwell Award for achievement in legal writing. Professor Edwards is on the faculty of the Persuasion Institute, sponsored by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. Her current scholarship focuses on the intersection of myth, metaphor, and legal argument.

About the Lecture:

"From the ancient Babylonian creation myth, the Enuma Elish, to today's Die Hard and Lethal Weapon, perhaps the most repeated story in human history is the Myth of Redemptive Violence. The story line seems almost second nature to us. An evil villain is wreaking havoc on innocent and helpless people. A brave hero fights the villain, facing great danger. Eventually, the hero kills the villain, thus restoring order. Watching the plot unfold on the big screen can seem so satisfying, and that is precisely why the myth is the foundation for nearly every brief filed by the government in a criminal appeal. Professor Edwards will explain the myth's power, identify its two most insidious characteristics, and suggest several responsive counter-strategies."

Additional Information:

Reception to follow

CLE credit available

This special event is made possible by support from ALWD through a grant to support the J. ALWD Visiting Scholars in Rhetoric & Writing.