What kinds of writing assignments can I expect in Legal Writing classes?
The law school requires two courses: Legal Analysis, Writing and Research 1 (“LAWR 1”) and Legal Analysis, Writing and Research 2 (“LAWR 2”). In addition, students can take a variety of upper-level courses in advanced legal writing, appellate advocacy, and legal drafting. In LAWR 1, professors typically assign interoffice memoranda. The assignments pose a legal issue confronting a hypothetical client, and the writer must inform the reader of “the law” on a particular issue and predict how a court might decide the client’s issue. Some professors also assign other types of shorter research and writing assignments. In LAWR 2, professors typically assign trial memoranda of law, which are also called trial “briefs.” For these assignments, the writer must persuade a court to rule in favor of the writer’s client. Some professors also assign other types of shorter research and writing assignments. In the upper-level courses, assignments vary widely. For more information, students should ask th
