LAW 5081

Lawyering

Course Description

Course information provided by the Courses of Study 2024-2025. Courses of Study 2024-2025 is scheduled to publish mid-June.

Lawyering is a full-year course designed to introduce first-year students to lawyering skills, with primary emphasis on legal writing, analysis, research, and oral presentations. Assignments are usually set in the context of a simulated law office (or judge's chambers). In the fall semester, students write predictive memoranda that point out the strengths and weaknesses of their client's case. To prepare the memoranda, students may need to determine the facts of the case by conducting interviews or depositions. Acting as junior attorneys, students will also make an oral presentation to a supervising attorney. The spring semester focuses on persuasive advocacy. Students prepare a memorandum, motion, or brief for submission to a court and, later, orally argue for their positions in a simulated court session. Throughout the year, students also learn the fundamentals of legal research. Instruction occurs not only in full-class sessions but also in individual conferences. Students receive extensive feedback on each major assignment.

When Offered Multi-semester course: Fall, Spring.

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