Advanced Legal Writing Seminar

Limit: 16 students

The Advanced Legal Writing seminar is designed for second, third, and fourth year students who have successfully completed Legal Analysis and Writing (LAW). The course is designed to apply broadly to many of the writing situations that students will encounter as legal professionals. It emphasizes two elements of good written communication: 1) style-effective editing for clarity and conciseness; and 2) reasoning-critical reading and persuasion.

Students will complete several writing assignments throughout the semester and make a twenty minute oral presentation. These assignments may include a statute, a negotiated contract, an advice letter to a client, and a judicial opinion. These documents will be used as vehicles to develop such critical skills as clarity and accuracy in word choice, awareness of audience, effective organization, critical reading, and persuasive reasoning. Active class participation is required.

Meets WIE writing requirement.

The American Bar Association accreditation standards require students to regularly attend the courses in which they are registered. Lewis & Clark expects students to attend classes regularly and to prepare for classes conscientiously. Specific attendance requirements may vary from course to course. Any attendance guidelines for a given class must be provided to students in a syllabus or other written document at the start of the semester. Sanctions (e.g., required withdrawal from the course, grade adjustment, and/or a failing grade) will be imposed for poor attendance.