Advanced Legal Writing

Seminar: Wednesdays, 10:00 p.m. ESTOffice Hours: Mondays from 3 – 5 p.m. EST, and by appointment

AIM sign-in: cssouthallEmail: csouthall@kaplan.edu

410-929-2864

Getting Started

• Welcome to Advanced Legal Writing.

Seminars

• Seminars are held weekly.• The seminar for this course is held on

Wednesdays, from 10:00-11:00 p.m.

Introduction to the course

• This course focuses on researching legal issues and drafting legal documents using the results of student research. Emphasis will be placed on drafting of documents commonly used in practice (rather than strictly legal theory). This course also teaches students how to present the results of research in professional memorandum format, helps students acquire practical legal skills.

Introduction to the course (continued)

• This course teaches skills in briefing and analyzing court opinions and writing legal memoranda, and teaches students how to prepare legal documents from various areas of practice. The course is intended to prepare students for the demands of a legal practice environment.

Assignments

• Unit 1: Part 1 Final Research Project: List the Legal Issues Assignment

• Unit 2: Part 2 Final Research Project: Prepare a Research Plan• Unit 3: Part 3 Final Research Project: Case Brief, First Draft• Unit 5: Midterm • Unit 7: Part 4 Final Research Project: Draft of Legal

Memorandum of Law• Unit 9: Part 5 Final Research Project: Case Brief and Legal

Memorandum

Important features in the classroom

• Ask the Prof– Please post general course questions• Doc Sharing—Check here for important course information.• Announcements

Important!!

• Please email me if you need to request an extension for a writing assignment

• Please email me if you miss a seminar and would like to write a seminar paper to make up the points

• Please post to the Discussion Board during the discussion week. You must post at least three days each week in order to be eligible for the full point value;

Plagiarism PolicySee the Kaplan policy in the syllabusFirst strike: the student fails the assignment; second strike:

the student fails the course; third strike: the student is expelled

Be sure that all of the work that you submit consists of your own work and ideas

Whenever you use a source to borrow words or ideas, cite it with proper Bluebook citation

When you consult a source for your Discussion Board posts, cite the source informally

Please email me with any questions

Class Rules• The seminars will be

conducted as moderated seminars. If you have a question, I will be able to see it.

• When you do type your question, please type several question marks after it ???????, that way it will catch my attention.

Class Rules

Start/End Dates: The Kaplan University "class week" begins Wednesdays at 12am EST and ends on

Tuesdays at 11:59pm EST. Assignments are due at the end of each unit. Late assignments may be subject to a

late penalty of up to 5%.

Class Rules

Assignments (Projects)/Discussion Questions postings will be graded within five days of the due date. Your grades will be returned to you

by Sunday of each week. Late assignments will be returned within 5 days of submission.

Class Rules:Discussion Questions

You must visit the Discussion topics frequently. You will receive a grade for Discussion Board participation. Your discussion grade is based on the quality of your

post, as well as whether or not you have posted over a period of three days in the unit week.

Class Rules:Discussion Questions

The expectation is that student responses demonstrate that class reading assignments

have been completed through analysis, evaluation, and citing of outside sources.

Class Rules:Discussion Questions

(the stuff you really care about)

You MUST make posts on at least three (3) different days throughout each unit

in order to be eligible to earn full points.

Class Rules:Discussion Questions

(the stuff you really care about)

Late discussion posts will be accepted, but you will receive point deductions. If you

post after a unit has ended, be sure to email me to make sure I review your post and give

you the proper credit.

Class Rules

• Don’t get too far behind. Assignments for this class build upon one another. You need the feedback for one assignment, helps you with the next assignment.

• Contact me ahead of time if you can’t get an assignment done to make an arrangement for alternate due dates.

Legal Writing

TIPS

• Avoid slang words • Try not to use abbreviations • Great care should ALWAYS be taken to spell

the names of people and companies correctly

TIPS (continued)

• Keep sentences short• Avoid Legalese• Always use proper citations

Proofreading

• Perhaps the most important thing to remember when writing a legal document is to check it thoroughly when it is completed. Even when you think it is exactly what you want, read it one more time. This "unwritten" rule holds true for everything you write - memos, letters, proposals, etc.

Use Proper Grammar

• Use both the grammar and spell check on your computer, paying very, very close attention to every word highlighted.

• Make sure the document is clear and concise.

Look For Clarity

• Look to see if there is anything in the written communication that could be misinterpreted.

• Does it raise unanswered questions or fail to make the point you need to get across?

Week One Deliverables

• Discussion board responses• Seminar attendance• Part 1 Final Research Project –List the legal issues

This Week’s Written Assignment:

List the Legal Issues involved in the Jane Doe fact pattern for the final project. You

are to focus solely on the issues regarding the filing of a petition for asylum.

Questions• Are there any general questions regarding

course requirements?