MVV73K Legal Writing, USA-Style

Faculty of Law
Spring 2011
Extent and Intensity
1/0. 3 credit(s). Type of Completion: k (colloquium).
Teacher(s)
prof. Leslie Burton (lecturer), JUDr. Kateřina Uhlířová, Ph.D., LL.M. (deputy)
Guaranteed by
JUDr. Kateřina Uhlířová, Ph.D., LL.M.
Department of International and European Law – Faculty of Law
Contact Person: Hana Brzobohatá
Timetable
Mon 14. 3. 8:00–9:30 302, 9:35–11:05 302, Tue 15. 3. 8:00–9:30 038, 9:35–11:05 038, Wed 16. 3. 8:00–9:30 038, 9:35–11:05 038
Prerequisites
good knowledge of English
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.

The capacity limit for the course is 30 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/30, only registered: 0/30
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The primary goals for this course are: 1. To develop students’ ability to analyze legal issues. 2. To develop students’ ability to present written analysis in a predictive office memorandum. 3. To develop students’ ability to present written analysis in a persuasive document. To attain these goals, our classes will focus on specific skills you must develop to become proficient in legal reasoning and writing. These class objectives include learning to: 1. Analyze facts; 2. Analyze diverse sources of law to arrive at a rule, 3. How to apply the rule to specific facts in a predictive memo; 4. How to write a persuasive trial-level document; and 5. The style, tone and diction of legal writing
Syllabus
  • Professor Leslie Burton lburton@ggu.edu SYLLABUS Legal Writing, USA-Style Content of the Course Legal Writing is a two-part course designed to introduce and develop skills of legal analysis, USA-style. The two parts are Objective Writing and Persuasive Writing. The course will enable students to develop a legal analysis, to present that analysis in predictive office memoranda, and to persuade the court of the correctness of that argument in a court memorandum. Goals and Objectives The primary goals for this course are: 1. To develop students’ ability to analyze legal issues. 2. To develop students’ ability to present written analysis in a predictive office memorandum. 3. To develop students’ ability to present written analysis in a persuasive document. To attain these goals, our classes will focus on specific skills you must develop to become proficient in legal reasoning and writing. These class objectives include learning to: 1. Analyze facts; 2. Analyze diverse sources of law to arrive at a rule, 3. How to apply the rule to specific facts in a predictive memo; 4. How to write a persuasive trial-level document; and 5. The style, tone and diction of legal writing. Class One: Objective Writing I • Introduction • Reading cases • Interpreting cases • Working with cases • Briefing cases Class Two: Objective Writing II • Types of Precedent • Hierarchy of Authority • Predictive writing • IRAC (also known as IREAAC) structure • Structure of an Office Memorandum • The Process of Writing • Analogizing and distinguishing cases Class Three: Persuasive Writing I • Differences between objective and persuasive writing • IREACC vs. CREACC • Theme & theory in a persuasive document • Parts of a Persuasive Document • Point Headings Class Four: Persuasive Writing II • Considering your audience • Process • Outlining • First drafts • Later drafts • Final draft
Literature
  • actual literature set by taechar
Teaching methods
lectures, class discussion
Assessment methods
short written essay
Language of instruction
English
Further Comments
Study Materials
The course is taught only once.
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2017.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2011, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/law/spring2011/MVV73K