FIRST YEAR: TWO SEMESTERS OF LEGAL WRITING AND RESEARCH
In the first year, CSU|LAW students enroll in a two-semester six-credit graded Legal Research and Writing course. The first-year course focuses on legal analysis and objective and persuasive legal writing. In addition, students learn traditional and online legal research and citation, preparing students to conduct effective and efficient research now and in the future. Assignments increase in complexity as students become more competent legal writers.
In the fall semester, students research and draft objective analytical research memos, learning how to predict the outcome of a legal issue based upon thorough research and analysis. In the spring semester, they prepare trial court motions, applying their analytical skills to persuasive argument drafting.
Legal writing professors hold individual student conferences throughout the year to assist students as they work on their major writing assignments. Students prepare drafts of assignments and receive comprehensive one-on-one guidance to help them advance their skills. In addition to the professor, student tutors are also available to meet with students, answer questions, and help them improve their legal writing skills.
THE SECOND YEAR: A THIRD SEMESTER OF LEGAL WRITING
The mandatory third semester builds on the skills taught in the first year writing and research courses and trains students in advanced research modalities through a variety of course offerings from drafting to brief writing to scholarly writing. Descriptions of third semester legal writing courses may be found in Course Descriptions. Courses that are routinely offered and satisfy the third semester mandatory legal writing requirement are:
| ADVANCED BRIEF WRITING | L615 | 2 CREDITS |
| SCHOLARLY WRITING | L791 | 2 CREDITS |
| LEGAL WRITING AND LITIGATION | L792 | 3 CREDITS |
| LEGAL DRAFTING: GENERAL | L778 | 2 CREDITS |
| LEGAL DRAFTING: CURRENT ISSUES | L798 | 2 CREDITS |
| LEGAL DRAFTING: ISSUES IN EMPLOYMENT | L788 | 2 CREDITS |
THE UPPER LEVEL WRITING REQUIREMENT IS SATISFIED BY EITHER OF THE FOLLOWING:
Independent legal research (paper)-L860 (2 or 3 credits)
Seminar with a paper component that is designated 5 or 5a on course schedule (2 or 3 credits)
For more information on these courses go to ACADEMICS/J.D. REQUIREMENTS/REQUIRED COURSES