Lawyering Skills I: Legal Reasoning, Research and Writing

(Law 620; 3 credits)
This course will introduce students to the fundamentals of legal problem solving through legal analysis, legal research, and legal writing methods. Students will learn methods of legal analysis, including fact analysis and rule-based reasoning, using common law and statutory sources. Students will learn legal research in primary and secondary sources, in both traditional and electronic formats, emphasizing efficient research strategies. Finally, students will learn to structure, write and edit a formal memorandum of law. Instruction in lawyering skills will be integrated to focus on the problem-solving process and to help students begin to develop independent professional judgment. (Sample Syllabus1) (Sample Syllabus2)
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