Resource added for the Paralegal program 101101.

Legal Writing from the Ground Up: Process, Principles, and Possibilities breaks down legal writing into a step-by-step process but avoids a one-size-fits-all approach. This book helps legal writing professors balance the need to encourage original and strategic thinking while providing guidance for students as they develop their legal writing skills. Tracy Turner writes with today s generation of students in mind, and helps to arm student with specific and powerful tools without shackling their creativity. Key Features Multiple adaptations of the Issue, Rule, Application, and Conclusion (IRAC) paradigm that reflect a different approaches to problem solving Different strategic considerations in selecting the right analytical model for a particular case Consistent emphasis on the foundations of legal analysis Proven-effective techniques for continuing skill development Visual aids that are transferable learning tools, such as charts and diagrams Critical reading techniques, clearly explained Visually navigable pages and the author s direct and engaging writing style An intuitively logical organization of content, that easily adapts to myriad approaches to teaching and study

Legal Writing for the Undergraduate by Antonio C. Elefano Is the perfect introduction to American law and legal writing Legal Writing for the Undergraduate by Antonio Elefano offers a practical introduction to legal analysis and legal writing, designed to give even the most novice student a command of the basics of legal writing. With careful guidance and scaffolding, the author effectively teaches students how to read and analyze cases and how to formulate persuasive legal arguments. The book begins with a comprehensive overview of the U.S. Legal System, including how to analyze a law and apply it to varying situations. The text continues with the fundamentals of legal writing, offering in-depth, step-by-step instruction on writing different types of Legal Memoranda and Appellate Briefs. Through effective assignments and engaging discussion, students will learn how to craft thoughtful and polished arguments. Professors and students will benefit from: A streamlined and accessible introduction to legal reasoning Class-tested assignments utilizing several closed universes of cases, allowing focus on the application of law Instruction on how to read and brief a case Separate chapters on the fundamentals of legal writing, basic legal research, and appellate briefs Thoughtful guidance on the structure and strategy of appellate-style oral argumentation Helpful chapter on how to workshop legal writing Practical advice on how to get into law school Engaging presentation that demystifies legal analysis

McMurtry-Chubb received the 2021 Thomas F. Blackwell Memorial Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Legal Writing. The award is is presented annually to a person who has made an outstanding contribution to improve the field of Legal Writing. One of the most common questions that prospective law students ask is "What is the best major to prepare me to study law?" The most common answer given by college advisors is "Any major." The perception of law school as a "free for all" accessible to students of any major sets students up for the confusion they experience in learning the law and legal skills. When students begin their legal education, they are taken out of their undergraduate and graduate disciplines and placed into the legal discipline without context for how their disciplinary education relates to their legal education. This leads to many of the frustrations that new law students have with law school, especially in their legal writing classes. Legal Writing in the Disciplines re-conceptualizes law in its disciplinary context. The text is designed to effectively communicate legal analysis and writing skills to pre-law and new law students using the language of their undergraduate and graduate majors. Legal writing is disciplinary writing, not just another form of technical writing. Law school is a disciplinary community. Integration into any disciplinary community occurs through the processes of reading and writing. The first chapter of the text details all aspects of the processes used to create practical legal writing (case briefs, notes, outlines and MindMaps, legal memos, legal briefs, exam outlines and exam answers). The five remaining chapters are divided into five broad disciplinary categories: Science, Social Science, Arts, Humanities and Business. Each chapter contains discipline-specific instruction on creating the different types of legal writing. The chapter sections lead the reader through the resolution of a legal problem through legal writing and provide answers for self-check with discipline-specific explanations on an interactive CD-ROM. The CD-ROM allows students to load PDFs (the materials, exercises, model answers, and case files to which the text refers) onto an iPad or other tablet for flexibility and ease of use in practicing legal writing skills. Additionally, the materials, exercises, and model answers are annotated in color with discipline-specific explanations to guide students as they assimilate new legal writing skills. A teacher's manual accompanies the text and features semester and quarter course planning options, learning outcomes and performance criteria for each week, lecture notes for each week, in-class exercises and supporting materials, and assessment rubrics for all assignments and skills. The rubrics are keyed to the weekly learning outcomes and performance criteria. An interactive CD-ROM with case files for a legal memo, legal brief, and other instructional materials is included.

This book introduces international students to the characteristics of legal education in the United States and helps them develop the linguistic, analytical, and cultural skills to thrive at a U.S. law school. Part I focuses on the academic legal writing skills needed to write in law school. It guides students in reviewing their own writing skills and helps them to adapt to the conventions of academic legal writing at the whole text, paragraph, and sentence levels. It also gives students guidance in effectively presenting their ideas in writing so that a reader can quickly grasp their reasoning and meaning. Part II introduces students to common law and legal analysis. Following a brief introduction to the U.S. legal system, the book focuses on the skills required to read, discuss, and write about legal cases in a U.S. law class. Cases in torts and criminal procedure law provide an opportunity to apply these skills while also teaching high-frequency legal vocabulary. Throughout the book, students can read clear and concise explanations and practice the skills they are acquiring with detailed practice exercises. Professors and students will benefit from: Clear explanations of academic legal writing expected of law students on written assignments, such as exams and papers Straightforward definitions and explanations about how the common law system in the U.S. works Guidelines and practice in reading, discussing, and writing about legal cases Authentic tasks and exercises for all key concepts

The second edition of Legal Writing by Design remains unique in demonstrating how to transform thoughts into writing by explaining the link between thinking and writing. It doesn't just tell the reader to "argue by analogy" or to "apply the rule" -- it explains the design of the thinking involved in those processes and shows how to transform that design into writing. Through easily understandable hypotheticals, outlines, graphics, exercises, and writing samples, many garnered during the authors' combined forty-plus years of teaching legal writing and appellate advocacy to law students, Legal Writing by Design comprehensively demonstrates how to transform ideas into exceptional writing. It demystifies the writing process by explaining the design of (1) deductive and inductive reasoning, (2) analogical thinking, and (3) relevancy. Once that design is understood, writing becomes easy. Writing with liberal doses of humor, the authors provide clearly readable charts, examples, and templates throughout this second edition. All chapters include a chapter review, and many also provide writing prompts. In addition to chapters explaining the fundamentals of writing legal memos and briefs, Legal Writing by Design contains sections on (1) clear and effective writing; (2) the appellate process, including an easily understandable explanation of standards of review; (3) oral argument techniques and practice; (4) the writing and editing process; (5) case briefing; and (6) professionalism in the practice of law. Exercises corresponding to the principles explained are included throughout most chapters, with answers provided in a separate Teacher's Manual. Successfully used for over ten years by thousands of law school students, Legal Writing by Design is the perfect tool for anyone -- attorneys, legal assistants, pro se litigants, undergraduate students, or the public -- who seeks the ideal way to analyze issues, to write clearly, and to write persuasively.

With a practical focus on persuasive writing strategies, Advanced Legal Writing: Theory and Strategies in Persuasive Writing explores three classical techniques: logos, pathos, and ethos, and provides students with a thorough introduction to the elements of rhetorical style. Unlike many other advanced legal writing texts, which tend to focus on a document-specific approach, this unique coursebook focuses on classical writing strategies that students can apply to a wide range of settings. The depth and scope of this text make it appropriate for upper-level legal writing courses. The Third Edition has been expanded to include the use of movies and other popular culture media in chapters dealing with literary references. There have also been substantial revisions to the chapter on policy. Features: Comprehensive coverage of the technical aspects of rhetorical style: metaphor, literary allusion, and figures of speech. Emphasizes theory as well as practice, building on three basic strategies of persuasive legal writing: Logos: Logic and rational argument. o Pathos: Value-based argument. Ethos: Establishing credibility. Highlights interdisciplinary contributions to persuasive writing from diverse fields, including cognitive psychology, classical rhetoric, and morality theory. Presents effective strategies that extend beyond the trial or appellate brief to a broad range of documents and settings. Covers new developments in cognitive psychology, pathos, persuasion, and the role of metaphor in persuasive legal writing. Depth and scope appropriate for upper-level legal writing classes. Thoroughly updated, the revised Third Edition offers: Substantial revisions to the chapter on policy. Expanded chapters on literary references now include other media, e.g., movies and other pop culture platforms.