785 Legal Writing in Civil Practice

Writing is integral to most aspects of state and federal civil law practice including communicating effectively with clients, asserting clients' rights, and advocating for clients in litigation. This two-credit hour advanced writing course helps prepare students for the rigors of legal analysis and writing in general civil practice by providing a variety of writing experiences including opinion and demand letters, pleadings, motions, and trial briefs.  Writing assignments will involve initial drafts, instructor feedback, peer review, and final revisions with students building a portfolio of their work during the course of the semester. Research skills will be reviewed and practiced. In addition to content analysis and structure, emphasis will be placed on the ethical and professional considerations involved with each assignment.

Course Areas of Practice
Evaluation Methods
  • Practical exercises
  • In-class exercise
  • Class participation
  • Other
Degree Requirements
Course Type
  • Simulation
Learning Outcomes
  • Legal analysis and reasoning, legal research, problem-solving, and written and oral communication in the legal context
  • Other professional skills needed for competent and ethical participation as a member of the legal profession

Fall 2024

2024
Course Number Course Credits Evaluation Method Instructor

785.02 2
  • Practical exercises
  • In-class exercise
  • Class participation
  • Other
Greg Pawlowski

Writing is integral to most aspects of state and federal civil law practice including communicating effectively with clients, asserting clients' rights, and advocating for clients in litigation. This two-credit hour advanced writing course helps prepare students for the rigors of legal analysis and writing in general civil practice by providing a variety of writing experiences including opinion and demand letters, pleadings, motions, and trial briefs.  Writing assignments will involve initial drafts, instructor feedback, peer review, and final revisions with students building a portfolio of their work during the course of the semester. Research skills will be reviewed and practiced. In addition to content analysis and structure, emphasis will be placed on the ethical and professional considerations involved with each assignment.

Pre/Co-requisites
None

Fall 2023

2023
Course Number Course Credits Evaluation Method Instructor

785.01 2
  • Practical exercises
  • In-class exercise
  • Class participation
  • Other
Catherine Lawson

Writing is integral to most aspects of state and federal civil law practice including communicating effectively with clients, asserting clients' rights, and advocating for clients in litigation. This two-credit hour advanced writing course helps prepare students for the rigors of legal analysis and writing in general civil practice by providing a variety of writing experiences including opinion and demand letters, pleadings, motions, and trial briefs. Assignments will be based on a number of substantive issues of statutory and common law including property, contracts, torts and civil procedure. Writing assignments will involve initial drafts, instructor feedback, peer review, and final revisions with students building a portfolio of their work during the course of the semester. Research skills will be reviewed and practiced. In addition to content analysis and structure, emphasis will be placed on the ethical and professional considerations involved with each assignment.

Syllabus: 785-01-Fall2023-syllabus.pdf313.28 KB

Pre/Co-requisites
None

785.02
  • Practical exercises
  • In-class exercise
  • Class participation
  • Other
Greg Pawlowski

Writing is integral to most aspects of state and federal civil law practice, including for those who aspire to become public interest lawyers. Public interest law involves advocating for those in poverty or who are part of marginalized populations on a range of legal issues, such as consumer law, evictions, domestic violence, and public benefits. A successful practice in public interest law representing indigent individuals requires taking a holistic approach to client problems, as well as communicating effectively with your clients, asserting your clients' rights, and advocating for your clients in litigation. This two-credit hour advanced writing course helps prepare students for the rigors of legal analysis and writing in a poverty law setting by providing a variety of practical writing experiences, which may include client correspondence and demand letters, pleadings, motions, and trial briefs. Assignments will be based on a number of poverty law issues, with a particular focus on consumer protection, which may include contracts, unfair trade practices, unfair debt collection, foreclosure defense, home solicitation scams targeted at elderly homeowners, fraud, etc. Writing assignments will involve initial drafts, instructor feedback, peer review, and final revisions, with students building a portfolio of their work during the course of the semester. Research skills will be reviewed and practiced. In addition to content analysis and structure, emphasis will be placed on the ethical and professional considerations involved with each assignment.

Syllabus: 785-02-Fall2023-syllabus.docx23.67 KB

Pre/Co-requisites
None

Spring 2023

2023
Course Number Course Credits Evaluation Method Instructor

785.01 2
  • Practical exercises
  • In-class exercise
  • Class participation
  • Other
Catherine Lawson

Writing is integral to most aspects of state and federal civil law practice including communicating effectively with clients, asserting clients' rights, and advocating for clients in litigation. This two-credit hour advanced writing course helps prepare students for the rigors of legal analysis and writing in general civil practice by providing a variety of writing experiences including opinion and demand letters, pleadings, motions, and trial briefs. Assignments will be based on a number of substantive issues of statutory and common law including property, contracts, torts and civil procedure. Writing assignments will involve initial drafts, instructor feedback, peer review, and final revisions with students building a portfolio of their work during the course of the semester. Research skills will be reviewed and practiced. In addition to content analysis and structure, emphasis will be placed on the ethical and professional considerations involved with each assignment.

Pre/Co-requisites
None

Fall 2019

2019
Course Number Course Credits Evaluation Method Instructor

785.01 2
  • Practical exercises
  • In-class exercise
  • Class participation
  • Other
Jo Ann Ragazzo

Writing is integral to most aspects of state and federal civil law practice including communicating effectively with clients, asserting clients' rights, and advocating for clients in litigation. This two-credit hour advanced writing course helps prepare students for the rigors of legal analysis and writing in general civil practice by providing a variety of writing experiences including opinion and demand letters, pleadings, motions, and trial briefs. Assignments will be based on a number of substantive issues of statutory and common law including property, contracts, torts and civil procedure. Writing assignments will involve initial drafts, instructor feedback, peer review, and final revisions with students building a portfolio of their work during the course of the semester. Research skills will be reviewed and practiced. In addition to content analysis and structure, emphasis will be placed on the ethical and professional considerations involved with each assignment. The semester will culminate in oral arguments on motions before members of the bench and bar.

Pre/Co-requisites
None

Fall 2018

2018
Course Number Course Credits Evaluation Method Instructor

785.01 2
  • Practical exercises
  • In-class exercise
  • Class participation
  • Other
Jo Ann Ragazzo

Writing is integral to most aspects of state and federal civil law practice including communicating effectively with clients, asserting clients' rights, and advocating for clients in litigation. This two-credit hour advanced writing course helps prepare students for the rigors of legal analysis and writing in general civil practice by providing a variety of writing experiences including opinion and demand letters, pleadings, motions, and trial briefs. Assignments will be based on a number of substantive issues of statutory and common law including property, contracts, torts and civil procedure. Writing assignments will involve initial drafts, instructor feedback, peer review, and final revisions with students building a portfolio of their work during the course of the semester. Research skills will be reviewed and practiced. In addition to content analysis and structure, emphasis will be placed on the ethical and professional considerations involved with each assignment. The semester will culminate in oral arguments on motions before members of the bench and bar.

Pre/Co-requisites
None

Fall 2017

2017
Course Number Course Credits Evaluation Method Instructor

785.01 2
  • Practical exercises
  • In-class exercise
  • Class participation
  • Other
Jo Ann Ragazzo

Writing is integral to most aspects of state and federal civil law practice including communicating effectively with clients, asserting clients' rights, and advocating for clients in litigation. This two-credit hour advanced writing course helps prepare students for the rigors of legal analysis and writing in general civil practice by providing a variety of writing experiences including opinion and demand letters, pleadings, motions, and trial briefs. Assignments will be based on a number of substantive issues of statutory and common law including property, contracts, torts and civil procedure. Writing assignments will involve initial drafts, instructor feedback, peer review, and final revisions with students building a portfolio of their work during the course of the semester. Research skills will be reviewed and practiced. In addition to content analysis and structure, emphasis will be placed on the ethical and professional considerations involved with each assignment. The semester will culminate in oral arguments on motions before members of the bench and bar.

Pre/Co-requisites
None

Fall 2016

2016
Course Number Course Credits Evaluation Method Instructor

785.01 2
  • Practical exercises
  • In-class exercise
  • Class participation
  • Other
Jo Ann Ragazzo

Writing is integral to most aspects of state and federal civil law practice including communicating effectively with clients, asserting clients' rights, and advocating for clients in litigation. This two-credit hour advanced writing course helps prepare students for the rigors of legal analysis and writing in general civil practice by providing a variety of writing experiences including opinion and demand letters, pleadings, motions, and trial briefs. Assignments will be based on a number of substantive issues of statutory and common law including property, contracts, torts and civil procedure. Writing assignments will involve initial drafts, instructor feedback, peer review, and final revisions with students building a portfolio of their work during the course of the semester. Research skills will be reviewed and practiced. In addition to content analysis and structure, emphasis will be placed on the ethical and professional considerations involved with each assignment. The semester will culminate in oral arguments on motions before members of the bench and bar.

Pre/Co-requisites
None

*Please note that this information is for planning purposes only, and should not be relied upon for the schedule for a given semester. Faculty leaves and sabbaticals, as well as other curriculum considerations, will sometimes affect when a course may be offered.