Study

788 Legal Writing for Non-Legal Audiences

Not all legal communications are directed at judges and lawyers. This two-credit seminar course focuses on communicating legal ideas to non-legal audiences with different goals, values, and knowledge bases. Over the 13-week course, students will explore how to counsel clients, engage with industry, manage media relations, and leverage platforms such as social media to communicate legal concepts in a broadly understandable manner. The course combines communication theory with practical workshops, role-playing exercises, guest speakers, and case studies. By the end of the course, students should feel equipped with the comprehensive communication toolkit needed for a modern, dynamic legal practice. Assignments and presentations will be partially based on students' individual areas of interest, and the final grade will rely on a combination of class participation, annotated short written assignments, and a final comprehensive communication strategy for either a lawsuit or legislative proposal.

Evaluation Methods
  • Reflective Writing
  • Project(s)
  • Class participation
Degree Requirements
JD elective
Course Type
  • Seminar
Learning Outcomes
  • Other professional skills needed for competent and ethical participation as a member of the legal profession

Sample Syllabi

Spring 2024

2024
Course Number Course Credits Evaluation Method Instructor

788.01 2
  • Reflective Writing
  • Project(s)
  • Class participation
 Catherine Lawson

Not all legal communications are directed at judges and lawyers. This two-credit seminar course focuses on communicating legal ideas to non-legal audiences with different goals, values, and knowledge bases. Over the 13-week course, students will explore how to counsel clients, engage with industry, manage media relations, and leverage platforms such as social media to communicate legal concepts in a broadly understandable manner. The course combines communication theory with practical workshops, role-playing exercises, guest speakers, and case studies. By the end of the course, students should feel equipped with the comprehensive communication toolkit needed for a modern, dynamic legal practice. Assignments and presentations will be partially based on students' individual areas of interest, and the final grade will rely on a combination of class participation, annotated short written assignments, and a final comprehensive communication strategy for either a lawsuit or legislative proposal.

Syllabus: 788-01-Spring2024-syllabus.pdf297.81 KB

Degree Requirements
Pre/Co-requisites
None

In this section

*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.