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This course is designed for students who are interested in a judicial clerkship, aspire to be a judge, or who simply want to learn more about how and why judges write judicial opinions. It will give you the opportunity to draft some of the most common documents that law clerks and judges produce (such as orders on motions, bench memos, and opinions). For the first half of the semester, you will be taking on the role of a law clerk at the federal district court level. In that role, you will draft and edit orders. For the second half of the semester, you will act as an appellate court law clerk and then an appellate court judge. In those roles, you will draft a bench memo, listen to oral argument, and then draft a majority opinion. While you will not receive a grade, you should expect this class to be labor intensive. By the end of the course, you will feel comfortable researching, drafting, and revising trial court orders and appellate court opinions. You will also feel more confident about thinking through legal questions and articulating your reasoning out loud. During the semester, we will have guest speakers including law clerks and judges.

Grading will be on a HP/P/F basis.

This course is designed for students who are interested in a judicial clerkship, aspire to be a judge, or simply want to learn more about how and why judges write judicial opinions.  It will introduce you to some of the most common documents that law clerks and judges produce (such as orders, bench memos, and opinions). For the first half of the semester, you will be taking on the role of a law clerk.  For the second half, you will act as an appellate court judge.  By the end of the course, you should feel comfortable researching, drafting, and revising trial court orders and appellate court opinions. You should also feel more confident about thinking through legal questions and articulating your reasoning out loud.  During the semester, we will have guest speakers including law clerks and judges.

This course is designed for students who are interested in a judicial clerkship, aspire to be a judge, or simply want to learn more about how and why judges write judicial opinions.  It will introduce you to some of the most common documents that law clerks and judges produce (such as orders, bench memos, and opinions). For the first half of the semester, you will be taking on the role of a law clerk.  For the second half, you will act as an appellate court judge.  By the end of the course, you should feel comfortable researching, drafting, and revising trial court orders and appellate court opinions. You should also feel more confident about thinking through legal questions and articulating your reasoning out loud.  During the semester, we will have guest speakers including law clerks and judges.

Syllabus: 791-01-Spring2024-syllabus.docx44.54 KB

This course is intended to appeal to any student who seeks a judicial clerkship or aspires to be a judge, or who simply wants to learn more about how and why judges write judicial opinions. Students will consider the complexities of being on the bench, including judges' relationships with the public, with lawyers, with other judges, and with their clerks. The students will try their hands at formats and styles unique to clerking or judging, including a bench brief, an analytic paper, and an appellate-court opinion.

This course is intended to appeal to any student who seeks a judicial clerkship or aspires to be a judge, or who simply wants to learn more about how and why judges write judicial opinions. Students will consider the complexities of being on the bench, including judges' relationships with the public, with lawyers, with other judges, and with their clerks. The students will try their hands at formats and styles unique to clerking or judging, including a bench brief, an analytic paper, and an appellate-court opinion.

Syllabus: 791.01.Spring2022-syllabus.pdf317.81 KB

This course is intended to appeal to any student who seeks a judicial clerkship or aspires to be a judge, or who simply wants to learn more about how and why judges write judicial opinions. Students will consider the complexities of being on the bench, including judges' relationships with the public, with lawyers, with other judges, and with their clerks. The students will try their hands at formats and styles unique to clerking or judging, including a bench brief, an analytic paper, and an appellate-court opinion.

This course is intended to appeal to any student who seeks a judicial clerkship or aspires to be a judge, or who simply wants to learn more about how and why judges write judicial opinions. Students will consider the complexities of being on the bench, including judges' relationships with the public, with lawyers, with other judges, and with their clerks. The students will try their hands at formats and styles unique to clerking or judging, including a bench brief, an analytic paper, and an appellate-court opinion.

This course is intended to appeal to any student who seeks a judicial clerkship or aspires to be a judge, or who simply wants to learn more about how and why judges write judicial opinions. Students will consider the complexities of being on the bench, including judges' relationships with the public, with lawyers, with other judges, and with their clerks. The students will try their hands at formats and styles unique to clerking or judging, including a bench brief, an analytic paper, and an appellate-court opinion.

This course is intended to appeal to any student who seeks a judicial clerkship or aspires to be a judge, or who simply wants to learn more about how and why judges write judicial opinions. Students will consider the complexities of being on the bench, including judges' relationships with the public, with lawyers, with other judges, and with their clerks. The students will try their hands at formats and styles unique to clerking or judging, including a bench brief, an analytic paper, and an appellate-court opinion.

This course is intended to appeal to any student who seeks a judicial clerkship or aspires to be a judge, or who simply wants to learn more about how and why judges write judicial opinions. Students will consider the complexities of being on the bench, including judges' relationships with the public, with lawyers, with other judges, and with their clerks. The students will try their hands at formats and styles unique to clerking or judging, including a bench brief, an analytic paper, and an appellate-court opinion.

This course is intended to appeal to any student who seeks a judicial clerkship or aspires to be a judge, or who simply wants to learn more about how and why judges write judicial opinions. Students will consider the complexities of being on the bench, including judges' relationships with the public, with lawyers, with other judges, and with their clerks. The students will try their hands at formats and styles unique to clerking or judging, including a bench brief, an analytic paper, and an appellate-court opinion.