788.01 Legal Writing for Non-Legal Audiences

Syllabus

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.

Special Notes:

*New*

Spring 2024

Course Number Course Credits Evaluation Method Instructor
788.01
Course Credits
Reflective Writing
Project(s)
Class participation
Catherine Lawson
Sakai site: https://sakai.duke.edu/portal/site/LAW-788-01-Sp24
Email list: LAW-788-01-Sp24@sakai.duke.edu
Course
Degree Requirements
Course Requirements - JD