Study

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.

Special Notes:

New grading basis

Spring 2026

Course Number	Course Credits	Evaluation Method	Instructor
791.01	2	Simulated Writing, Litigation Reflective Writing Oral presentation In-class exercise Class participation	Melissa Hanson
Canvas site: https://canvas.duke.edu/courses/75050