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T: 212-431-2366 Director: Prof. Cathy Glaser, B.S., J.D. The Writing Program administers a required, two-term first-year course in small sections. Legal Reasoning, Writing, and Research (three credits) is taught in the fall; Written and Oral Advocacy (three credits) is taught in the spring. Trained adjunct professors teach each section. All sections use a common syllabus and set of materials. The research component of the course, a six-week sequence in both the fall and spring terms, is taught separately by our Research Specialist, Prof. Epstein. Our philosophy is simple; good legal writing, like any other form of writing, must be judged on quality, not subject or effort. The quality of writing depends on the skill of the writer and the time invested in the act of writing. The rules we want students to learn are fundamentally the same as those any writing professor would teach: clarity, precision, and good organization. The good writer is one who, with due regard for the reader, has a point and makes it well. Of course, this is law school, and we are dealing with legal subjects. Our objective is to train professionals to analyze legal issues and communicate that analysis to others. That means we also teach analysis of statutes and case law, the relationship of the law to the case at hand, document and citation format, and the other special needs of the legal audience. The Writing Program also administers ten upperclass writing electives: Drafting: Contracts, Drafting: Corporate Documents, Drafting: General Principles, Drafting: Judicial Opinions, Drafting: Legislation, Drafting: Litigation Documents, Drafting: Real Estate Documents, Drafting: Wills and Trusts, Memo and Brief Writing, and Persuasion. All of these electives can satisfy the Writing Requirement if a student earns a B- or better in the course. In addition to the first-year course and upper-class electives, the Program offers students the services of a Writing Specialist, Prof. Janin. She is available to meet with students by appointment to discuss basic writing and analytical skills and to review writing samples. Prof. Janin also holds workshops throughout the year on topics covered in the first-year course. Adjunct Professors First Year
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