Legal Research and Writing

Legal Research and Writing is the students’ foundational clinical course and focuses on practice-oriented legal analysis. During this yearlong course students develop the analytic skill set needed by practicing lawyers and desired by legal employers.  Students are introduced to fundamentals of legal reasoning, the structure of objective and persuasive arguments, effective written analysis, legal research methods, statutory interpretation, compelling oral advocacy, fact investigation, client counseling, and negotiation.  These analytic skills are taught using the clinical method, with the client’s perspective firmly in mind and with the students learning by acting as lawyers.  By learning how to function as practicing lawyers, students can succeed in their summer jobs, and in their careers when they graduate.