Advanced Writing: Federal Litigation (Rinaldi)
Faculty
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| Michael J. Rinaldi Lecturer-in-Law michael.rinaldi@yahoo.com |
Additional Information
Experiential CourseYes
Skills Training
Drafting Legal Documents
Expository Writing
Other Professional Skills:
Grading
30% Participation,
70% Paper
With Permission of Instructor
Class meets in person.
Course Continuity
Students are encouraged to stay home if you are ill or experience flu-like symptoms. If you miss a class for any reason, it is still your responsibility to make up the work missed.
I offer the following to students who miss class due to illness:
- I will make PowerPoint slides or other class materials routinely available on the course site to everyone in the class.
- When you are better, please make an appointment to meet with me and I will review/answer questions about what you missed.
- Upon request, I will arrange for the recording of the class session.
Meeting Times/Location
M 4:30PM - 6:20PM
Silverman Hall 240A
Category
Upper-Level
Credits
2.0
Writing is critical to civil practice in federal district court. Key points in a civil action require practitioners to prepare clear and persuasive filings on behalf of their clients: the initial complaint and answer, dispositive, discovery, and other motions, and pre- and post-trial filings. This advanced course will be organized around the major events in the progression of a lawsuit and provide students with opportunities to further refine their writing skills, including through written assignments and associated instructor feedback. Through class presentations and guest speakers, students will be exposed to various approaches to written advocacy and learn best practices. The course will also focus on strategic and ethical considerations. In short, the goal of the course is to better position new lawyers to represent their clients through written advocacy in civil litigation.
Skills Learning outcomes: Demonstrate an understanding of the individual course skill; Demonstrate the ability to receive and implement feedback; Demonstrate an understanding of how and when the individual course skill is employed in practice.
Courts and the Judicial System Learning outcomes: Demonstrate a core understanding of both substantive and procedural issues in the operation of our legal system; Perform legal analysis in the context of procedural issues and the judicial process; Communicate effectively on topics related to procedure and the judicial process; Demonstrate an understanding of how procedural issues and the judicial process affect all other area of our legal system.
Professional Responsibility and Ethics Learning outcomes: Demonstrate an understanding of how the law affects, and is affected by, the individual course topic; Perform legal analysis in the context of the individual course topic; Communicate effectively on the legal and other aspects of the individual course topic; Demonstrate the ability to use other disciplines to analyze legal issues relevant to the individual course topic, including economics, philosophy, and sociology, as appropriate.
Textbooks
"Writing for Litigation" by Kamela Bridges & Wayne Schiess |