Legal Writing & Litigation – Professor May – First Class Assignment

The following two textbooks are available at the CSU Bookstore and from online booksellers such as Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Steven D. Stark, Writing to Win (2012 edition). 

Kamela Bridges & Wayne Schiess, Writing for Litigation (2011).

You will also need a Bluebook (20th Edition). 

Please complete the following assignments for class on Tuesday, January 9.

Reading Assignment: Read Writing to Win, Introduction(s) and Chapters 1-3.

Writing Assignment: Please find an example of litigation writing – strong or weak – to bring to class. This can be a pleading (such as a complaint or counterclaim), motion, or response brief. Your example should be a persuasive document, not a research memo or court opinion. It may be prepared by you or someone else, but please block out attorney names on the document. Do not bring anything that is confidential. You should be able to find pleadings and briefs online in the Lexis, Westlaw, or Bloomberg databases. Do not use a generic form document.

Review the document you choose and then write no more than two double-spaced pages with your assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of the document, paying particular attention to persuasion (how well does it advance the client’s interests?), clarity of the writing, organization, and professionalism. Please provide specific support from the sample in your write up. Your write up should be organized, clearly written, and well-supported. Your assessment should focus on writing and persuasion rather than the particular legal subject matter of the document.

Please double-space this assignment and use 12-point Times New Roman font, with 1-inch margins and page numbers at the bottom center of the page (omit number on the first page). Please attach your example to the write up with a binder clip or staple. Assignments are due at the beginning of class on Tuesday, January 9.