Professor Claire C. Robinson May (Prof. May/ she/ her /hers)

Office: LL 212A

Email: c.c.maynull@csuohio.nulledu

Phone: 216-875-9842

Welcome to my Legal Writing sections 3 & 4 for Fall 2021! I'm looking forward to a great year with all of you. Please read this complete post. I will see everyone during Orientation, as our class during Orientation week is a required part of the course. *Currently we are scheduled to meet in Room 207. Please be aware that there may be a room change – I will let you know!*

Textbooks: There are 3 required books (one is free and online) and 1 optional one. In addition, we will be using my own materials, What Are You Trying to Say? A Guide to First-Year Legal Writing, that I will make available to you electronically. 

1) The Bluebook, A Uniform System of Citation, 21st Edition, REQUIRED Note: The Bluebook recently came out in a new edition; even recently used Bluebooks will have notable differences from the current edition. If you choose to purchase a used copy of the previous edition, you will be primarily responsible for keeping track of the differences. This is a citation manual you will use throughout law school and your legal career. 

2) Interactive Citation Workbook for the Bluebook, 2021 Edition, REQUIRED Note: Please make sure you purchase the 2021 Edition for the Bluebook (Not the ALWD version). Please do not purchase an older edition, as this book accompanies online exercises that change every year.

3) Beau Steenken & Tina M. Brooks, Sources of American Law, REQUIRED (5th Edition), Free online textbook on cali.org. For instructions on creating your CALI account, please go here. Once you have an account set up, you will be able to find and download the book in your preferred format (consider this your first legal research exercise!).

4) Richard Wydick, Plain English for Lawyers, RECOMMENDED (ISBN for 6th Edition: 978-1-5310-0699-0) Note: This is a great, affordable resource. I recommend any edition, new or used.

FIRST CLASS ASSIGNMENT: For our first Orientation class, please come prepared with a list of 3-5 skills you hope to acquire in law school generally and/or legal writing class specifically. This is for discussion, so you don't have to turn it in, but you do have to be ready to discuss your goals with your classmates and with me.

Additional Notes: It is very useful for you to have a laptop available to you during this class. If you are easily distracted, please keep your laptop closed if we are not using it for class purposes. If you like to take notes on a laptop, that's fine too. We will do in-class research and writing on a regular basis. Please refrain from using your phone during class except in cases of necessity such as checking on a family member under your care.

Face masks are required at all times in the law school. 

Please feel free to contact me by email with any questions or concerns.

Best wishes,

Prof. May