Legal writing articles written by Suffolk Law legal writing faculty.
Legal Writing Matters: Infusing International Law into Advanced Legal Writing
By Rosa Kim Imagine that a lawyer with a solo practice in downtown Boston has two clients: Client A is injured on a flight from St. Louis to Boston, when the flight attendant accidentally slammed the beverage cart against her arm, breaking it. Client B is injured in the same way on a flight from [...]
Legal Writing Matters: Being Prepared for Law Practice Means Being Able to Use the Everyday Tools of Lawyers
By Gabe Teninbaum Can you format a pleading in Word, or create a formula in Excel? Think it doesn’t matter for lawyers? Think again. I’ve noticed in my years of teaching that many law students aren’t always very good at using the tools they’ll use every day in the practice of law. I admit, it’s [...]
Legal Writing Matters: Hurry Up & Write
By Dyane O’Leary 2 days. 8 hours. 5:00 p.m. 2 hours. 30 minutes. ASAP. When a lawyer is asked to complete a project in a fast-paced legal practice, these deadlines are what he or she may face. While a student has weeks, if not months, to complete a memorandum assignment, an attorney may [...]
Legal Writing Matters: Addressing the Access-to-Justice Crisis
By Samantha Moppett Currently, some of the hot-button phrases in the legal field are “access to justice” and “closing the legal aid gap.” Yet, the issue of how to address the failure of the justice system to adequately serve all people irrespective of wealth and position is largely neglected in the law school curriculum. To [...]
Legal Writing Matters: Tips for Law Students During the Summer Daze
By Kathleen Elliott Vinson Professor of Legal Writing and Director of Legal Writing, Research, and Written Advocacy Ahhh . . . the lazy days of summer. Not exactly if you are a law student. Most law students are busy during the summer at jobs, internships, clerkships, and associateships. However, relaxation and renewal are important too. [...]
Legal Writing Matters: Legal Texting
Portrait of Suffolk University Law School professor Dyane O'Leary. By Dyane O'Leary w8ing 4 u 2 get docs asap . . . nervous re depo Messaging is changing the way we communicate. Millennial and Generation Z students use mobile messaging to make a dinner reservation, confirm an appointment, and set up a first [...]
Legal Writing Matters: The Best Oral Arguments Aren’t Perfect, They’re Real
By Heidi K. Brown As oral arguments approach, many 1Ls experience anxiety toward this “rite-of-passage.” For introverted students or others who prefer thinking and writing before speaking, the pressure for spontaneous verbal exchange is daunting. Some students assume that reticence toward this assignment indicates they are not cut out for the law. Not true! Quiet [...]
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