LEGAL WRITING & RESEARCH CURRICULUM

The fall semester objective writing course prepares students for the rigorous training they will receive in legal analysis over the course of their tenure at Villanova Law by introducing and stressing the foundations that underlie legal analysis of any stripe.  Offered to students in their first semester of law school, the fall semester focuses students on how to spot and synthesize the key rules inherent in the cases they are reading and how to use those rules to predict how a court might decide given a particular factual scenario.  Students learn how to recognize a solid legal analysis as well as how to formulate their own analyses that properly support the legal conclusions they reach.  Students gain significant experience in both research and writing during the fall semester course as they prepare multiple office memoranda throughout the semester.  Moreover, they likewise learn how to present their work in various formats, as they are also given short-turnaround assignments that prepare them for a practice world that not only values deep and nuanced analysis, but deep and nuanced analysis that is performed quickly and presented succinctly. 

Persuasive writing and communication

The spring semester persuasive writing and communication course builds upon the foundation established in the fall semester by introducing students to the concept of persuasive analysis. Students will learn how to use precedent to craft effective legal arguments, how to draw clear and precise analogies and distinctions, and how to convince a court to issue a ruling favorable to their client.  Students will become familiarized with many of the same types of trial court documents they will be asked to prepare as newly-minted attorneys and will draft their own documents as well, with a particularized focus on trial-level motions. In addition, they will engage in oral advocacy on behalf of their client, as they will present their arguments in a moot-court setting.  In all, the spring semester persuasive writing and communication course is designed to prepare Villanova Law students to effectively represent their clients in a court of law and become practice-ready attorneys upon graduation.

Students have two course options in either the fall or spring of their second year: 1) transactional writing or 2) appellate advocacy.

Transactional writing

Not all clients are involved in disputes.  Much of what lawyers do involves helping clients solve problems and achieve goals outside the context of litigation.  Achieving these goals may involve drafting contracts, policies, or other kinds of documents.  In this course, students will learn drafting techniques to create these documents, along with other important oral and written communication skills, such as advising, counseling, and translating the law for clients so the clients can make appropriate decisions and avoid future disputes.  Effective negotiation techniques and the lawyer’s role as a negotiator will also be introduced to help students prepare to practice in a non-litigation setting. Students will do both individual and group projects, including writing assignments and oral presentations.

Legal Research Analysis, Writing, & Oral Communication III: Litigation /Appellate Advocacy and the Theodore L. Reimel Competition (Fall Semester)

This intensive 3-credit course teaches skills that are essential to successful appellate practice and written and oral advocacy more generally. The class begins by focusing on the different roles of the trial and appellate courts and the limitations imposed on appellate tribunals, including the standards of review. The class then concentrates on techniques for writing each section of an appellate brief persuasively, including the Argument, Question Presented, Statement of the Case, and Summary of the Argument.  Students who enroll in appellate advocacy in the fall semester participate in the Theodore L. Reimel Moot Court Competition as part of the course. The Reimel Competition is an annual intra-school tournament and a hallowed tradition at Villanova Law that is designed to foster student development in written and oral advocacy through simulated appellate argument.  Throughout the semester, students work in teams to draft a two issue appellate brief. Students may choose their teammate or request an assigned partner.  In November, each team participates in at least two oral arguments before panels of judges comprised of esteemed members of the legal community who give the participants meaningful feedback. The 59th Annual Reimel Competition will be held in November 2018, and the appellate problem will pertain to business law.

Legal Research Analysis, Writing, & Oral Communication III: Litigation /Appellate Advocacy (Spring Semester)

This 2-credit course teaches skills that are essential to successful appellate practice and written and oral advocacy more generally. The class begins by focusing on the different roles of the trial and appellate courts and the limitations imposed on appellate tribunals, including the standards of review. The class then concentrates on techniques for writing each section of an appellate brief persuasively, including the Argument, Question Presented, Statement of the Case, and Summary of the Argument. Throughout the semester, students work individually to draft a single issue appellate brief. In April, students will have the opportunity to participate in appellate oral arguments as both an advocate and a judge. Please note that students who take appellate advocacy in the spring do not participate in the Reimel Competition as part of the course; however, all 3Ls are welcome to participate in the Competition.