Legal Writing Prof Blog

Congratulations to Case!

Yesterday the faculty at Case Western Reserve University School of Law voted to promote Jennifer Cupar, Maureen Kenny, and Carrie Seymour to positions as Assistant Professors of Law, with three-year contracts.  As their program director, Peter Friedman reports, "Their collective promotion from adjunct positions represents a quantum leap in the quality of our program here at Case." (spl)

recommended reading

If you are not a member of the New York State Bar Association ("NYSBA"), you might not be aware that the NYSBA Journal is a gold mine for those who teach legal writing or just care a lot about it.  For the past few years, each issue of the Journal has ended with a column called The Legal Writer, by Judge Gerald Lebovits, of the New York City Civil Court.  Judge Lebovits has covered a wide range of legal writing topics.  Most fortunately, the NYSBA website includes archives of the past issues, going back five years, available in .pdf format.

In addition, the Journal also features a monthly column called Language Tips, by Gertrude Block, professor emerita of the University of Florida College of Law.  Professor Block entertains questions from readers, about our written language and its usage in the legal context, and she provides detailed, informative replies.

Finally, about once a year in recent years, the Journal has dedicated an entire issue to legal writing.  It's really worth taking a look at the issues in the archives. (spl)

pictures from Tucson

Julie Oseid (St. Thomas in MN) submitted the following pictures from Tucson.    Enjoy!!

Picture 1: Julie Clement (Thomas M. Cooley Law School), Terry Pollman (UNLV), Judy Stinson (Arizona State)

Picture 2:  Myra Orlen (Western New England), Amaya Willrich and her mom, Penny Willrich (Phoenix International)

Picture 3:  Judy Stinson, Richard Neumann (Hofstra), Terry Pollman

Picture 4:  Julie Oseid and Nancy Soonpaa (Texas Tech)

(njs)

more long-term contracts!

At Western New England College School of Law, the faculty recently finalized a transition to long-term contracts for the legal writing professors.  The last step in the transition was the faculty's vote to award the current legal writing faculty appointments to the new positions.  Congratulations to Myra Orlen, Jocelyn Cuffee, Jeanne Kaiser, and Harris Freeman! (spl)

tenure-track legal writing positions

Drexel University's new College of Law has announced tenure-track openings for professors teaching legal research and writing.  Drexel anticipates filling at least one of these positions to teach its first law school entering class in the 2006-2007 academic year, and it anticipates filling another of these positions for the 2007-2008 academic year.  In addition, it invites applications from experienced legal research and writing professors interested in a visiting appointment.

Applicants must have a strong academic record and law practice experience, a demonstrated interest (and preferably experience) in teaching legal research and writing, and a demonstrated ability to produce quality scholarship.  Questions and applications (cover letter, resume, list of references and writing sample) may be sent to Professor Terry Jean Seligmann, LRW Director, via http://www.drexel.edu/law/inauguralfaculty.asp.

1.  The position advertised is a tenure-track appointment.  A visiting position is also possible.
2.  The professor hired will be permitted to vote in faculty meetings.
3.  The school anticipates paying an annual academic year base salary in the range of $80,000 to  $90,000 or more.
4.  The number of students enrolled in each semester of the courses taught by the legal research & writing professor will be 36 - 40.

(spl)

recommended reading

Lynne Truss, the author of Eats, Shoots, & Leaves, is at it again.  In Talk to the Hand, she entertainingly bemoans the demise of good manners and civility.  Along the way she provides a good deal of insight into why we have manners in the first place and the ways in which they are slipping.  There's something reassuring in all her tales of woe, perhaps because having a better understanding of the problems makes it easier to articulate solutions.  There are many useful tidbits in this book for those of us who teach aspects of professionalism to lawyers-in-training.   (spl)

more congrats!!

Michael Higdon, an LRW faculty member at UNLV's law school, won Teacher of the Year.

Way to go Michael!!

(njs)