Legal Writing Prof Blog

New data on female law students

 

Once again, research indicates that female law students are not as engaged as males. The 2010 Law School Survey of Student Engagement showed that 47% of women frequently ask questions in class, while  56% of men do.  However, an article about the survey  quoted Vermont law professor Cheryl Hanna (shown at left) as saying the gender gap has lessened as legal education has become more skills-based and collaborative.

(jdf)

Congratulations to the LRW profs at Widener!

This was the first year the LRW professors at Widener University have been eligible for five-year contracts. Now at their Harrisburg campus Ann Fruth has received a five-year presumptively renewable contract. And at their Wilmington campus, Doretta McGinnis, Ned Luce, and Micah Yarbrough all received five-year presumptively renewable contracts. Time to celebrate in both locations!

hat tips: Anna Hemingway and Mary Ellen Maatman

(spl)

AALS Section on Legal Writing, Reasoning, and Research

How many times have you sat around arguing about specific provisions of the bylaws for the AALS Section on Legal Writing, Reasoning, and Research?  Well those days are gone!  You can now download your OWN PERSONAL COPY of the section bylaws!!!  (Yeah!!!)

The section membership approved the revised bylaws in January at the2011 AALS Annual Meeting in San Francisco.  The AALS executive office reviewed the new bylaws and has now told us that the changes have been approved.  Download AALS Legal Writing Bylaws 2011

Mark E. Wojcik, Chair, AALS Section on Legal Writing, Reasoning, and Research

LWI Global Skills Committee

The Legal Writing Institute Global Skills Committee will meet next week during the sixth Global Legal Skills Conference, being held at The John Marshall Law School in Chicago from May 5-7, 2011. 

(mew)

Video on the Importance of Legal Writing

Now that we're at the end of the semester, this video will tell students all of the ways that they can use their new legal writing skills.  Enjoy!

 

(mew) 

Storytelling tips

Professor Jim McElhaney’s column in the April ABA Journal stresses the importance of good storytelling in written and oral advocacy and at various stages of litigation.  Suggestions such as “don’t argue what you don’t believe” and “be plausible” are good tips for students as they write briefs and prepare for oral arguments.

(jdf)

See yourself in this book?

Many legal writing professors answered a survey a couple of years ago on juggling work and family obligations. Now the results of that survey are included in a new book by Hollee Temple, West Virginia's legal writing director: The New Perfect: Finding Happiness and Success in Modern Motherhood.

In the book, Hollee shares her own experience quitting a law firm to find a more balanced life. Another mother featured in the book is Nikki Willliams, who ended up finding balance in her life as a legal writing professor at Georgia State.

It will be interesting to see how much of our own lives, mothers or not, legal writing professors see in this book.

(spl)

How much do women law students publish?

Over on the Feminist Law Professors' blog, Professor Nancy Leong reports on her research about the amount of publishing women law students are doing compared to men. She welcomes your comments, especially ideas as to why these discrepancies may exist. Since I can't get our automatic link creating function to work today, please click over to http://www.feministlawprofessors.com/2011/03/ten-years-of-student-notes/.

(spl)