Legal Writing Prof Blog

Save the Date: 2015 Burton Awards for Excellence in Legal Writing

The Burton Awards for Excellence in Legal Writing is, without a doubt, the single most glamorous evening for legal writing. That's been true for years, and next year's award ceremony promises to continue that trend.  It will be held at 4:45 p.m. on Monday, June 15, 2015 in the Great Hall of the Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress.  Awards will be given for public interest, public service, "Legends in Law," distinguished legal writing awards, outstanding journalist in law, and an award for "Outstanding Contributions to Legal Writing Education."  Entertainment will be provided that evening by Kristin Chenoweth, the Emmy and Tony Award winning superstar.  It's a black tie event and tickets can be pricey, but the value of the evening makes it all worthwhile.

(mew)

Study documents gender bias in student evaluations

A recent study reinforced previous conclusions that student evaluations are biased in favor of male instructors. Among its findings, it documented an interesting result on an item that could be objectively verified.  Two professors gave students feedback at the same time. But on a question about their promptness, the instructor students thought was a male was rated 4.35 out of 5, while the instructor they thought was a female was ranked 3.55.

Hat tip: Michael Higdon

(jdf)

Proposals for the 2015 Storytelling Conference in Seattle

Here's one last reminder:  The deadline for submitting proposals for the 2015 Applied Legal Storytelling Conference is on Monday, December 15, 2014. The call for proposals is on the Legal Writing Institute web site, under “Related Conferences,” or by clicking here.   That pages also includes a bibliography of articles on Applied Legal Storytelling (a preview of the bibliography that will be published in Volume 12 of Legal Communication and Rhetoric: JALWD in Fall 2015). 

The conference will take place from July 21-23, 2015, at Seattle University School of Law.  The conference is jointly sponsored by the Legal Writing Institute, the Clinical Legal Education Association, and the Seattle University School of Law.

If you miss the deadline, you can probably come up with a good story as to why they should accept your late proposal.  (I'm not sure that they'll do that, so do it properly and get your proposal in on time!).

Hat tip to Christopher Rideout.

(mew)

Surprise! The United States Code Has a New Title!

Back in September when nobody was looking, a new title (Title 52) became effective for the United States Code.  The new Title collects sections on voting and elections that previously appeared in Titles 2 and 42. There is no change to the text of those sections, just a change in where you find them.

The reorganization of the United States Code is discussed in an article by the Office of Law Revision Counsel, which notes that "[t]he short-term inconvenience of adjusting to new Code citations is greatly outweighed by the benefit of making much needed long-term improvements in the organizational structure of the Code."  Click here to read that article. 

Hat tip to Ann Schwing and Scribes--The American Society of Legal Writers

(mew)

 

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Librarians of the Law Library of Congress

The advantages of examples in law school classrooms

Cognitive load theory shows why law professors should use examples in their classrooms. So writes UNLV Professor Terrill Pollman in her article The Sincerest Form of Flattery: Examples and Model-Based Learning in the Law School Classroom in thethe November issue of the Journal of Legal Education. She explains that cognitive load theory concerns the learning of complex tasks where “learners are often overwhelmed” by the need to process and apply a number of elements. Cognitive load theorists suggest that teachers should give students specific guidance in order to lighten their cognitive load. Using examples in both doctrinal and legal writing courses is one way to do that for law students as they become familiar with the legal field. But research also shows that courses for more experienced learners might include fewer examples and prompt students to grapple with problem solving, Pollman writes.

(jdf)

AALS Section Award Winners Announced

The Association of American Law Schools (AALS) has announced the winners of its 2015 awards for excellence in legal education. The awards are hosted by several AALS sections that are organized around various academic disciplines and topics of interest. The winners will be acknowledged at section programs during the 2015 AALS Annual Meeting, January 2-5, 2015 in Washington, D.C.

“I’d like to congratulate the 2015 AALS section award winners,” said Daniel B. Rodriguez, AALS President and Dean, Northwestern University Law School in a press release issued by the AALS. “These law professors represent the very best of our academic community and their commitment to our students and excellence in our profession is rightly celebrated by these section awards.”

The 2015 AALS section award winners are:

Section on Academic Support Award
Paula Lustbader, Seattle University School of Law

Section on Clinical Legal Education William Pincus Award
Ann C. Shalleck, American University, Washington College of Law

Section on Criminal Justice Junior Scholar Award
Saira Mohamed, University of California, Berkeley School of Law

Section on Evidence Wigmore Award
Peter Tillers, Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law Yeshiva University

Section on Federal Courts Best Article Award
Seth Davis, University of California, Irvine School of Law

Section on Law Libraries and Legal Information Award
Billie Jo Kaufman, American University, Washington College of Law

Section on Legal Writing, Reasoning and Research Award
Mark E. Wojcik, The John Marshall Law School--Chicago

Section on Minority Groups Clyde Ferguson Award
Mario Barnes, University of California, Irvine School of Law
Angela Onwuachi-Willig, University of Iowa College of Law

Section on Minority Groups Derrick A. Bell Jr. Award
César Cuauhtémoc García Hernández, Capital University Law School

Section on Pro-Bono & Public Service Opportunities Deborah L. Rhode Award
Gerald Lopez, University of California, Los Angeles School of Law

Section on Pro-Bono & Public Service Opportunities Father Robert Drinan Award
William P. Quigley, Loyola University New Orleans College of Law

Section on Torts and Compensation Systems William L. Prosser Award
Michael Green, Wake Forest University School of Law

Section on Women in Legal Education Ruth Bader Ginsburg Lifetime Achievement Award
Herma Hill Kay, University of California, Berkeley School of Law

The Section on Legal Writing, Reasoning, and Research Award will be presented at the Section Luncheon on Saturday, January 3, 2015. 

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Make Plans Now to Attend AALS Academic Support Section Events in D.C.

LWI's One Day Workshops Coming Up

Scribes - The American Society of Legal Writers

Lincoln Cathedral's Copy of the Magna Carta on Display at the Library of Congress

If you're going to Washington D.C. this January for the annual meeting of the Association of American Law Schools, plan an extra day to stop by the Library of Congress which will have a special exhibit on the Magna Carta.

The year 2015 will mark the 800th anniversary of the 1215 Magna Carta, the first document to limit the power of the King and to uphold the rights of the individual.

An exhibit called "Magna Carta: Muse and Mentor" will open at the Library of Congress on November 6, 2014 and continue to January 19, 2015. It features the "Lincoln Cathedral" copy of the Magna Carta, which is being loaned by Lincoln Cathedral in England (pictured here).

(mew)

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Hurray for the Law Library of Congress!

Magna Carta is Coming to the Library of Congress

One of the One-Day Workshops

The Legal Writing Institute has hosted one-day workshops each December since 2009, when the first two workshops were held in Chicago (at The John Marshall Law School) and New York City (at St. John's University).  The number of workshops has grown, and in some years we've had as many as 16 workshops across the country.  This year there are ten workshops.  Seven of them are being held this weekend and three others will be held next weekend.

One of those workshops is being held today at California Western School of Law in San Diego.  Speakers and moderators there include:

• Niels Schaumann (California Western School of Law)
• David W. Austin (California Western School of Law)
• Allison Cato (Calfornia Western School of Law)
• Elizabeth Carroll (USC Gould School of Law)
• Maureen Johnson (Loyola Los Angeles)
• Ruth Hargrove (California Western School of Law)
• Jeanne Merino (Stanford Law School)
• Lisa Black (California Western School of Law)
• Charles Calleros (Arizona State University)
• Kathryn Fehrman (California Western School of Law)
• Joe Kimble (Western Michigan University Thomas Cooley Law School)
• Roberta Thyfault (California Western School of Law)
• Julie Ryan (USC Gould School of Law)
• Fiona McKenna (Golden Gate University)
• Tim Casey (California Western School of Law)
• Lance Long (Stetson University College of Law)
• Mark E. Wojcik (The John Marshall Law School)

The conference is well attended, with attendees from across California and from other states including Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, and Washington. And the presentations are just great -- these one-day workshops offer participants a great opportunity to re-energize in the middle of the academic year and to share ideas and experiences with other colleagues.

(mew)

The Fall AALS Newsletter is out

The Fall 2014 newsletter of the Association of American Law Schools Section on Legal Writing, Reasoning, and Research is now available. Its inside information about legal writing speakers and topics at the AALS Annual Meeting in January will be especially helpful to those thinking of attending the meeting. It also announces that the legal writing community will have greeters available there for those who want to connect with others. And it reminds readers not to miss the luncheon for the section award, which will go to Professor Mark E. Wojcik of The John Marshall Law School (pictured at left), and the reception for the Blackwell Award, which will go to Professor Helene Shapo of Northwestern University School of Law (pictured at right).  

Download LWRR Newsletter 2014 for short articles and more news, including information about colleagues’ publications.

(jdf)

Symposium on the Enduring Legacy of the Magna Carta

Date: Tuesday, December 9, 2014 
Time: 2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. 
Place: Library of Congress, Thomas Jefferson Building, Coolidge Auditorium, 10 First Street S.E., Washington, D.C. 

Scholars, historians and contemporary thinkers will discuss how Magna Carta's political and legal traditions have carried into our current times at a Library of Congress symposium on Dec. 9. The symposium, "Conversations on the Enduring Legacy of the Great Charter," is being held in conjunction with the Library's exhibition "Magna Carta: Muse and Mentor." 

The afternoon program, "Contemporary Conversations on Magna Carta," is open to the public and starts at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 9, in the Coolidge Auditorium on the ground level of the Library's Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St. S.E., Washington, D.C. The symposium, organized by the Law Library of Congress, is free. Tickets are not needed. 

A highlight of the program is an interview by David Rubenstein, co-founder and co-CEO of The Carlyle Group, with Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Stephen G. Breyer. The interview, "American Law and the Great Charter," begins at 2:05 p.m. 

The Library of Congress exhibition "Magna Carta: Muse and Mentor," which runs through Jan. 19, 2015, celebrates the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta and illustrates the great charter's influence on laws and liberties throughout the centuries. The centerpiece of the exhibition is the 1215 Magna Carta, on loan from Lincoln Cathedral in England, one of only four surviving copies issued in 1215. The exhibition features 76 items drawn from the collections at the Library of Congress. 

Featured Speakers for the Afternoon Program 

Opening remarks by Deputy Librarian of Congress Robert Dizard Jr. 

"American Law and the Great Charter" 
David Rubenstein conducts an interview with Associate Justice Stephen G. Breyer 

"Drafting Modern Constitutions" 
Participants: A.E. Dick Howard, White Burkett Miller Professor of Law and Public Affairs, University of Virginia School of Law; Cornelius Kerwin, president of American University; and David Fontana, Associate Professor of Law, George Washington University Law School. Moderated by Jeffrey Rosen, president and chief executive officer, National Constitution Center 

"Rule of Law in the Contemporary World: Civil Liberties and Surveillance" 
Participants: Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI), Member, Committee on the Judiciary, and Chairman, Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security and Investigations; Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Member, Committee on the Judiciary, and Member, Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Moderated by Orin Kerr, Fred C. Stevenson Research Professor of Law at George Washington University Law School 

"Proportionality Under the Eighth Amendment" 
Participants: Vicki Jackson, Thurgood Marshall Professorship of Constitutional Law, Harvard Law School; Craig Lerner, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Professor of Law, George Mason University Law School. Moderated by Carrie Johnson, justice correspondent, National Public Radio 

"The Enduring Value of Magna Carta" 
Participants: Jonathan Jacobs, director of the Institute for Criminal Justice Ethics and chairman of the Department of Philosophy at John Jay College of Criminal Justice; William C. Hubbard, president, American Bar Association, and partner with Nelson Mullins Riley and Scarborough, LLP. Moderated by Roberta I. Shaffer, former Associate Librarian for Library Services at the Library of Congress. 

"An International Perspective" 
Sir Robert Worcester, chairman of the Magna Carta 800th Anniversary Commemoration Committee 

Closing Remarks 
David S. Mao, Law Librarian of Congress 

The Library's exhibition "Magna Carta: Muse and Mentor" is made possible by The Federalist Society and 1st Financial Bank USA. Additional support comes from the Friends of the Law Library of Congress, BP America, The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, the Earhart Foundation, White and Case LLP, The Burton Foundation for Legal Achievement, the Office of the General Counsel of the American University, and other donors as well as contributions received from Thomson Reuters, William S. Hein and Co., Inc., and Raytheon Company through the Friends of the Law Library. The Library also acknowledges the support and assistance provided by the British Council. The exhibition is supported by an indemnity from the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities. 

 

 

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Magna Carta Exhibit Opens Tomorrow at the Library of Congress

Magna Carta Exhibit in Washington, D.C.

"Conversations on the Enduring Legacy of the Great Charter" Symposium Set for December 9, 2014

Magna Carta Entrusting Ceremony Recreated - Pic of the Week

Magna Carta Goes on Display in Washington, D.C.

Original copy of Magna Carta now on display in Washington D.C.

Photos: Magna Carta's Legacy

Librarians of the Law Library of Congress

Deadline Approaching for the Storytelling Conference

The deadline for submitting proposals for the 2015 Applied Legal Storytelling Conference is December 15, 2014. The call for proposals is on the Legal Writing Institute web site, under “Related Conferences,” or by clicking here.   That pages also includes a bibliography of articles on Applied Legal Storytelling (a preview of the bibliography that will be published in Volume 12 of Legal Communication and Rhetoric: JALWD in Fall 2015). 

The conference will take place from July 21-23, 2015, at Seattle University School of Law.  The conference is jointly sponsored by the Legal Writing Institute, the Clinical Legal Education Association, and the Seattle University School of Law.

If you miss the deadline, you can probably come up with a good story as to why they should accept your late proposal.  (I'm not sure that they'll do that, so do it properly and get your proposal in on time!).

Hat tip to Christopher Rideout.

(mew)

Advising Students on Careers in International Law

Many legal writing professors also have an interest in teaching international law, coaching international law moot court teams (such as Jessup, Niagara, Space Law, and the Stetson International Environmental Law Moot Court Competition), and in advising law students about possible carrers in international law.  So many professors will be happy to be reminded that the American Bar Association Section of International Law has published a popular book on "Careers in International Law," and that you can recommend it to students.

Mark Wojcik (one of the editors on this blog) is one of the contributing authors on the book.  He's pictured here with another co-author, Jeff Golden, who is an American lawyer living and working in London, England.  They each authored chapters in the book.