Legal Writing Prof Blog

Your AALS Legal Writing Dance Card

The Association of American Law Schools will hold its 2019 Annual Meeting in New Orleans. Here are some of the events of particular interest to legal writing faculty:

AALS 2019 in New Orleans LWRR “Dance Card”

Wednesday, January 2, 2019

5:30 pm - 6:30 pm AALS Arc of Career Program: A Session for First Time Meeting Attendees What is AALS and Why Does It Matter for My Career? And How Do I Get the Most Out of the Annual Meeting?

6:30 pm - 7:30 pm AALS Reception for New Law Teachers

Thursday, January 3, 2019

10:30 am - 12:15 pm AALS Arc of Career Program What to Make of Student Evaluations

10:30 am - 12:15 pm AALS Hot Topic Program Narratives About Sexual Harassment and Sexual Violence: #MeToo, the Kavanaugh Allegations and Pending Changes to Title IX Enforcement

1:30 pm - 4:30 pm Balance in Legal Education Building (Self)-Compassion and Other Sources of Well-Being

4:30-5:45 pm LWRR Outreach – Beignets & Banter Please drop by the conference hotel lobby, second floor, near River Blends Café (main lobby adjacent) for a treat and a chance to say hello to LWRR colleagues. Beignets hosted by McGeorge School of Law Global Lawyering Skills Program.

Friday, January 4, 2019

9:00 am - 12:00 pm Legal Writing, Reasoning, and Research and Technology, Law and Legal Education Joint Program Learning Here, There, and Everywhere: Distance Learning Technology & New Tech Tools

10:30 am - 12:15 pm Law and the Social Sciences, Co-Sponsored by New Law Professors Publishing Social Science Research

12:15 pm - 1:30 pm Clinical Legal Education Luncheon

12:15 pm - 1:30 pm Law Libraries and Legal Information Luncheon

12:15 pm - 1:30 pm Legal Writing, Reasoning, and Research Luncheon

1:30 pm - 3:15 pm New Law Professors Building Bridges: Teaching to Students of Different Backgrounds, Interests, and Strengths

8:00 pm - 10:00 pm Association of Legal Writing Directors and Legal Writing Institute (ALWD/LWI) Blackwell Award Reception

Saturday, January 5, 2019

10:30 am - 12:15 pm AALS Discussion Group Building Bridges Between Theory and Practice: Incorporating Lawyering Skills into Doctrinal Courses 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm LWRR Outreach – New Orleans Literary (Walking) Tour Trace the footsteps and visit the inspirational haunts of the regional writers who have defined literature. $25. More information about the walking tour is available by clicking here. To make a reservation, please email Adrienne Brungess: [email protected].

3:30 pm - 5:15 pm AALS Discussion Group Cross-Generational Teaching: How to Remain Relevant in a Rapidly Changing World

3:30 pm - 5:15 pm Balance in Legal Education Building Bridges from Undergraduate Experience to Law School (Pedagogy Program)

3:30 pm - 5:15 pm Legal Writing, Reasoning, and Research New Scholars Showcase

5:15 pm – 6:00 pm Legal Writing, Reasoning, and Research Business Meeting

Sunday, January 6, 2019

8:30 am - 10:15 am Law Libraries and Legal Information Supporting Scholarship to Build Bridges to Our Colleagues, Peers and Students

10:30 am - 12:15 pm Legal Writing, Reasoning, and Research Stronger Together: Building Bridges to Doctrinal Faculty, Practicing Attorneys, and Beyond

Hat tip to Adrienne Brungess, AALS-LWRR Outreach Committee Co-Chair

Reminder to Save the Date: 2019 Applied Legal Storytelling Conference

Save the Date! The seventh Applied Legal Storytelling Conference will be held July 9-11, 2019 at the University of Colorado.

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Global Legal Skills Scholarship and Book Award 2018

Paul Kossof, a U.S.-trained attorney working in Beijing, China, has won the 2018 Global Legal Skills Scholarship and Book Award

He received the Global Legal Skills Scholarship and Book Award in recognition of his books that promote a better understanding of Chinese law and the Chinese legal system. The award was announced at the Global Skills Conference held in Melbourne, Australia, in December 2018.

One of his books is Chinese Legal Research, the first book to provide a condensed guide to legal research in China for foreign researchers who may not speak or read Chinese. The goal of this book is to supply researchers with the background, tools, resources, and tips necessary to conduct effective Chinese legal research without even a basic knowledge of written Mandarin. Click here for more information about the Chinese Legal Research book.

Another of his books explains Chinese Trademark Law. Click here for more information about that book.

More information about the Global Legal Skills Awards is available by clicking here. Awards are given for individual achievement, books and scholarship, institutional awards, and law school awards.

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Law and Legal Education in Australia

The 13th Global Legal Skills Conference continues this week at Melbourne Law School. A plenary session on Australian law included a detailed explanation of the landmark decision of the High Court of Australia in Mabo v. Queensland (No. 2), [1992] HCA 23; 175 CLR 1; (1992) EOC 92-443; 42 FLR 32. The Mabo decision recognized the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and acknowledged their unique connection with the land. It also led to the Australian Parliament passing the Native Title Act in 1993, a law that provides a mechanism to determine how native title interests are recognized and recorded.

Other topics discussed in the Australian plenary included the Australian Constitution, the contemporary legal structure of Australia and its federal system, and the Australian judicial system.

The speakers at the Australian legal plenary were Professor Kirsty Grover, Mr. Matthew Albert, and Dr. Carrie McDougal, all of the Melbourne Law School.

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Save the Date: 2019 ALWD Conference in Boston

Here's a reminder that the 2019 Biennial Conference of the Association of Legal Writing Directors (ALWD) will be held May 29-31, 2019 at Suffolk University Law School in Boston. The theme of the conference will be "Time for Transformative Leadership: Teaching and Learning."

 

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Global Legal Skills Conference Opens in Melbourne

The 13th Global Legal Skills Conference opened today in Melbourne, Australia, drawing speakers and participants from 22 countries. The conference is hosted by Melbourne Law School in partnership with The John Marshall Law School in Chicago, where the conference originated. Speakers are sharing teaching materials, techniques, and ideas for legal skills education. As in past conferences, there is a particular emphasis on teaching legal writing and research to lawyers and law students who speak English as a second language. The conference program and information about the presenters can be found by clicking here.

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Save the Date: Burton Awards 2019

The 20th Annual Burton Awards will be held in Washington, D.C., on Monday, May 20, 2019.

Burton Awards event begins: Coolidge Auditorium, Library of Congress 4:00p.m. prompt
Cocktail Reception: Great Hall of the Library of Congress, 6:00 p.m.
Gala/Dinner: Great Hall, Atrium Level, 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m​.

Event Venue: Library of Congress, Coolidge Auditorium and Great Hall.
City/State/Zip: 10 First Street, S.E., Washington, D.C.

The awards program recognizes major achievements in the law, ranging from literary awards to the greatest reform in law. The awards are selected by professors from Yale Law School, Harvard Law School, UC Berkeley School of Law, Stanford Law School, and Columbia Law School, among others. The members of the Honorary Board of Directors are Chief Judge Richard Posner (retired), Seventh Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals; U.S. Senator John Cornyn; U.S. Senator Robert P. Casey, Jr.; U.S. Senator Mike Crapo; U.S. Senator Michael F. Bennet; California Supreme Court Justice Carol Corrigan of California; Yabo Lin, Partner, Sidley Austin LLP; Jane Sullivan Roberts, Partner, Major, Lindsey & Africa; Lisa Rickard, President, U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform; Thomas L. Sager, Partner, Ballard Spahr LLP; Les Parrette, Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Compliance Officer, Novelis Inc.; James M. Rishwain, Jr., Chairman Emeritus, Pillsbury Winthrop LLP; Betty Whelchel, Head of Public Policy & Regulatory Affairs, BNP Paribis SA; Stephen R. Mysliwiec, Partner, DLA Piper LLP (US); Leslie T. Thornton, Senior Vice President, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary, WGL Holdings, Inc. and Washington Gas; and Linda Klein, Immediate Past President, American Bar Association.​

(mew)