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[tstyler98]

I am transferring this year (from a PNW school that offers a 4-semester writing program) to a school that only offers a two-semester writing program. I know that legal research/writing classes vary, but what stuff did you do in your two-semester lrw classes? Did you write appellate briefs? Draft anything? I'm just curious how much I'm going to be missing out on that will need to be self-taught.

In the first semester, I learned how to write an objective memo. That is basically an internal memo where you lay out the law and discuss how the client's case will come out for each element and/or issue.

In the second semester, I learned how to write a persuasive brief and I did an oral argument.

Many schools only require 2 semesters of Legal Writing, but also offer other classes where you can get additional experience.

[jaymaynard]

I think most LRW programs are pretty similar. Like the above poster mentioned, the first semester you focus on objective memo writing. Second semester you generally focus on persuasive, appellate brief writing and oral advocacy.

[Perseus_I]

Nothing. Waste of time. Bad grades in LRW, good grades in everything else, and then "wrote onto" Law Review. Go figure.

Learned a lot more from 1L summer judicial internship.

[kalvano]

I thought I learned a lot until I got my first real-world memo back that crossed out pretty much everything I learned in LRW.

[YankeesFan]

Did median/below in LWR and learned pretty much nothing. I learned everything from being an RA/writing onto a journal and after speaking with a practicing attorney was told that doing everything we learn in LWR would make the worst real world memo ever.

[2014utLaw]

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[JoeFish]

I maintain that a lot of people learn a very very important lesson in LRW, one that is fundamental but often overlooked:

YOU DON'T TRY TO WRITE THE BEST MEMO YOU CAN. YOU TRY TO WRITE THE MEMO THAT BEST MATCHES YOUR SUPERVISOR'S PREFERENCES.

This. Is. Crucial.

[Icculus]

I am transferring this year (from a PNW school that offers a 4-semester writing program) to a school that only offers a two-semester writing program. I know that legal research/writing classes vary, but what stuff did you do in your two-semester lrw classes? Did you write appellate briefs? Draft anything? I'm just curious how much I'm going to be missing out on that will need to be self-taught.

In the first semester, I learned how to write an objective memo. That is basically an internal memo where you lay out the law and discuss how the client's case will come out for each element and/or issue.

In the second semester, I learned how to write a persuasive brief and I did an oral argument.

Many schools only require 2 semesters of Legal Writing, but also offer other classes where you can get additional experience.

[NotMyRealName09]

Brevity. In addition to things like the above, I learned to get to the point.