Intensive Legal Research & Writing

Quick Info
(3920.03)  Seminar
Instructor(s)
Y. Dina and S. Wang; Adjunct Professors
Fall
3 credit(s)  2 hour(s);
Presentation
Lectures, discussion, skills-development exercises
Upper Year Research & Writing Requirement
Yes
Praxicum
No

This intensive seminar provides students with the opportunity to refresh and update their research and writing skills.
The grade is determined on the basis of a 10 minutes in class research methodology presentation (10%) and a single research paper satisfying the Upper Year Writing Requirement, that is, 7,000 words in length, excluding notes, bibliography and appendices (90%). The presentation needs to clearly outline the research method and resources applied in the chosen research project.
The paper can be on any legal topic approved by the instructor(s). The paper must state (a) facts (actual or imagined) which do or would give rise to one or more disputed points of law;(b) the order or orders actually or supposedly sought from that tribunal by the party initiating the action, application, prosecution, motion, appeal, etc. The paper itself is to be an argument, involving the disputed points of law, for or against the granting of the order or orders.
Finally, the paper must, as part of its argument, persuade the reader that the literature, research sources, and methodologies applicable to research on the topic have been thoroughly reviewed and considered. Along with the research paper, students are encouraged to submit additional comments which reflect upon the paper, and explain the choices made in the process of writing it.

Method of Evaluation: The grade is determined on the basis of a 10 minutes in class research methodology presentation (10%) and a single research paper satisfying the Upper Year Writing Requirement, that is, 7,000 words in length, excluding notes, bibliography and appendices (90%).