Upper-Level, Advanced Legal Writing Courses
Duke Law School's upper-level advanced legal writing courses provide students with opportunities to hone further the legal writing skills taught in the first year. These courses are geared to specific subject-matter or legal writing settings, taught by the first-year writing faculty in small seminars, and include substantial feedback to students on their written products. Some of these courses also involve continued instruction in legal research.
Legal Writing in Civil Practice
Professor Jo Ann Ragazzo teaches this course which helps prepare students for the rigors of legal analysis and writing in general civil practice by providing a variety of writing experiences including opinion and demand letters, pleadings, motions, and trial briefs. It culminates in oral arguments on motions before members of the bench and bar. » View the course description
Writing for Publication
Professor Jeremy Mullem teaches this course in a collective "workshop" setting where students produce a scholarly paper of publishable length. The course is intended to appeal to students who are interested in pursuing an academic writing opportunity apart from or in addition to those otherwise available through Duke's journals, seminars devoted to particular areas of law, or independent study, and in particular to students considering careers in academia. » View the course description
Contract Drafting
Prof. Diane Dimond has taught this course which teaches basic practical skills in contract drafting through written drafting exercises. While the skills taught are basic, they are readily translatable to more sophisticated contracts, such as those that Duke Law students can expect to see and draft in practice. » View the course description