rant

[blackpowerman]

1Lchica, what school do u go to? your schedule seems way out of line with mine and all my friends (uva, georgtown, washington and lee, usc, respectively)

we don't have exams for at least another 8 weeks...

[LawSchoolStrategies.com]

I know it's hard to care since legal writing class usually doesn't count for a grade, but without question it's the most important class that you'll take in law school. You'll only realize that, as I did, once you start practicing. Only a clinic will come close in importance.

Good luck with everything.

[Peaches]

Except nobody is stressing over synthesizing the law or general writing skills in a brief or memo.  They're worried about where to put the space or whether the period goes on the inside or the outside of parentheses.  Useful to know for yourself, but you'll rarely be turning anything in as a lawyer that hasn't had a few pairs of eyes on it or a memo that hasn't been cobbled, at least in part, from stock memos.

[LawSchoolStrategies.com]

That is somewhat true in big firms, but if you are a solid legal writer, the higher ups won't have to edit your material as much and you will get rewarded with better assignments. Plus, at some point you will be the person supervising or be at a smaller firm without a team to write a brief. Good legal writing is required for everything, from briefs to memos to letters of compromise. Being a poor legal writer is a sure way to get endless document review or other assignments that don't require any writing. Partners and other lawyers don't have time to correct your mistakes or to rework your research. And I think attorneys should take some personal pride in their work product. Attorneys are, to a great extent, professional writers. Bryan Garner says that a lot, and I agree. And it wouldn't make sense for a professional writer to be bad at writing.