LAW 832M

ADVANCED LEGAL WRITING

2nd Semester 2020
Prof. VVM Aguirre

Course Objectives: At the end of the course, the students should be able to:
 Formulate a thesis statement, research problem statements, and objectives, as well as a
conceptual and/or theoretical framework whenever applicable;
 Critically analyze laws (Philippine, foreign and international), court decisions, and secondary
literature that are relevant to their respective topics; and
 Write a full-blown research proposal that will be acceptable for a JD thesis consisting of the
following chapters: 1. Introduction, 2. Review of Related Primary and Secondary Literature, 3.
Research Methodology.

Course Requirements:
Exercises, Outlines, other assignments: 15%
Chapter 1 : 1st draft – 25%; 2nd draft – 10%
Chapter 2 : 1st draft – 25%; 2nd draft – 10%
Chapter 3 : 1st draft – 10%; 2nd draft – 5%

Course Outline
A. Introduction: Definitions, objectives, research process & design, research ethics
B. Problem formulation: Understanding and applying the research process
 Choose topic for research and explain why the topic interests you (For submission)
 Formulate a tentative hypothesis that can be the basis of a Thesis Statement.
 Formulate a general statement of the problem and sub-problems, if applicable.
 State your objectives in making a paper on the topic chosen and how your study will contribute
to the literature and/or development of law in the Philippines (i.e., its significance).
 Chapter 1- Sentence Outline
 Chapter 1- 1st draft
C. Review of Related Primary and Secondary Literature
 Locate laws (Philippine, foreign, international), court decisions, and secondary authority
literature relevant to the topic of your research
 Make a record of the relevant provisions, ratio and excerpts from these sources
 Classify these primary and secondary sources according to sub-topics and make a linear outline
from them.
 Indicate how these sources are relevant to your own study.
 IN ALL CASES, document your sources in proper citation format (see Feliciano, Philippine Manual
of Legal Citation; Harvard Blue Book)
 On the basis of concepts found in related literature, formulate the Conceptual Framework of
your paper.
 Chapter 2- Sentence Outline
 Chapter 2- 1ST DRAFT
D. Research Methodology
 Indicate the steps you intend to take in conducting your research, identifying the research
design that you will use in your study
 Chapter 3- Sentence Outline
  Chapter 3- 1ST DRAFT:
E. References
 List all laws, cases and secondary authority literature used in your study, using standard legal
bibliography format (see Feliciano) and classified according to type of source [e.g., Legislation-
Philippine, Foreign, International; Books; Journal Articles; etc.]
 Note that since you will not be using books primarily, the proper heading is REFERENCES rather
than BIBLIOGRAPHY.
F. FINAL OUTPUT : SUBMISSION OF 3 CHAPTERS WITH REFERENCES

ALL SUBMISSIONS MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY A CERTIFICATION, AS FOLLOWS: “I hereby certify, upon

my honor that this work is my own work and that all ideas and direct quotations from other sources
have all been documented with proper citations.”

INTELLECTUAL DISHONESTY IN WHATEVER FORM (E.G., PLAGIARISM, ETC.) WILL BE SEVERELY DEALT
WITH. THE INSTRUCTOR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO FAIL STUDENTS CAUGHT COMMITTING ACTS OF
DISHONESTY, WITHOUT PREJUDICE TO THE FILING OF DISCIPLINARY ACTION AGAINST THEM.