Week 1:

Students are expected to submit an essay (not more than 400 words) on the topic: “Why do
I want to be a lawyer and the relevance of being a lawyer in this pandemic time”.

Week 2:​ ​What is Legal Writing:

Kinds:

Informative

Persuasive

Functional

Categories:

Legal Analysis

Legal Drafting

Definition of Terms:

Memorandum

Pleading

Motion

Brief

Appellate brief

Week 3:
Simplicity and Clarity

Elements of Legal Writing:

Simplicity

Short sentences
Omit unnecessary words

Week 4: ​QUIZ

Week 5:
Persuasiveness and Fallacy

Persuasion:

Rule-based reasoning

Analogical and the counter-analogical

Policy-based reasoning

Narrative reasoning

Fallacy

Formal vs. Informal

Deduction

Week 6:

MIDTERMS

Week 7:
Legalese

The use of traditional writing that uses abstruse legal vocabulary making it difficult for
non-lawyers to understand

Technical Writing

Ordinary words with special legal meaning

Week 8: Legal Opinion and Writing Letters to and for a Client

What are the parts of an opinion letter

What words and expressions should be avoided in writing letters

Week 9 - Grammar and Usage
Subject verb agreement

Prepositions

Numbers

Punctuations

Capitalizations

Fi a Pe i d:

Week 11:
Legal Affectations and Legal Citation

Legal Affectations to avoid

Minimizing the use of double negative

Suggested guide to legal citation