Legal Writing I

COURSE OUTLINE IN LEGAL WRITING I

First Semester, AY 2020-2021

I. Introduction to the Course

A. General Concept of Legal Writing – An Introduction

1. Legal Writing Defined

2. Types and Broad Categories of Legal Writing
3. Legal Dispute and Issues

Read: Tabucanon, Gil M. P. & Mockon, David A., Legal

Writing: A Competency-Based Approach (2d
ed.2018)

Abad, Roberto A. & Abad-Gamo, Blessilda B.,

Fundamentals of Legal Writing (2014)

4. Stages of Legal Writing

5. Importance of Drafting an Outline

Read: Abad, Roberto A. & Abad-Gamo, Blessilda B.,

Fundamentals of Legal Writing (2014)

II. Good (and Bad) Legal Writing

A. Importance of Good Legal Writing

B. Fundamental Qualities That Enable Good Legal Writing

- Writing Clearly
- Simplicity, Clarity, and Persuasiveness

Read: Osbeck, Mark, What is Good Legal Writing and

Why Does It Matter?

Tabucanon, Gil M. P. & Mockon, David A., Legal

Writing: A Competency-Based Approach (2d
ed.2018)

Abad, Roberto A. & Abad-Gamo, Blessilda B.,

Fundamentals of Legal Writing (2014)

C. Review of Basic Rules in Grammar and Usage

1. Active voice
2. Subject-verb agreement
3. Prepositions
4. Numbers
5. Punctuations
6. Capitalizations, Italics, Boldface, Underscoring

Read: Tabucanon, Gil M. P. & Mockon, David A., Legal

Writing: A Competency-Based Approach (2d
ed.2018)

D. Importance of Editing and Revising

Read: Abad, Roberto A. & Abad-Gamo, Blessilda B.,

Fundamentals of Legal Writing (2014)

E. Rule on Citations

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 Legal Writing I

Read: U.P. Law Complex, Philippine Manual of Legal

Citations (9th Edition), revised by Myrna S.
Feliciano

F. Bad Legal Writing

1. Fallacy
2. Plagiarism
3. Legalese

Read: Tabucanon, Gil M. P. & Mockon, David A., Legal

Writing: A Competency-Based Approach (2d
ed.2018)

In the Matter of the Charges of Plagiarism, etc.,

Against Associate Justice Mariano C. Del Castillo,
A.M. No. 10-7-17-SC, February 8, 2011

Vinuya v. Romulo, G.R. No. 162230, April 28, 2010

Rule 10.02 of the Code of Professional

Responsibility

Manual of Judicial Writing

III. Identifying the Relevant Facts, Understanding the Issues and Presenting Your
Arguments

1. Identifying the Relevant Facts

2. Understanding the Issues
3. Sources of Law
4. Presenting Your Arguments
- Balanced Presentation
- Anatomy of a Legal Argument
- Creative Thinking
- Arguments that build up
- Arguments that destroy
- Introducing the Issues
- Conveying a theory of the case
- Writing and Structuring the Arguments

5. Legal Reasoning

Read: Abad, Roberto A. & Abad-Gamo, Blessilda B.,

Fundamentals of Legal Writing (2014)

Tabucanon, Gil M. P. & Mockon, David A., Legal

Writing: A Competency-Based Approach (2d
ed.2018)

Ellsworth, Phoebe C. "Legal Reasoning." In The

Cambridge Handbook of Thinking and Reasoning,
edited by K. J. Holyoak and R. G. Morrison Jr.,
685-704. New York: Cambridge Univ. Press, 2005.

IV. Legal Writing in Traditional Legal Practice Settings

A. Basic Legal Correspondence

1. Office Memorandum, Legal Opinion Letter

Read: Abad, Roberto A. & Abad-Gamo, Blessilda B.,

Fundamentals of Legal Writing (2014)

Tabucanon, Gil M. P. & Mockon, David A., Legal

Writing: A Competency-Based Approach (2d
ed.2018)

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 Legal Writing I

B. Drafting Pleadings

1. Writing a Complaint
2. Writing an Answer
3. Writing a Pre-Trial Brief
4. Writing a Trial Memoranda

Read: Rule 6, Rule 7, Rule 8, Rule 9, Rule 11, Rule 110

(Amended Rules of Civil Procedure)

Abad, Roberto A. & Abad-Gamo, Blessilda B.,

Fundamentals of Legal Writing (2014)

Tabucanon, Gil M. P. & Mockon, David A., Legal

Writing: A Competency-Based Approach (2d
ed.2018)

De Liano v. Court of Appeals, G.R. No. 142316,

November 22, 2001

C. Writing a Decision

Read: Abad, Roberto A. & Abad-Gamo, Blessilda B.,

Fundamentals of Legal Writing (2014282

Manual of Judicial Writing

V. Seminar: Legal Writing Outside the Judicial and Court-Settings

A. Legal Writing in the Executive Branch: Policy-formulation, Drafting of

implementing rules and guidelines, Writing legal review and legal
clearance

B. Legal Writing in the Legislative Branch: Legal research, Drafting of bills

and resolutions

C. Legal Writing in Other Organizations: Legal research, Legal risk

assessment and management, Writing legal compliance and due
diligence report

VI. Actual Legal Writing

WEEK Coverage
1 Part I
2 Part II A to C
3 Part II D & E
4 Part II F
5&6 Part III
7 Part IV A & B
8 Mid-Term Examinations

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9 Part IV C
10 to 12 Part V
13 to 15 Writing
16 Submission of Final Output

Rating System

Writing Exercises 15 %
Attendance 10 %
Recitation/Class Participation 15 %
Mid-term Exam 20 %
Final Paper 40 %