Many entering law students soon discover that their undergraduate or employment related writing has not prepared them for writing law school exams and legal writing papers. Law students must not only adjust their writing styles, but they may need to re-learn (or learn for the first time) the rules of English grammar, punctuation, and usage they have taken for granted. Changing ingrained writing habits requires deliberate practice, a knowledgeable teacher, and timely, effective feedback.
The Thomas Jefferson Writing Lab (TJWL) assists students with many types of writing related skills: essay exam writing, writing mechanics, legal writing, and writing samples. If you have a problem, or think you may have a problem with writing mechanics or exam-taking, but either don't know what to do, who to talk to, or don't feel you're getting the assistance you need, please visit the Writing Lab’s TWEN page for more information and to make an appointment.
Current TJSL students may access the Writing Lab’s TWEN page by adding “Writing Lab” to their current courses from their TWEN home page. No password is required. Prospective students or TJSL alumni should email Jennifer Cooper directly at jmcooper@tjsl.edu for more information.
Essay Exam Writing
The best way to get better at writing is to write. The best way to improve writing law school essay exams is not only to write practice essay exams but to also receive effective feedback either from a member of the Writing Lab or through instructor-led review exercises.
Law students will practice writing essay exams under test conditions and will develop critical self-review skills when “grading” their answers. Practice essay exam questions are available through the Writing Lab in many subjects, especially the first year required courses and courses tested on the bar exam.
Writing Mechanics: Assistance with Grammar, Punctuation, and Usage
TJWL's official writing test is Just Writing by Anne Enquist and Laurel Currie Oates. The authors created an 88-question diagnostic test of English grammar, punctuation, and usage targeting specific writing issues that confront legal writers. More information about the Writing Diagnostic is available on the Writing Lab’s TWEN page. After you take the Writing Diagnostic, you will be contacted to discuss the results and determine what you can do about any writing issues you may have. A member of the Writing Lab would be happy to assist you with improving your writing mechanics through a one on one consultation, targeted exercises, and referrals to helpful resources.
TJWL has a number of print-based and on-line electronic resources you can access to improve your English writing and grammar skills, including exercises specifically designed to help those students for whom English is a second language.
Legal Writing: Citation Assistance
If you are just starting out in law school, one of the more mystifying tasks you will encounter is citation to legal authority. You will receive instruction in citation in your legal writing classes according to your individual professor’s teaching goals. However, if you still do not feel as if you are "getting" legal citation, please review the Writing Lab’s TWEN page for resources and to schedule an appointment with a member of the Writing Lab.
Sometimes citing a particular source in a document can be a challenge. TJWL is ready to assist you with citation of both domestic and foreign documents consistent with The Bluebook, the ALWD Citation Manual, or the Guide to Foreign and International legal Citations.
Limitations on Writing Lab Assistance related to Legal Writing I and II
In light of limitations on assistance with Legal Writing I and II assignments, the Writing Lab has developed exercises unrelated to class material to assist students with critical Legal Writing skills.
The Writing Lab is bound by the Thomas Jefferson School of Law policies prohibiting Unauthorized Assistance. Unauthorized Assistance is an ethical violation and is clarified as:
Except upon prior approval from the professor or an appropriate academic committee, students will not provide or receive assistance from others while preparing written materials or completing class assignments to be submitted for academic credit. Participating in student study groups, discussing practice examinations, and obtaining assistance of library personnel are not of themselves prohibited under this rule, unless explicitly prohibited by the professor.
Plagiarism and Unauthorized Assistance Policy, Thomas Jefferson School of Law Legal Writing I Handbook.
The Legal Writing I Handbook is clear that “[N]o person other than your professor may have any part in writing and editing your papers” and “[s]pecific to the TJSL Writing Lab and SUMMIT program, students MAY NOT receive assistance on their graded assignments from any Writing Lab or Summit personnel unless their legal writing professor has given explicit approval.” Plagiarism and Unauthorized Assistance Policy, Thomas Jefferson School of Law Legal Writing I Handbook. For more information, please refer to the plagiarism policy and the Student Honor Code in the Student Handbook on the TJSL website.
Simply put, your Legal Writing I and II papers must be your own work. Some professors allow the Writing Lab to review graded Legal Writing I and II assignments after you have turned them in. You should check with your professor first before sending or showing TJWL any Legal Writing I or II paper while you are enrolled in the class. When in doubt, please consult your Legal Writing professor before communicating with the Writing Lab.
Upper Division Writing Classes
Assistance with upper division writing assignments is at the sole discretion of the professor. If you would like assistance with an upper division writing assignment, you must obtain permission from the professor, and the professor must contact Jennifer Cooper at jmcooper@tjsl. edu, directly by email. Upon receipt of the professor's email, TJWL will give you whatever level of assistance the professor allows.
Writing Sample Review
When you are ready for practical legal experience, whether an internship, externship, clerkship, or law job, you will need a writing sample to give to prospective employers. Most of the time, you will be able to use one of your memos or briefs from your Legal Writing classes. However, most employers want a writing sample 5-8 pages long, and your papers usually end up much longer than that.
For more information about creating effective writing samples, consult the Writing Lab’s TWEN page section devoted to Writing Samples. TJWL will help you pare down and tidy up your paper so that it fits within a prospective employer's guidelines. To have your writing sample reviewed, email an attachment to the Writing Lab either using the Writing Lab’s TWEN page email options or by emailing Jennifer Cooper at jmcooper@tjsl. edu.
Jennifer Cooper, the administrator of the Writing Lab, is an Adjunct Professor of Legal Writing, Associate Director of the Academic Success Program, and a licensed attorney with significant trial and writing experience. Ms. Cooper can be reached at jmcooper@tjsl.edu or at 619.297.9700 extension 4285.
