The structure and content of the first-year Lawyering Process (“LP”) program is a key aspect of PhoenixLaw’s practice-readying course of study. This program trains students to research, analyze, write, and orally present legal issues as lawyers do in practice. It provides collaborative-learning experiences, numerous practical research and writing exercises and problems, and the opportunity to engage in significant motion and appellate brief writing. The LP program reflects an understanding that the LP curriculum is not only a bridge between doctrinal and skills courses, but also central to excellence in bar-examination performance and career placement.
Lawyering Process is a mandatory, two-semester course (Lawyering Process I is taken in the first semester; Lawyering Process II in the second semester). “Lawyering Process I (LP I)” and “Lawyering Process II (LP II)” are both part of the first-year program of study. The Lawyering Process curriculum introduces first-year students to the most important aspects of being a lawyer: analysis, research, objective writing, persuasive writing, verbal communication, and professionalism. Students are required to complete various research exercises and draft numerous documents, including client letters, inter-office memoranda, motions, pleadings, and trial and/or appellate briefs. Drafting occurs in class under supervision and outside of class as individual assignments. Predictive and persuasive writing skills and oral argument skills are taught, practiced, and evaluated. Professors reinforce the rigors of professional practice by incorporating strict rules into every Lawyering Process assignment. The goal of the Lawyering Process curriculum is to design the courses in such a way that students can absorb each of the desired competencies.
In “LP I,” students are taught objective legal writing and basic research skills, and are given a broader perspective of the law, the legal profession, and the “lawyering process.” Students learn both how to locate “the law” (in books and via electronic resources) and how to properly cite to it. To accomplish these goals, students complete a variety of research assignments and work on a number of in-class writing, analysis, and Bluebook exercises. During the first-semester course, students draft multiple objective legal memoranda, which are predictive analyses of the strengths and weaknesses of legal issues. Students accordingly are taught the necessary research techniques to enable them to formulate a comprehensive research plan and effectively research legal issues in a real-life setting.
Additionally, the Lawyering Process faculty has adopted a new research and writing resource—an electronic book platform created by Diana Donahoe (the Director of Legal Research and Writing at Georgetown Law School). This interactive, web-based resource enables a more hands-on approach to learning legal research, writing, and analysis concepts, and enables a level of instruction for students not possible with traditional textbooks.
LP II subsequently builds on the lessons learned in LP I to teach students to become persuasive advocates while learning about the legislative process and trial and appellate court procedure. Students in “LP II” additionally learn more advanced research skills. The students produce a pre-trial motion and an appellate brief. Students then participate in one motion hearing at the trial court level and one argument on briefs at the appellate court level before panels of faculty members, practicing lawyers, and judges. These rigorous exercises in research, writing, and oral advocacy provide the basis for a significant portion of the final grade. Attention is given to teamwork, oral presentations, advanced research skills, ethical and persuasive legal writing, and social skills connected to law practice. The course enhances students’ ability to think, analyze, research, and write in a legal context.
In addition, the Lawyering Process faculty and Information Resource Center (IRC) librarians are working in concert to provide supplemental training sessions for LP students taught by IRC staff beginning in Fall 2009. This voluntary “Lawyering Process Series” of sessions will provide the students with additional practical and hands-on training in research concepts such as the use of digests, secondary sources, statutes and regulations, citators, LexisNexis, and Westlaw.
PhoenixLaw’s Lawyering Process curriculum also is supplemented by two advanced elective courses: Lawyering Process III (“LP III”), and Lawyering Process IV (“LP IV”). Thus, following a student’s completion of LP I and II, the student may choose to take one or both of the Advanced Lawyering Process courses offered by Phoenix School of Law. LP III is a one-semester writing skills course that builds on the first-year Lawyering Process curriculum. The LP III course focuses on advanced analysis, synthesis, and legal drafting. Because of the need for continuous one-on-one student feedback in such a course, enrollment in LP III is limited to ten students. LP IV also is limited to ten students. It is a one-semester course that focuses on advanced legal research, and identifying and retrieving information necessary to support persuasive legal writing.
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