Introduction to Brief Writing

Class Times and Office Hours

Section A Class: TBD

Section B Class: TBD

Office Hours: TBD

Key Skills

  • Identify legal issues
  • Self-educate about new areas of law
  • Manage time to meet deadlines
  • Motion and appellate practice
  • Construct persuasive arguments
  • Further develop citation skills
  • Structure arguments effectively
  • Clear, concise, and precise writing
  • Maintain ethics and professionalism

Additional Text

We will continue to use The Bluebook and The Redbook from the fall semester. In addition, the following book is required for the spring semester:

Joan Rocklin, et al., An Advocate Persuades (2d ed. 2022).

Assignments

Your grade for this class will be determined 100% by your final written Appellate Brief. In addition, to avoid penalties, you will be expected to complete the following assignments on a pass/fail basis:

  • Response in Opposition to Motion for Summary Judgment (including a draft)
  • Appellate brief research assignments
  • In-class assignments and exercises

Class Calendar

Accommodations

The University of Oklahoma is committed to providing reasonable accommodation for all students with disabilities. Students with disabilities must be registered with the Disability Resource Center prior to receiving accommodations in this course. The Disability Resource Center is located at the University Community Center, 730 College Avenue, phone 405/325-3852, and its website is www.ou.edu/drc.

Should you need modifications or adjustments to your course requirements because of documented pregnancy-related or childbirth-related issues, please contact your professor as soon as possible to discuss. Generally, modifications will be made where medically necessary and similar in scope to accommodations based on temporary disability. Please see www.ou.edu/content/eoo/faqs/pregnancy-faqs.html for commonly asked questions.

For any concerns regarding gender-based discrimination, sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, stalking, or intimate partner violence, the University offers a variety of resources, including advocates on-call 24/7, counseling services, mutual no-contact orders, scheduling adjustments, and disciplinary sanctions against the perpetrator. Please contact the Sexual Misconduct Office at 405-325-2215 (8-5) or the Sexual Assault Response Team 405-0615-0013 (24/7) to learn more or to report an incident.