Pace Law School

Description of Program: The legal writing program at Pace integrates legal research and writing with substantive criminal law, and in so doing integrates the multiple aspects of a lawyer's professional life. The first year course is a two semester, 6 credit course, that is taught by tenured and tenure-track faculty. Each section of Crim Law/Legal Analysis andWriting has about 20 students. Students learn about the elements of crimes and the role of punishment along with the effective expression of legal analysis, the operation of the court system, the concept of representing a client, and the problems engendered by that professional responsibility. The students learn the challenges of thinking in a logical and organized fashion, statutory analysis, legal research, citation, the use of authority, the importance of facts, and the ability to be self-critical. The students are exposed to the "Socratic method" in a small section, as well as a problem-solving approach that includes collaborative exercises in drafting, research, interviewing, negotiation, and alternative dispute resolution. Over the course of the year, each student drafts at least six pieces of writing in the area of criminal law, some persuasive and some predictive. Each piece is extensively critiqued by the full-time faculty member through both written comments and oral conferences.

E-Mail address of someone who can answer questions: Michelle Simon(MSimon@law.pace.edu )Tom McDonnell (TMcDonnell@law.pace.edu )