Stanford Law School

At Stanford Law School Legal Research and Writing is a four-unit course taught in the first year of law school. The course is given two units of credit per semester. In the fall class meets twice a week for 70 minutes each. In the spring class meets twice a week, once for 90 minutes and once for the research component for 60 minutes. Each LRW lecturer is assigned one small section of less than 30 students. The focus of the fall semester is primarily on developing objective, analytical thinking and writing skills, as well as teaching legal research. The course is taught as a simulation. Our students meet our "client" in a videotaped interview on the first day of class during orientation. Over the course of the semester, the students have three major writing assignments that arise out of the legal issues presented in the client interview. The facts for each memo assignment are derived from the interviews with our client and other witnesses, and documents provided by the client and witnesses. Legal research is integrated into the LRW course. Each lecturer is paired with a librarian instructor, and the research assignments arise out of the primary client simulation. Other major goals of the program are to teach students how to collaborate with each other, to model professional standards of client involvement, to help students understand the procedural context of a lawyer's research and writing, and to develop professional standards of timeliness and courtesy.

Legal Research and Writing lecturers are required to have at least 2 years of law practice experience. Our current LRW faculty of 6 lecturers have 17 years, 15 years, 7 years, 6 years (2), and 2 years of experience since graduating from law school. Lecturers are not tenured nor are on the tenure-track. Lecturers may take coursework in furtherance of an advanced degree (J.S.M.) without paying tuition. Lecturers meet every week to discuss lesson plans and plan curricula.

For more information, contact:
Jeanne Merino
Director, 1L Legal Research and Writing
Stanford Law School(650) 725-8526
jmerino@law.stanford.edu