Writing for Law Journals

1. Writing for Law Journals Professor Ursula Weigold AEP Workshop for 1Ls April 2013

2. Journal editors want: I. A distinct thesis II. Organized, clear writing III. Careful editing

3. To improve your submission I. Have a clear thesis. II. Organize, explain, and support your thesis. III. Revise and polish your writing.

4. I. Have a clear thesis A. Decide what you think. B. State your thesis in one sentence. C. Keep it handy as you write. D. Modify it as needed.

5. A. Decide what you think • How do your sources expand, limit, or change the law? • Do they further the law’s underlying policies? • What impact will this rule have? Whatproblems may arise? Is it good or bad?

6. B. Be able to state your thesis in one sentence • “This rule sacrifices the best interests of adoptive children to serve outdated policies relating to Native-American tribes.” • “This rule surrenders a Native-American tribe’s compelling interests in its children and culture to the local prejudices of state courts.”

7. C. Keep your thesis handy as you write • Write it on an index card, and tape it to your computer. • Compare all your content to your thesis to make sure it is directly relevant.

8. D. Modify your thesis as needed • Keep an open mind. • Change your mind, if necessary. • Replace extreme statements with more supportable ones.

9. To improve your submission I. Have a clear thesis. II. Organize, explain, and support your thesis. III. Revise and polish your writing.

10. II. Organize your thesis Write for an unfamiliar reader. Your structure should include: • Introduction/Background • Analysis/Argument • Conclusion

11. II. Organize your thesis Give a roadmap of your key points and follow it. Use topic sentences to lead the reader through your analysis. Use transitions to link previous points to new ones.

12. II. Explain your thesis Explain your arguments, reasons, and authority. Spell out inferences. Anticipate and answer questions. Take counter-arguments seriously.

13. III. Revise and polish A. Check your substance. B. Check your organization. C. Check your writing style. D. Check your mechanics. E. Check your citation use and form.

14. A. Check your substance Is it accurate? Is it focused on your thesis? Have you included enough? Have you included too much?

15. B. Check your organization Is there a clear roadmap? Do your paragraphs have thesis sentences? Do you use transitions to link previous points to new ones?

16. C. Check your style. Edit surplus words. Keep your sentences short. Keep your sentence structure simple. Use ordinary words.

17. D. Check your mechanics. Check for typos. Check your grammar. Check your punctuation. Use the Redbook or the Texas Manual on Style.

18. E. Check your cite form. Use the Bluebook’s inside cover for examples. Avoid common mistakes. If in doubt, look it up!

19. To improve your submission I. Have a clear thesis. II. Organize, explain, and support your thesis. III. Revise and polish.

20. Final advice and strategy • Divide your project into smaller chunks. • Start with something easy. • Give yourself permission to write a bad first draft. • Leave enough time for revising and polishing.