What first-year LRLW can do

The first-year legal-writing course on objective legal analysis (memos) can teach students--

• How to determine the issue raised in a legal problem and express that issue effectively in writing.
• How to determine the legally and contextually relevant facts of a legal problem and express them effectively in writing.
• How to determine the best course of research for a legal problem.
• How to find relevant authorities to analyze a legal problem.
• How to choose the appropriate authorities to use in analyzing a legal problem.
• How to derive a legal rule from a set of authorities.
• How to present legal authorities effectively in writing.
• How to analyze a legal question in light of the authorities and express that analysis in writing.
• How to recognize possible counter-analyses and express them effectively in writing.
• How to predict a result for a legal problem and state it effectively in writing.

It must also teach

• Correct citation form and placement.
• Legal-writing conventions for a legal memorandum.
• The traditional format of a legal memorandum.