Teach Better, Do More,

Have More Fun, Spend Less Time

Suzanna K. Moran, Denver Law

Presented at the 15th Annual Rocky Mountain Legal Writing Conference,

University of New Mexico, March 7, 2015

Lawyering Process Student Learning Objectives

Legal Analysis

Legal Communication

Legal Research

Values of the legal profession

If it ain’t broke…

Use the most effective teaching methods Use the most effective feedback methods Use time efficiently Improve student experience Improve teacher experience

Teach Better

Frequent low-stakes feedback

Demonstration/practice/ simulation – 75% retention rate

Group discussion – 50% Collaboration Real Life problems Smart use of educational

technology Reflection

Strategy instruction Peer Teaching – 90%

retention (for teacher) Daily writing practice Socratic Q&A Lecturing – 5% retention

rate Reading and re-reading –

10% retention rate Fictional problems Infrequent high-stakes

feedback

Less Time

One Weekly Lecture 7-10 Weekly Labs/Workshops

Flipped Citations Flipped Grammar No commenting marathons

9:00 AM

Civil Procedure  

Lawyering Process Green Lab

Civil Procedure  

Civil Procedure  

      

9:15

9:30

9:45

10:00 AM

10:15

10:30

Lawyering Process Lecture

  

Torts  

Lawyering Process Purple Lab

 

Torts  

Torts  

10:45

11:00 AM

11:15

11:30

11:45

12:00 PM      

     

     

     

     

12:15

12:30

12:45

1:00 PM

1:15

Lawyering Process Orange Lab

 

Contracts  

 Lawyering Process

Rainbow Lab  

Contracts  

Contracts  

1:30

1:45

2:00 PM

2:15

2:30

2:45

Lawyering Process Yellow Lab

 

Lawyering Process Blue Lab

   

Lawyering Process Red Lab

 

      

3:00 PM

3:15

3:30

3:45

4:00 PM

9:00 AM

  

Lawyering Process Green Lab

      

9:15

9:30

9:45

10:00 AM

10:15

10:30

Lawyering Process Lecture

  

  

Lawyering Process Purple Lab

 

10:45

11:00 AM

11:15

11:30

11:45

12:00 PM      

     

     

     

     

12:15

12:30

12:45

1:00 PM

1:15

Lawyering Process Orange Lab

 

Lawyering Process Rainbow Lab

1:30

1:45

2:00 PM

2:15

2:30

2:45

Lawyering Process Yellow Lab

 

Lawyering Process Blue Lab

   

Lawyering Process Red Lab

 

      

3:00 PM

3:15

3:30

3:45

4:00 PM

Content

Fall Modules Legal Sources Legal Analysis and

Basic Drafting Finding Facts and

Law Formal

Communication

Spring Modules Rhetoric and Persuasion Trial Practice Appellate Practice Non-Legal Persuasion

Smart Use of Educational Technology

Outlining Rules of Law

Client Interview Rhetorical Analysis

Settlement Negotiations

Drafting a Rule, Proof, and Application

Research Status Conferences

Draft Proof and Application

Brief Live Grading Conferences

Using Case Charts Peer Review of Non-Discussion Memo Parts

Debates Using Ethos, Pathos, Logos

Practice Oral Arguments

Developing Outlines

Live Feedback Conference

Argue Motion in Limine

Judge’s Day

Memo One Collaborative Rewrite

Oral Report to Senior Partner

Research Status Conferences

Final Oral Arguments

Guided Research Client Counseling

Point Headings Lab  

Letters Workshop

Smart Use of Educational Technology

Google Drive

Google Docs

ICW citation exercises

Online voiceover citation PowerPoints

Core Grammar exercises

Frequent low-stakes feedback

Outlining Rules of Law

Client Interview Rhetorical Analysis

Settlement Negotiations

Drafting a Rule, Proof, and Application

Research Status Conferences

Draft Proof and Application

Live Grading Conferences

Using Case Charts Peer Review of Non-Discussion Memo Parts

Debates Using Ethos, Pathos, Logos

Practice Oral Arguments

Developing Outlines

Live Grading Conference

Argue Motion in Limine

Judge’s Day

Memo One Collaborative Rewrite

Oral Report to Senior Partner

Research Status Conferences

Final Oral Arguments

Guided Research Client Counseling

Point Headings Lab  

Letters Workshop

Demonstration/Simulation

Outlining Rules of Law

Client Interview Rhetorical Analysis

Settlement Negotiations

Drafting a Rule, Proof, and Application

Research Status Conferences

Draft Proof and Application

Brief Live Grading Conferences

Using Case Charts Peer Review of Non-Discussion Memo Parts

Debates Using Ethos, Pathos, Logos

Practice Oral Arguments

Developing Outlines

Live Feedback Conference

Argue Motion in Limine

Judge’s Day

Memo One Collaborative Rewrite

Oral Report to Senior Partner

Research Status Conferences

Final Oral Arguments

Guided Research Client Counseling

Point Headings Lab  

Letters Workshop

Group Discussion

Outlining Rules of Law

Client Interview Rhetorical Analysis

Settlement Negotiations

Drafting a Rule, Proof, and Application

Research Status Conferences

Draft Proof and Application

Brief Live Grading Conferences

Using Case Charts Peer Review of Non-Discussion Memo Parts

Debates Using Ethos, Pathos, Logos

Practice Oral Arguments

Developing Outlines

Live Feedback Conference

Argue Motion in Limine

Judge’s Day

Memo One Collaborative Rewrite

Oral Report to Senior Partner

Research Status Conferences

Final Oral Arguments

Guided Research Client Counseling

Point Headings Lab  

Letters Workshop

Collaboration

Outlining Rules of Law

Client Interview Rhetorical Analysis

Settlement Negotiations

Drafting a Rule, Proof, and Application

Research Status Conferences

Draft Proof and Application

Brief Live Grading Conferences

Using Case Charts Peer Review of Non-Discussion Memo Parts

Debates Using Ethos, Pathos, Logos

Practice Oral Arguments

Developing Outlines

Live Feedback Conference

Argue Motion in Limine

Judge’s Day

Memo One Collaborative Rewrite

Oral Report to Senior Partner

Research Status Conferences

Final Oral Arguments

Guided Research Client Counseling

Point Headings Lab  

Letters Workshop

Real Life Problems

Outlining Rules of Law

Client Interview Rhetorical Analysis

Settlement Negotiations

Drafting a Rule, Proof, and Application

Research Status Conferences

Draft Proof and Application

Brief Live Grading Conferences

Using Case Charts Peer Review of Non-Discussion Memo Parts

Debates Using Ethos, Pathos, Logos

Practice Oral Arguments

Developing Outlines

Live Feedback Conference

Argue Motion in Limine

Judge’s Day

Memo One Collaborative Rewrite

Oral Report to Senior Partner

Research Status Conferences

Final Oral Arguments

Guided Research Client Counseling

Point Headings Lab  

Letters Workshop

Fictional Problems

Outlining Rules of Law

Client Interview Rhetorical Analysis

Settlement Negotiations

Drafting a Rule, Proof, and Application

Research Status Conferences

Draft Proof and Application

Brief Live Grading Conferences

Using Case Charts Peer Review of Non-Discussion Memo Parts

Debates Using Ethos, Pathos, Logos

Practice Oral Arguments

Developing Outlines

Live Feedback Conference

Argue Motion in Limine

Judge’s Day

Memo One Collaborative Rewrite

Oral Report to Senior Partner

Research Status Conferences

Final Oral Arguments

Guided Research Client Counseling

Point Headings Lab  

Letters Workshop

Strategy Instruction

Outlining Rules of Law

Client Interview Rhetorical Analysis

Settlement Negotiations

Drafting a Rule, Proof, and Application

Research Status Conferences

Draft Proof and Application

Brief Live Grading Conferences

Using Case Charts Peer Review of Non-Discussion Memo Parts

Debates Using Ethos, Pathos, Logos

Practice Oral Arguments

Developing Outlines

Live Feedback Conference

Argue Motion in Limine

Judge’s Day

Memo One Collaborative Rewrite

Oral Report to Senior Partner

Research Status Conferences

Final Oral Arguments

Guided Research Client Counseling

Point Headings Lab  

Letters Workshop

Writing Practice

Outlining Rules of Law

Client Interview Rhetorical Analysis

Settlement Negotiations

Drafting a Rule, Proof, and Application

Research Status Conferences

Draft Proof and Application

Brief Live Grading Conferences

Using Case Charts Peer Review of Non-Discussion Memo Parts

Debates Using Ethos, Pathos, Logos

Practice Oral Arguments

Developing Outlines

Live Feedback Conference

Argue Motion in Limine

Judge’s Day

Memo One Collaborative Rewrite

Oral Report to Senior Partner

Research Status Conferences

Final Oral Arguments

Guided Research Client Counseling

Point Headings Lab  

Letters Workshop

Teach Better

Reflection Socratic Q&A Lecturing – 5% retention rate Reading and re-reading – 10% retention rate

Teach Better: Feedback

For Written Work Individualized tutoring

Live critiques

Peer reviews

End comments

Post-critique conferences

Margin and interlinear comments

“Common Problems” classes

For Oral Presentations Oral feedback

Followed by written feedback

For Research Skills Written comments on Logs

Research status conferences

Lessons Learned

People Not for every teacher Not for every student Group make-up essential The coach problem TAs essential

Lessons Learned

Plusses Memorable Catch mistakes while they happen Engagement very high Can be fun Immediate individual feedback Students bonded intensely

Lessons Learned

Minuses One bad apple Students may feel exposed Requires intense focus Uneven lab performance Student expectations/needs raised Finding rooms was the hardest part Can’t be sick IS IT STILL LEGAL WRITING?

Success?

Teach Better? Much improved

Do More? Definitely

Have More Fun? A million times yes

Spend Less Time? Probably

Student Outcomes? Unclear

Success?

Professor Moran utilizes modern teaching methods exceedingly well. This is exactly what is needed in this day and age. The most beneficial part of the class were the one-on-one sessions and labs. LP seems to work very well with this kinds of format. It seems to require a lot of personal attention which she was able to give. 

Her teaching methods are very distinct from my other professors, but that's what makes her class effective. Instead of passively eating information, we are forced to engage and respond to the various issues presented.  

I really liked the structure of the class that she created.  

The hands on material she offered us really helped me understand the real world application of the assignments. 

Success?

Didn't understand the point of a lot of our work until it all "came together" at the end of the term. I've learned a lot of really useful information from this class.  

Professor Moran was fun and engaging, but this course still has a lot of kinks to work out. The biggest being the lack of clarity on assignments and the varying information from lab group to lab group. 

There were some issues with course organization that led to misunderstanding of materials, especially related to citations, but those were sorted out satisfactorily later in the semester. In future years, the kinks will probably get worked out.