You may find that the written assignments in this class differ from assignments you had in previous class. The Lawyering Skills assignments are practice-based, time-pressured, and they replicate the type of documents you would be drafting as a new lawyer. The visiting faculty members serve as "senior partners" for the assignments and, while they will instruct and mentor you, they will not tell you exactly, or in detail, how to complete each assignment.
Based on our experience, here are the steps toward successfully completing a written assignment in the Lawyering Skills Course:
Before class:
1. Read the instructions in the teaching plan. Those instructions are typically explicit and comprehensive.
2. If the week's Lawyering Skills text includes a case file, find and review the equivalent sample document in that file.
3. Look for an equivalent sample (blank) document in the week's Lawyering Skills text and read any commentary that accompanies the sample.
4. Look for and read articles or outlines in the Lawyering Skills text the help explain the assignment.
In class:
5. Listen to the teaching lawyer's instructions and explanations.
6. Ask the teaching lawyer questions about anything that remains unclear about the assignment. Do not expect the teaching lawyer to do the work for you. The teaching lawyer's role is to be a resource for you.
After class:
7. Collaborate with classmates to share ideas and information.
8. Complete the assignment.
Instructions For Sending Documents to Lawyering Skills Program Printer
You may print class-related documents, including most assignments, directly to the printer in the Lawyering Skills Office - Printer 5226. To do so, follow these directions:
To print from the law building, go to:
http://www.law.wisc.edu/help/for_students/
To print from home, you will also need to
download VPN software from DoIT:
http://www.doit.wisc.edu/network/vpn/
