Legal Writing at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law is an integral part of the curriculum. The curriculum lays the foundation for additional writing experiences including journals and clerkships, and a number of Arizona State’s students have won national writing awards. Significant attributes include: a top 10 rank by U.S. News and World Report; full-time faculty with more than 65 years of combined teaching experience; first-semester sections limited to 20 or fewer students to permit in-depth instruction and ample individualized feedback; and course offerings that include required first-year courses and diverse elective courses.
The first-year curriculum includes two foundational courses: Legal Method and Writing and Legal Advocacy. In these two courses, students learn and master the following skills: rule synthesis; issue identification; analogical reasoning; organizational paradigms that express legal reasoning; legal writing style; citation format; objective and persuasive legal writing; legal research; and oral presentation.
Furthermore, the research and writing curriculum at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law is designed to ensure practice-ready students as they begin externships, summer jobs, and their careers as lawyers. Offerings include the following upper-level courses:
Our graduates have a solid foundation in legal research and writing because they understand the requirements of successful communication in practice.
Charles Calleros Susan Chesler Tamara Herrera Kimberly Holst Amy Langenfeld Chad Noreuil Carrie Sperling Judy Stinson