Mercer University Walter F. George School of Law
First Year Program
Mercer has a 3-semester required program totaling the equivalent of 9 credits:
First Semester:
Introduction to Legal Research. 1 credit; graded.
- print and electronic formats
- state and federal research
- cases, statutes, regulations, & secondary sources
- weekly assignments and 2 exams
__________
Legal Analysis. 1 credit; P-F;
- contextual learning course
- prepares students for Legal Writing I & II
- introduces legal analysis and writing
- rule formulation, explanation, & application
- introduces forms of reasoning
- weekly exercises and 2 writing assignments
Required writing component of Contracts or Criminal Law. 1 credit (equiv) graded.
2-3 required writing assignments in a small
section of either contracts or criminal law
Second Semester:
Legal Writing I 3 credits; graded.
- predictive writing
- how to create a research plan
- 2-3 major assignments
- mandatory conferences
- successive drafts of major assignments
- numerous smaller assignments
- emphasis on professionalism
- final exam
Third Semester:
Legal Writing II 3 credits; graded.
- persuasive writing
- advanced research
- 2-3 major assignments
- mandatory conferences
- successive drafts of major assignments
- numerous smaller assignments
- 1-2 oral arguments
- emphasis on rhetoric
Upper Level Programs and Courses
- 50% of students elect a LRW course every semester
- Certificate Program in Advanced Legal Writing
(See item 6 below)
- 10 research and writing electives
Advanced Legal Research
Advanced Litigation Drafting
Business Drafting
Appellate Practice and Procedure
Pre-trial Practice
Trusts & Estates Drafting
Judicial Field Placement
Habeas Project
Independent Research and Writing
Advanced Strategies in Legal Argument
Faculty
- all tenured or on a tenure track
- full voting rights
- integrated offices
- salary, title, & benefits identical to other faculty
- $9,000 summer research grants
- travel & research assistants
- all teach another course of their choice
(not as an overload)
- program operates by consensus (no director)
- program has produced:
- 4 LRW text books (and a 5th in progress)
- 3 books in other areas
- over 20 law review articles
- over 25 other publications
- faculty regularly present at conferences
- serve in LWI, ALWD, & AALS Section
- serve on ABA Communication Skills Committee
- co-hosted Atlanta 2006 LWI Conference
- home of the Legal Writing Institute
Web Links
www.law.mercer.edu/academics/legal_writing/index.cfm
Other Information
Certificate Program in Advanced Legal Writing, Research, and Drafting
- coordinated upper-level LRW curriculum
- 17 credits of LRW
- Advanced Legal Research required
- another writing elective required
- must pass grammar and style exam
- preparation of Writing Portfolio
- weekly Advanced Writing Groups
- groups limited to 6 students per professor
- modeled on Peter Elbow?s concept
of a ?community of writers?
- over 50% of Mercer students graduate
with the Legal Writing Certificate
Contacts
L. Berger berger_ll@law.mercer.edu
L. Edwards edwards_lh@law.mercer.edu
S. Painter-Thorne painter_s@law.mercer.edu
D. Ritchie ritchie_d@law.mercer.edu
J. Sheppard sheppard_jl@law.mercer.edu
K. Sneddon sneddon_kj@law.mercer.edu