Scholarly Writing For Law Students--seminar Papers, Law Review Notes And Law Review Competition Papers

by Fajans, Elizabeth

• ISBN13: 9780314146311
• ISBN10: 0314146318
• Edition: 3rd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-12-31
• Publisher: West Academic

Summary

In order to inspire and motivate their readers, the authors have appended a selective list of student notes and comments and a chapter on techniques to help writers narrow their subjects and find theses. The authors added a section on reading for types of legal argument and an exercise to address increasing student concern over plagiarism. Includes a short section on the importance of editorial cooperation and communication. Offers a new chapter on entering writing competitions and publishing.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	v
Introduction: Scholarly Writing in Law School	1	(13)
Legal Scholarship	1	(3)
Seminar Papers, Student Law Review Articles, and Law Review Competition Papers	4	(7)
The Comment: Examining One Aspect of the Law	5	(3)
The Casenote: Analyzing One Opinion	8	(2)
The Law Review Competition Paper: A Special Case	10	(1)
The Process of Scholarly Writing	11	(3)
Further Reading: Selected Student Law Review Articles	12	(2)
Inspiration: Choosing a Subject and Developing a Thesis	14	(32)
Choosing a Subject	18	(4)
Finding A Subject	18	(1)
Narrowing Your Subject	19	(3)
Finding a Thesis	22	(19)
Probing The Text	23	(1)
Ask Questions	23	(2)
Read for Argument Type	25	(2)
Read for Inconsistency, Logical Error, and Omission	27	(2)
Take a Problem--Solving Approach	29	(1)
Read for Jurisprudence	30	(2)
Read for Rhetoric and Style	32	(2)
Probing The Context	34	(1)
Examine the Legal Context	34	(2)
Probe the Broader Context	36	(1)
Keeping A Reading Journal	37	(2)
Experimenting With Freewriting	39	(2)
Still Fishing? Further Thoughts	41	(1)
Testing Your Thesis	41	(5)
Further Reading	44	(2)
The Mostly Research Stage	46	(11)
Gathering Information	47	(6)
Be Thorough	47	(1)
Stay Current	48	(1)
Ask Someone	49	(1)
Start With Secondary Sources	49	(2)
Be A Savvy Internet User	51	(2)
Assimilating Information	53	(4)
Further Reading	55	(2)
The Writing Process: Getting it Down on Paper	57	(17)
Working Toward an Outline	58	(8)
Working on a Statement of Purpose	58	(1)
Freewriting ``Dump'' Or ``Zero'' Drafts	59	(4)
Using Charts And Diagrams	63	(1)
Case Charts	63	(1)
Cluster Diagrams	64	(1)
Issue Trees	65	(1)
Creating an Outline	66	(5)
Adapting The Traditional Casenote Or Comment Outline	66	(2)
Using Paradigms	68	(3)
Writing the Draft	71	(3)
The Writing Process: Revising and Polishing	74	(24)
Revision and the Reader	74	(2)
Gaining Perspective	76	(1)
Revising: Content	77	(2)
Revising: Organization	79	(12)
Large-Scale Organization	80	(4)
Small-scale Organization	84	(1)
Signposts	84	(1)
Headings	84	(3)
Section Introductions and Conclusions	87	(1)
Topic Sentences and Transitions	87	(4)
Polishing: Paragraph Structure	91	(2)
Polishing: Sentence-Level Revision	93	(1)
Polishing: Proofreading	94	(4)
Proofreaders' Marks	96	(1)
Further Reading	96	(2)
Footnotes and the Ethical Use of Borrowed Materials	98	(19)
Authority	100	(4)
Attribution, Plagiarism, and Fair Use	104	(6)
Textual Footnotes	110	(7)
Writing With Care	117	(18)
Grammar and Usage	117	(12)
Agreement: Subject/Verb and Pronoun/Antecedent	117	(1)
Avoiding Sexist Language	118	(1)
Beginning Sentences With Conjunctions	119	(1)
Complex Subjects	119	(1)
Interrupting Clauses and Phrases	120	(1)
Modifiers: Misplaced and Dangling	120	(1)
Nominalizations	121	(1)
Parallel Construction	121	(1)
Passive v. Active Voice	122	(1)
Sentences As Narrative	122	(2)
Sentence Coherence: Using the Right Word	124	(1)
Split Infinitives	124	(1)
That Or Which?	125	(1)
Verb Tenses	125	(1)
Who Or Whom?	126	(1)
Wordiness: Diagnosis And Cure	127	(1)
Editors' Abbreviations	128	(1)
Punctuation	129	(6)
Punctuation Styles	129	(1)
Periods	129	(1)
Commas	130	(1)
Semicolons	131	(1)
Colons	132	(1)
Dashes	132	(1)
Apostrophes	132	(1)
Quotation Marks	133	(1)
Ellipses	133	(2)
Writing With Style	135	(18)
Memorable Titles	136	(2)
Intriguing Introductions and Satisfying Conclusions	138	(5)
Use Narrative	139	(1)
Open Or Close With a Quotation	140	(1)
Begin Quickly and End Forcefully	141	(2)
Creative Syntax	143	(5)
The Syntax of Conversation	143	(3)
The Syntax of Ceremony	146	(2)
Diction	148	(2)
Mixing Styles	150	(2)
Some Final Thoughts	152	(1)
The Law Review Process: Evaluating and Editing the Work of Others	153	(19)
Gatekeepers: Selecting Articles and Scoring Competition Papers	154	(5)
Selecting Articles	154	(2)
Scoring Law Review Competition Papers	156	(1)
Characteristics of a Good Competition Paper	157	(1)
Tips on Scoring	157	(2)
Midwives: Editing	159	(13)
Peer Editing	159	(1)
Beginning (The Reading and Exploring Stage)	159	(1)
Drafting (Getting Ideas Down on Paper)	160	(1)
Revising (Writing for Readers)	161	(2)
Polishing	163	(1)
Editing the Work of Experts	164	(2)
Writing Constructive Comments	166	(1)
Editing Protocol	166	(1)
Types of Feedback	166	(1)
Exploratory Feedback	166	(1)
Descriptive Feedback	167	(1)
Prescriptive Feedback	167	(1)
Judgmental Feedback	167	(1)
Organizing Your Comments	168	(2)
Editorial Cooperation and Communication	170	(2)
Getting Mileage: Winning Awards and Publishing Your Work	172	(3)
Appendix A. Sample Casenote/Competition Paper	175	(12)
Appendix B. Answers to Exercises	187	(16)
A. Chapter 5 Answers	187	(7)
B. Chapter 6 Answers	194	(3)
C. Chapter 7 Answers	197	(6)
Appendix C. Scholarly Writing Workshops and Courses	203	(8)
A. Workshops	203	(1)
B. Scholarly Writing Seminars	204	(4)
1. Syllabus: Two-Term Scholarly Writing Seminar	204	(3)
2. Syllabus: One-Term Scholarly Writing Seminar	207	(1)
3. Schedule for Writing Projects in a Doctrinal Seminar	208	(1)
C. Collaborative Groups	208	(3)
Index	211