June 23-26, 2005

The Westin Grand Hotel
Washington, DC

Program - Workshop for Beginning Legal Writing Teachers Saturday, June 25, 2005 4:00 - 7:00 p.m. Registration 5:00 - 6:00 p.m. Small Group Discussions The Planning Committee strongly encourages attendance at this first set of small group discussions. 6:00 - 7:00 p.m. AALS Reception Sunday, June 26, 2005 9:00 - 9:15 a.m. Welcome Jo Anne Durako, Stetson University, Planning Committee Member, AALS Workshop for Beginning Legal Writing Teachers 9:15 - 10:30 a.m. Nuts & Bolts of Teaching Legal Writing Mary Beth Beazley, Ohio State University -view outline- Patricia A. Broussard, Howard University -view outline- Although both skills courses and casebook courses teach students how to think like lawyers, skills courses present unique teaching challenges. Professors Beazley and Broussard will lead a discussion on the many lawyering skills taught in the typical legal research and writing course. They will address how to develop your unique teaching voice while planning your course, creating your syllabus and assignments, and using interactive teaching techniques. 10:30 - 10:45 a.m. Refreshment Break 10:45 - 11:45 a.m. Conducting Constructive Student Conferences -view outline- Bradley G. Clary, University of Minnesota -view bibliography- Susan H. Kosse, University of Louisville Some of the most important teaching happens in student conferences. Professors Clary and Kosse will discuss the basic goals and structures for mandatory and optional student conferences: diagnosis, prescription, and persuasion stages. Through demonstrations and role plays, they will explore effective conference techniques. 11:45 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Concurrent Sessions Formulating Legal Writing Problems -view outline- Developing legal writing assignments can challenge both the creativity and the resources of new legal writing faculty. This small group will discuss fundamentals of problem design as well as methods for developing and finding good legal writing problems though the Legal Writing Institute’s online idea bank, pending cases, the new teacher’s prior practice areas, and contacts with colleagues who teach legal writing, clinical, or casebook courses. Legal Writing Scholarship -view outline- Scholarship about legal writing and by legal writing professors has exploded in recent years. This small group will explore ways to set a scholarly agenda, find funds and a mentor to support your scholarship, and find the time to complete the scholarship. Teaching Research & Citation -view outline- There are many different ways to teach research and citation. Is it best to teach research in class or in a separate lab? Teach using law librarians or teaching assistants? Teach the Bluebook or ALWD Citation Manual in class or in computer assisted lessons? Hear more about the variety of approaches and the pros and cons of methods of research and citation instruction. 12:30 - 1:45 p.m. AALS Luncheon 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. Providing Effective Feedback and Critiquing Craig T. Smith, Vanderbilt University -view materials- One of the most complex and important aspect of teaching legal writing is providing effective feedback. This session will first explore the major approaches to providing feedback and critiquing student work, including the major problems new professors encounter and tips on how to critique efficiently and effectively so that students are more likely to be open to the feedback they receive. 3:00 - 5:00 p.m. Small Groups: Workshop on Effective Feedback & Critiquing This hands-on session give participants an opportunity to apply what they have learned about critiquing student work under the guidance of an experienced teacher. Group members will critique a sample student paper then share their experiences with the group. 5:00 - 5:30 p.m. Workshop Conclusion - What Have We Learned? Mary Beth Beazley, Ohio State University Professor Beazley will pull together the insights of this workshop, reflect upon how participants may continue to develop their teaching skills, suggest sources of future advice and support for new teachers, and remind participants of their career - long challenges and opportunities.