Writing Center

The Law School Writing Center is available to all law students. During the academic year, students may attend workshops and/or make appointments for one-on-one consultations. Consultations can be used to review specific pieces of legal writing (up to 10, double-spaced pages) or to discuss effective legal writing strategies in general.

With the exception of writing that may require instructor permission, noted below, consultation appointments are confidential. While the priority is academic writing, students may also make appointments to review professional legal writing samples as time allows. The goal of the Writing Center is to help students become better legal writers and the best possible editors of their own work.   

The Writing Center team consists of a staff writing specialist, who is an attorney, and trained upper-year law students who serve as writing fellows. The writing specialist is available to meet with upper-year and LL.M. students, and conducts an Upper-Year/LL.M. Workshop Series throughout the academic year. Writing fellows are available to meet with 1Ls in Legal Practice Workshop, and hold 1L-focused workshops through the 1L Lunch Series. 

Students may make an appointment as follows. Please make an appointment at least 48 hours in advance.

• Upper-year and LL.M. students may make a writing specialist appointment here.
• 1Ls may make a writing fellow appointment here.

What we can always review and/or discuss during a consultation:

1. Writing assignments for 1L Legal Practice Workshop or LL.M. Legal Research and Writing. Students do not need instructor permission to bring in assignments from these classes.
2. Legal writing from a prior class that has already been submitted for a grade or an excerpt from a journal note that has already been submitted for publication.
3. Effective legal writing strategies in general, using Writing Center examples and/or exercises.

What we can review with permission from your instructor or past employer:

1. Writing assignments from current, graded classes or supervised research that have not yet been submitted for a grade may require instructor permission and/or notification. This includes papers for seminars, independent research under the supervision of an instructor, supervised experiential study, the LL.M. Writing Project, clinic work, or any other piece of writing that will ultimately be submitted for a grade. Different instructors have different policies regarding Writing Center assistance, and some may require notification and/or express permission, or may not allow the Writing Center to review work that has not yet been graded. If you are unsure of your instructor’s policy, you may contact the Writing Center or ask your instructor.
2. A legal writing sample from a prior job, internship, externship, or clinic. Students must obtain permission from their employer and redact any confidential information before sharing this type of legal writing sample with the Writing Center.

What we cannot review or provide:

1. Students may not make appointments to discuss the following pieces of legal writing: take-home or practice examinations from a current class, journal notes that have not yet been submitted for publication, and legal writing samples that will also be used for journal applications.
2. We are not able to provide substantive feedback, nor review any piece of legal writing in the absence of a consultation appointment.
3. We will not proof, edit, or rewrite student work.
4. We are not able to review resumes or cover letters.

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