'The Real World:' Creating a Compelling Appellate Brief Assignment Based on a Real-World Case

Abstract:     
Creating an appellate brief problem that is realistic, balanced, and interesting for students to work on is one of the most challenging opportunities facing a legal analysis and writing professor. Developing such a problem is particularly important because many legal writing courses use an appellate brief problem throughout an entire law school semester, usually requiring students to write at least one, and often two, appellate briefs based on the problem, and to argue that case in a moot court. This article provides advice, drawn from the authors' experience as professor of legal analysis and writing, as to how to develop a compelling and effective appellate brief problem based on a real-world case.

Keywords: legal writing, appellate brief problem, law school

JEL Classifications: K10, K30

Accepted Paper Series