Legal Research & Writing: What Schools are Doing, and Who is Doing the Teaching

Abstract:     
This article reports on a survey developed to determine who is teaching legal writing during 1999-2000, and which law schools have programs that reflect either sound investment in the writing abilities of future lawyers or shortsighted penury. It addresses the presence or absence of a director of the program, the faculty status of the director, whether the teachers are tenured (or tenure-eligible) full-time legal-writing professors, doctrinal professors, adjunct instructors, or students. For the schools with full-time writing professors, the chart shows whether the professors are tenured, on tenure track, on uncapped contracts, or on capped contracts. If the director or the other faculty teaching legal writing are either tenured or on tenure track, the notations explain whether they are legal-writing professionals (with their primary responsibility being legal writing), tenured or tenure-track doctrinal professors (who are in charge of the writing program), assistant or associate deans, clinicians, or librarians.

Keywords: Legal writing, legal education, faculty, legal research and writing, survey

JEL Classification: K00

Accepted Paper Series