Drafting Legal Documents in a Doctrinal Class

Abstract

This chapter presents a method for incorporating practical skills training into a doctrinal course. A doctrinal course, known also as a “podium” or “casebook” course, is characterized by focus on court opinions, black letter law, and legal theory; assessments are typically based on multiple choice and essay style formats, and it is not uncommon to base the entire course grade on a final exam. This chapter demonstrates an efficient and manageable means of teaching students how to draft legal documents in a doctrinal course, which simultaneously adds variety to exam-heavy teaching formats and works to desegregate the law school curriculum.

Keywords: Experiential learning, experiential education, law teaching, legal pedagogy, skills training, ABA