Legal Literacy and Communication Skills: Working with Law and Lawyers

Legal Literacy and Communication Skills: Working with Law and Lawyers is a first-of-its-kind text, designed expressly for students in Juris Master, Master of Jurisprudence, and Master of Legal Studies programs. This concise paperback empowers students whose professional background is outside of law with a foundational understanding of the U.S. legal system and insight into what lawyers do. Legal Literacy and Communication Skills covers key concepts, including: Understanding the roles of legislatures, agencies, and courts; Recognizing and using basic legal vocabulary in context; Reading a variety of legal documents efficiently and effectively; Writing law-related reports and correspondence; Reading and understanding the function of primary sources of law, including statutes, regulations, and cases; Understanding the basic elements of a contract and participating in contracting processes; and Recognizing and avoiding the unauthorized practice of law. Students will develop skills to help them find and use legal information for themselves or as part of a collaborative project. The text includes exercises built around an ongoing case study and helpful “Traditions and Trends” commentary, which puts today’s legal landscape into a broader context

Email, Social Media, and Professionalism for Externs

Email and social media has changed the way we communicate and connect on a personal level, and it’s increasingly relevant in the communications between lawyers, their clients, and the courts. The presentation will first focus students on tone, effectiveness, and professionalism in email communication with their field supervisors. We will lead attendees through a sample in-class exercise to do with their class. In addition, we will discuss how the exercise can prompt discussion of other topics, such as externs seeking appropriate guidance on projects, effective legal writing, and self-editing. The presentation will then transition into discussing the practical social media skills students should develop, why such skills are critical to success in the legal profession, and developing social media seminars/courses. In a social media legal externship seminar, students learn how to effectively utilize social media, navigate the murky ethical issues arising from lawyers\u27 use of social media, and counsel clients on social media (among other things). In an advanced legal writing course in blogging and social media law students learn how to effectively utilize social media and blogging and the art of informal legal writing. Law students are being asked by their employers to use social media, whether it’s updating a law firm blog, drafting a case summary for the employer’s website, or using social media for investigation during a case. The presenters believe in teaching law students fundamental, practical skills to ensure their success at and beyond their placements and have therefore designed their courses to educate students on email etiquette and social media as well as help them develop valuable skills to be successful and marketable