LAWS 2357 & 2358 ‑ Dalhousie Law Journal Advanced Legal Writing

LAWS 2357 & 2358 
CREDIT HOURS: 3 LAWS 2357 (2 credits) LAWS 2358 (1 credit)

Course Description:

This course focuses on developing students’ editing and academic writing skills. The course has two primary components. First, each student will work with a student in the Dalhousie Law Journal Editorial Assistantship course on editorial review of three or four articles accepted by the Journal for publication. Second, each student will be expected to work with a paper they completed as part of their second year course work with a view to submitting that paper for publication (submission is at each student's discretion). The progress of each student's paper will be tracked and monitored in bi-weekly meetings. The timing of these meetings will be set in September and a time will be chosen that does not clash with students' other classes. These meetings will give the faculty editor and students in both this course and the Dalhousie Law Journal Editorial Assistantship course the chance to discuss their assignments and any challenges the articles or their individual writing projects present, as well as the ongoing operations of the Journal. Over the course of the year, students will conduct additional research related to their paper, re-organize and substantially edit their work, and receive and take into account peer review reports. Student writing skills should improve through practice and the receipt of feedback. As an optional component of the course, students may work with DLJ authors or faculty members on a dissemination project (blog or podcast).  

NOTE:  Students taking this course must register in and complete LAWS 2357 & 2358 in consecutive terms; credit will not be granted if courses are not completed consecutively. Generally, a maximum of six students will be selected for the course. Students must be recommended by a professor who evaluated a paper they authored in the student's second year. Preference is given to students who have also completed the Dalhousie Law Journal Editorial Assistanceship.

Prerequisite(s): None.
Co-requisite(s): None.
Assessment Method: Editorial work with students in the Dalhousie Law Journal Editorial Assistantship course on assigned articles, writing project, and class participation. It does NOT fulfill the law school's major paper requirement. Students will be assessed on assigned articles, class participation and final submitted review/comment. Pass, fail or honours.
Restrictions: Restricted to second and third year students in the JD program or JD-combined programs. Even within those programs, students can register only with permission and overrides from the law school.