SAN BEDA ALABANG

SCHOOL OF LAW

Syllabus in
Legal Research (2 units) and Legal Writing (2 units)
Dean Ulpiano P. Sarmiento III
Atty. Sarah Liliana Z. Sarmiento

COURSE OUTLINE
Week LEGAL RESEARCH LEGAL WRITING
1  Introduction  Introduction
 St. Augustine Lecture
2  Primary and Secondary  Legal Writing Overview
Sources (CD Asia Lecture) - Scope
- Stages of Writing
 How to Write Case Digests
 Exercise
CASE DIGESTS
3  Legal Research Proposal  Fact-Finding
Lecture  Issue-Spotting
 Exercise  Exercise
LEGAL RESEARCH
PROPOSAL (Individual)
4  Exercise  Argument-Making
LEGAL RESEARCH - As the Presidential
PROPOSAL (Group) Legal
Counsel/Solicitor
General
5  Legal Bibliography TBA
Lecture
6  Library/Research Work  Decision-Making
 Exercise - As a Judge/Supreme
REFERENCE LIST Court Justice
 Exercise
7  Legal Research Proposal  How to Answer the Exams
and Bibliography and eventually, the Bar
Explanation (Midterm Exams
Paper)  Exercise
- Consolidation of
Proposal and
Collected Summarized
References
- Must contain at least 5
references (no
formatting yet)
- Must be unified
- Submission: First
meeting after midterm
exams
8 Writing Break
9 MIDTERM EXAMS
Writing Break
10 SUBMISSION OF MIDTERM PAPER:
Legal Research Proposal and Bibliography
 Kamustahan after the Midterm Exams
 Legal Research Outline Lecture + Scheduling
11  Legal Citation Reporting Writing Break
Explanation Legal Research Outline
- Using same 8 groups,
draw lots regarding
topic and reporting
time (based on Myrna
Feliciano’s Philippine
Manual of Legal
Citations)
 - 8 Groups Reports:
1. Court Decisions and
Case Reports
- General Rule and
Exceptions
2. Case Reports
- Supreme Court
- Court of Appeals
- Other courts
3. Statutory Materials
- Constitution
- Codes
- Bills, Resolutions,
Committee Reports
4. Statutory Materials
- Treaties and
International
Agreements
- Presidential Acts
- Administrative Rules
and Regulations
5. Statutory Materials
- Court Rules
- Ordinances
6. Other Sources
- Books and pamphlets
- Collection of essays
and articles
- Newspaper articles
7. Other Sources
- Letters, speeches,
interviews
- Periodical articles
- Electronic resources
8. Repeating citations
12  Consolidate reports of Writing Break
Groups 1 and 2 in one Legal Research Outline
laptop before class
 Group 1
 Group 2
13  Consolidate reports of Writing Break
Groups 3 and 4 in one Legal Research Outline
laptop before class with References
 Group 3
 Group 4
14  Consolidate reports of Writing Break
Groups 5 and 6 in one Library/Research Work
laptop before class Legal Research Outline
 Group 5 with References
 Group 6
15  Consolidate reports of Writing Break
Groups 7 and 8 in one Consolidation and
laptop before class Proofreading
 Group 7
 Group 8
16  Unfinished groups, if ever SUBMISSION OF
 Last tips FINAL PAPER:
Legal Research Paper
 Self and Peer Review
 Last tips

*To be scheduled: Library Tour; CD Asia Lecture

REFERENCES
M.S. Feliciano, Philippine Manual of Legal Citations (2017).
T.S. Dizon, Legal Writing and Legal Research Updates.
R.A. Abad & B.B. Abad-Gamo, Fundamentals of Legal Writing (2014).
 Kenneth J. Vandevelde, Thinking Like A Lawyer: An Introduction to Legal Reasoning (2011).
Richard C. Wydick, Plain English for Lawyers, 66 CAL. L. REV. 72 (1978).
Agustin Parise, The 13 Steps of Successful Academic Legal Research, International Journal of Legal
Information, Vol. 38, Issue 1, Article 4 (2010).

GRADE COMPONENTS
Class Participation/Attendance – 5%
Exercises (In-Class and Take-Home) and Reporting – 25%
Midterm Paper: Legal Research Proposal and Bibliography – 30%
Final Paper: Legal Research Paper – 40%

HOUSE RULES
1. Attendance will be taken at the beginning of each class. Students may take the allowable number of
absences accordingly. Exceeding the number of allowable absences will automatically result in the
dropping of the student from the class list.

Absence does not excuse the student from the In-Class Exercises. For undone and not submitted
Exercises, the student will receive a grade of 65. Medical Certificates will be accepted to cancel the 65
grade only if the student himself/herself is confined in the hospital. No other certificates/excuse letters
will be accepted.

As much as possible, students are requested not to leave the classroom once attendance has been called.

2. Dress code will be strictly observed. Those who are not in dress code may be asked to step outside the
classroom.

3. For Legal Research, Exercises will be submitted in short bond paper, scratch.

For Legal Writing, a notebook will be provided for by the professor. Bring this during class.

Exercises written on any other paper will get a minus 10 (-10).

The Midterm and Final Paper must be printed on short bond paper, scratch. Let’s all help save the
environment. Further formatting will be announced later on.

4. The final paper will pass through a plagiarism checker. Any form of plagiarism will merit a grade of
65%, subject to the school’s disciplinary procedures.