Legal Research and Writing I

Professor Nixon-Jones
Schedule of Assignments
Fall 2020

Date Topic(s) Assignment(s) to Complete

This schedule of assignments replaces the

assignments listed on syllabus. The policy and
procedure sections of the syllabus are still valid for
course purposes.

Week 5
Tuesday, September Applying the Law; Read Before Class:
22 Conclusions to One • A Lawyer Writes: Ch. 16 “Editing and Polishing”
Argument • ALWD: p. 294–298 (Rule 34.1 & 34.2)
View Webcasts Before Class:
• The A & C in CREAC on YouTube – Michigan
Legal Practice
Due:
• Core Grammar Exercise: B (Quotations) on
Tuesday, September 22, 2020, at 11:59 p.m.

Assignments for Next Week:

• Core Grammar Exercise: C (Lists)

Thursday, September Partial Memo (15 points) • CLASS WILL NOT MEET THIS DAY
24 Due September 24, 2020 by • Before Submitting Partial Closed Memo:
11:59pm +Create a list of self-edits (do not turn in the list with
the memo)
+Review your list of self-edits
+See Chapter 16 for a list of common errors (pg. 281)

Week 6
Tuesday, Researching and Citing CLASS WILL NOT MEET THIS DAY
September 29 Statutes and Constitutions Read:
• Legal Oregon Research: Ch. 5 Legislative History
(27 pages)
• Chapter 7 Oregon Courts, Judicial Opinions, Case
Research (31 pages)
• Chapter 8 Updating with Citators
• ALWD: 101–119 (Rules 13 & 14)
Due:

1
 • Core Grammar Exercise: C (Lists) on Tuesday,
September 29, 2020, at 11:59 p.m.
Next Assignments:
• Read Graded Full Memorandum of Law (See
English File on Canvas)
• Core Grammar Exercise: D (Verbs and
Agreement)
Thursday, October 1 Completing the Objective Read Before Class:
Closed Legal Memorandum: • Draft/Review introductory roadmap (Discussion
Statement of Facts Section – Type 1)I have no questions or 2)I have a
question and type your question.)
• A Lawyer Writes: Chapter 14
• Introduce guidelines for drafting a Statement of
Facts
Friday, October 2 Sign-up for conferences Sign-up for individual conferences at 12:00p.m.

Week 7
Tuesday, October 6 Completing Question Due Before Class:
Presented and Brief Answer • Draft Statement of Facts (Discussion Section –
and Conclusion Type 1)I have no questions or 2)I have a question
and type your question.)

• Core Grammar Exercise: D (Verbs and

Agreement) Due Monday, October 5, 2020 at
11:59 p.m.
Read Before Class:
• A Lawyer Writes: Chapter 13 “Question Presented
and Brief Answer”
• A Lawyer Writes: Chapter 15 “Conclusion to the
Memo”
Sign-Up:
• Sign-up for research conference with Angus
Nesbit.
Next Assignments:
• Core Grammar Exercise: E (Citation)
Thursday, October 8 Counter-Arguments and Due Before Class:
Complex Analysis • A Lawyer Writes: Chapter 8: “Applying the Law”
• If you have a later conference, you can begin to
make your revisions prior to the conference.

Week 8 Individual Conferences

Tuesday, October 13 No Class – Partial Memo Due:
Conferences • Core Grammar Exercise E (Citation) due Monday
October 12, 2020 at 11:59p.m.
Attend:
• Research Workshops with Angus Nesbit

2

Thursday, October 15 No Class – Partial Memo
Conferences
Sunday, October 18 Revised Final Closed Memo
Week 9
Tuesday, October 20 In-Class Feedback on Partial Read Before Class:
Full Memo of Law;
Background and Q&A on the
Final Memo of Law; Editing • Oregon Legal Research: Chapter 9 “Research
and Polishing
Thursday, October 22 Formulating the Research
Plan;
Choosing Between
Electronic and Print Sources;
Notetaking and Outlining
Friday, October 23 Research Agenda Done
Before your conference, review my comments on the
partial closed and prepare a list of questions.
Attend:
• Research Workshops with Angus Nesbit
Before your conference, review my comments on the
partial closed and prepare a list of questions.
Read for Next Class:
• Research Agenda Instructions
Due:
• Graded Final Closed Memorandum of Law via
TWEN by 11:59:00 p.m. (35 points)
• Blackout period starts 12:01 a.m. Friday
October 16, 2020
• Review A Lawyer Writes: Ch. 16 Editing and
Polishing
Process Examples “
Due:
• Core Grammar Exercise: F (Clarity) Due
Monday, October 19, 2020 at 11:59 p.m.
Read Before Class:
• Review Rowe: Ch. 9
• Review Coughlin: Ch. 5 Organizing Your Legal
Argument
Research Agenda (50 points) due at 11:59 p.m .
3
Week 10
Tuesday, October 27 Case Selection and Ranking;
Depth of Explanation;
Discuss Final Memo of Law
Research and Prewriting
Assignment
Next Assignments:
• Core Grammar Weigh-In Exercises (Preparation
Thursday, October 29 Advanced Attribution Read Before Class:
Techniques: Number and Types • ALWD: p. 298–318 (Rules 34.3, 34.4, 35, 36, &
of Sources to Cite; Signals;
Order of Authorities;
Explanatory Parentheticals
Week 11
Sunday, November 1 Core Grammar Weigh-In
Exercises
Tuesday, Policy; Final Memo of Law
November 3 Discussion; In-Class
Discussion of Prewriting
Assignment; Questions about
CSA
Thursday, November Comprehensive Skills
5 Assessment (in class) (75
points)
Friday, November 6 Sign-up for Individual
Conferences
Read Before Class:
• Depth of Explanation handout
• In-Class Legal Research
Due Before Class:
• Core Grammar Exercise: F (Clarity) Due Monday
October 19, 2020 at 11:59 p.m.
• Westlaw Knowledge Center Videos
• Build Your Argument w/ Good Case Law
• Build Your Plan
• Build your Argument w/ Statutes
• Example of Building Your Knowledge
• Example of Building Your Plan
for Post-Test) and Core Grammar Post-Test Due
November 1, 2020 at 11:59pm.
37)
In-Class Research Case Selection Assignment
Due:
• Core Grammar Weigh-In Exercises (Preparation
for Post-Test) by 11:59 p.m.
Read Before Class:
• Coughlin: Ch. 10
• Review previous reading assignments
• Read Final Memo of Law Folder Contents
Action Item:
• Check your e-mail (including junk mail) to see if
you have received your random number for the
Comprehensive Skills Assessment from the
Registrar’s Office.
Sign-up sheet for individual conferences that go
live at 12:00 p.m.
4
 Week 12 Comprehensive Skills
Assessment; Legal Writing
Style

Tuesday, November Review Research and Due:

10 Citation Skills; • Upload Citation List by November 10, 2020 11:59
p.m. to Canvas

Thursday, November No Class—Report to Office Class will not meet today to accommodate
12 Conferences (oral conferences
communication of objective Action Item:
legal analysis) Check your e-mail (including junk mail) to
see if you have received your random number
for the Final Memo of Law from Barbi
McLain.
Thursday, November Core Grammar Post Test Due: Core Grammar Post-Test due November 12,
12 2020 by 11:59 p.m. (50 points)

Week 13 Final Memorandum of

Law Attribution and
Citation; Report to Office
Conferences
Tuesday, No Class—Report to Office Class will not meet today to accommodate
November 17 Conferences (oral conferences
communication of objective Action Item:
legal analysis) • Check your e-mail (including junk mail) to see if
you have received your random number for the
Final Memo of Law from Barbi McLain.
Thursday Last Day of Class Note: Blackout period for help from Professor or TA
November 19 begins after class today.

Week 14 Focus on the Final Memo

Tuesday, Open Memo Due Submit to Canvas by 9:50 a.m. (250 points)
November 24

Thursday, November No Class- Happy

26 Thanksgiving

1. Assignments:
• Core Grammar:
o Assignments A-F
o Core Grammar Weigh-In Assignments
o Core Grammar Post Test – Due November 9, 2020 (50 points)(graded)
• Partial Closed Memo – Due Thursday, September 24, 2020 (15 points) (feedback)
• Final Closed Memo – Due Sunday, October 18, 2020 (35 points)(feedback)
• Research Agenda – Due October 23, 2020 (50 points)(feedback)
• Comprehensive Skills Assessment – In- Class (75 points)(graded)
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• Open Memo – Due November 24, 2020 (175 points) (feedback after grades)
• Optional assignments / In-class Assignments – Participation / Best effort

2. Definitions
• Core Grammar – a third party subscription service which provides a series of assignments and
tests to enhance your grammar skills.
• Core Grammar Weigh-In – A cumulative exercise to provide overall assessment of the student’ s
strengths and weaknesses.
• Core Grammar Post – Test – The final examination in Core Grammar.
• Memorandum of Law (Memo)– A memo is a method of communication used by legal
professionals to answer questions of law. The memo is one form of communication and consists
of the following sections: Question Presented, Brief Answer, Statement of Facts, Discussion
Section and the Conclusion. Each section has a format and structure for ease of understanding in
the legal profession. The format can be modified to fit arguments that are both simple and
complex.
• Partial Memo – An academic tool used to replicate a smaller piece of the overall memo where
the Professor provides all of the facts and research for the student to create a segment of the
memo in a replicated universe. The structure usually includes the roadmap and one CREAC from
the discussion section. The professor can amend the sections to accommodate the class
comprehension.
• Final Memo – A continuation of the partial memo that adds all of the remaining sections of the
memo. Question Presented, Brief Answer, Statement of Facts, Discussion Section and the
Conclusion.
• Research Agenda – the research agenda is a multi-part assignment that guides the student
through the research outline in the Oregon Legal Research textbook. The Research Agenda is the
first step in the open memo. The Research Agenda is a living document as the initial research
cases and analysis may change as the student writes the open memo.
• Comprehensive Skills Assessment – The comprehensive Skills Assessment is an in-class
assessment that tests the students’ knowledge of the lecture, readings, and handouts.
• Open Memo – The open memo contains the same parts as the memo listed above. Except the
students conduct all of the research. The research universe begins as unlimited and then the class
will narrow down the number of legally relevant cases.