Teaching Advocacy Through a Real Simulation

Recognizing the importance of self-reliance in the new legal marketplace, I have incorporated more pragmatic exercises and assignments into the first-year legal writing curriculum. While teaching persuasive legal writing, I employ a malleable "real" simulation for improving students' advocacy, especially briefs and oral arguments, in preparation for their assignments and legal careers. The simulation, essentially a master class in advocacy using an actual case, requires students to evaluate legal writing from a judicial perspective. It appeals to students with varying learning styles by including oral and written components; technology; and individual, group, and class activities; and it can be modified based on students' abilities and available class-time