Legal Research & Writing : Week of September 3, 2007

The big assignment is the memo. Don't count on Debra for citation. 5 research labs this semester; we always meet in main room first, then move over to library. We'll do book research first.

The memo is a closed memo: we don't do any outside research. Second semester we'll have an open memo, where we'll have to do some research. The memo is due before finals, which is nice. We'll have conferences about the first draft. Memo with have a statute and three cases which are sort of similar but not totally.

Focus on conciseness. That's the single biggest thing in legal writing. Something is always at stake. So precision and thoroughness are big too. Oh, and organization.

Olson v. Walker

In-class Exercise

Yes, no, probably yes, or probably no. Can your client refuse to rent to unmarried couples? Statute: Answer: Probably not; the statute specifically names familial status as one of the categories it protects against refusal to rent. Refusal to rent on the basis of this category is prohibited. There may be ambiguity in the definition of "familial status," or in the phrase "otherwise make unavailabe or deny," but absent further research the answer should be no.