The long-anticipated Third Edition of the Section’s Legal Writing Sourcebook has been published and is now available for purchase at a very reasonable price in the ABA’s webstore.
Available in both hardcover and e-book formats, the Sourcebook is the primary reference source for those designing, directing, and teaching in legal writing programs. It addresses the ever-evolving world of Legal Research & Writing (LRW) programs - focusing specifically on topics including innovation, formative assessment, teaching students with disabilities, inclusivity, and wellness, to name a few. Many in the legal writing community consider the Sourcebook the “go-to” reference book for designing, building, and developing legal writing curricula.
The third edition builds on the success of the first edition, published in 1997; and the second, published in 2006. The third edition provides a wealth of updated and new information reflecting the many developments in the profession over the last quarter century. The Section’s hope is that this book serves as a valuable guide in developing, improving, and sustaining successful legal writing programs, which ultimately leads to successful law students and excellent practicing lawyers.
Special thanks and gratitude go out to Executive Editor, Professor J. Lyn Entrikin; Copy Editor, Emerita Professor Mary Trevor; Executive Steering Committee members Associate Dean and Professor Olympia Duhart, Professor J. Lyn Entrikin, and Dean and Professor Anthony Niedwiecki; the Section’s Publications Committee for its continuing support; and the twenty-some authors (listed below) who generously contributed their time and expertise by writing new sections and completely revising and updating the second edition.
Below is a list of the book’s chapters and primary contributors:
I. Overview of Legal Writing in Law Schools
Michael Smith, Jan Levine, Catherine Wasson, Sue Leimer
II. Developing a Comprehensive Legal Writing Curriculum
Lyn Entrikin, Catherine Wasson
III. Pedagogical Methods in First-Year Courses
Olympia Duhart, David Cleveland
IV. Assessment and Grading
Anthony Niedwiecki, Tonya Kowalski, Emily Grant
V. Faculty Status and Governance
Suzanne Rowe, Kris Tiscione, Mel Weresh
VI. Ensuring Quality Instruction
Kim Ricardo, Olympia Duhart
VII. Law Students Who Speak English as a Second Language
Mark Wojcik
VIII. Serving Students with Special Needs
Deborah Borman, Anthony Niedwiecki, Lyn Entrikin
IX. Legal Writing Specialists and Writing Centers
Lurene Contento
X. Innovations Inside and Outside the LRW Classroom
Sara Rankin, Mary Bowman, Heather Baxter