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Michigan State University College of Law

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RWA Class Information

Welcome to Michigan State University College of Law and the Research, Writing, and Advocacy (RWA) Program! RWA combines skills and substance to prepare you for law practice.

You will take RWA I in the fall and RWA II in the spring.

RWA I consists of a weekly class and a weekly seminar. In RWA I you will learn to write legal memos and a client letter through the process of analyzing problems confronted by hypothetical clients. RWA I is co-taught by three professors: your primary RWA professor; Prof. Jeremy Francis, the Law College's Writing Specialist, who teaches basic writing techniques; and a Law College librarian, who teaches research skills.

RWA II focuses on persuasive writing and oral advocacy. In the spring semester, you will draft an appellate brief and conduct an oral argument before a panel of mock judges.

Your first RWA class is during orientation week. This is a class, not an orientation session. RWA is scheduled during orientation week, so you may finish the course before Thanksgiving in order to study for finals. Attendance is mandatory for all students, including students transferring from other schools. Your first class is on Monday, August 16th, at 1:45 p.m.

To prepare for your first RWA class, purchase the required textbooks posted on the MSU Law College website, complete the required reading, and prepare the case brief. You will turn in this case brief at the beginning of your first class. (To view the first assignment, go to http://www.law.msu.edu/academics/assignments.php, scroll down and find Research, Writing, and Advocacy (RWA) and your professor's name, check it, and click "Enter.") Note that each professor's assignment may differ somewhat, so be sure to complete the assignment for your section. After a break and during the final hour of class, you will take a Writing Skills Inventory to assess your grammar and punctuation skills.

Your second RWA class will also occur during orientation week. Again, attendance is mandatory for all students, including transfer students from other schools. Section 1 students have their second class on Thursday, August 19th, at 4:00 p.m. Students in Sections 2, 3, and 4 have their second class on Friday at the regularly scheduled class time.

The RWA faculty members look forward to meeting you. Get ready to learn to write like a lawyer!

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