Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Session 3, 1:30-2:15pm
Integration of Statutory-Interpretation Skills into Your Existing Writing and Analysis Curriculum: Theoretical and Practical Perspectives
Mark Burge, Roger Simon
Program Code: T3D
Statutory interpretation is both a valuable skill and a means to go outside the traditional judicial-review paradigm for law teaching, and this presentation addresses the theory underlying this truth, plus the practical means for legal writing professors to (1) teach crucial statutory construction skills; (2) expand students’ understanding of the interpretive role that lawyers play outside of litigation; and (3) enhance skills training in first-year legal research and writing courses. Using examples dealing with the Uniform Trade Secrets Act and the Uniform Commercial Code, the presentation will also address practical aspect of designing interesting statute-based writing assignments.