Legal Writing Center
The Legal Writing Center (LWC) is dedicated to helping law students develop and refine their professional and legal writing skills across the curriculum. Under the direction of a full-time legal writing faculty member, our rigorously trained writing fellows provide face-to-face feedback to law students to enhance their understanding of legal writing principles, processes, and practices. The LWC will not analyze the accuracy of substantive legal issues but will collaborate with students on developing strong legal writing skills for law school and practice. Make sure you are familiar with the Writing Center policies explained below, then book an appointment.
We offer in-person and virtual appointments. Virtual appointments often provide an evening opportunity for those unable to utilize the center during the day. During staffed hours, there are often multiple writing fellows available in order to handle booked meetings and walk-ins. If you are not finding an available time on Calendly, please come by the Writing Center in Raba 108 to check in for walk-in help.
Staffed Hours:
- Monday 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM
- Tuesday 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM
- Wednesday 12:30 PM – 2:30 PM
- Thursday 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM
- Friday 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
The Legal Writing Center will be operating under a modified schedule through Friday, April 26, 2024. All appointments will be held virtually via Zoom. The Legal Writing Center will close on Friday, April 26 for the Spring semester and reopen in the Fall 2024 semester. We appreciate your understanding and wish you the best as you conclude the semester!
The Legal writing Center will be Closed on the following days:
- Friday, April 19, 2024
- After Friday, April 26, 2024
Role of the Writing Fellows
Writing fellows are responsible for providing constructive feedback on students’ legal writing. They are not editors or proofreaders; they are educators and facilitators who guide students to improve their own writing. Writing Fellows do not provide written feedback. During your appointment the Writing Fellow will review your writing, discuss issues and strengths, answer questions you have about your writing, and note changes in structure or major revisions that need to be made. They will also give you their perspective as a reader on how to better target your audience if needed.
The Writing Center can also assist in pre-writing challenges or other common issues in professional writing. This includes helping you develop a plan to start the researching and writing process, help find ways around writer’s block, write analytically using the core skills necessary for good legal writing, trim excess language and legalese, and plan how to incorporate your own voice and style in your writing as you maintain an elegant flow.
Students may not make an appointment to discuss the following pieces of legal writing: take-home or practice examinations from a current class, formative assessments, and assignments for which the professor has not provided written permission to use the Writing Center, editing work being done on pieces by other authors for the Journal or Scholar, or a legal writing sample that will be used for journal applications.
Writing fellows can offer work with students to address the writing process on any manner of legal writing projects including scholarly papers, practical pieces for a clinic, or assignments in the first-year course. Students need to ensure they have permission of their professor to work with a writing fellow before seeking feedback from the Writing Center. All first year LCAP students are permitted to use the Writing Center for LCAP writing assignments. Writing Fellows are also available to help if you would like to work on your professional writing skills more generally outside of working on any specific piece of legal writing, including questions about legal citations from the Bluebook or Greenbook.
Walk-in and Appointment Scheduling
Every semester, Writing Center hours are set based on the availability of the Writing Fellows. To ensure you can meet with a Writing Fellow, students should schedule appointments in advance using the LWC’s online appointment system. Walk-ins are allowed, but appointments are given priority. Walk ins will be seen if a writing fellow is available.
Each student is allowed one appointment per week. You may seek permission from the full-time faculty member overseeing the Writing Center to meet with a Writing Fellow more than once in a given week. However, to ensure access to the fellows, no student will be permitted to meet with a fellow more than once a week on any week the final version of any writing assignment is due for LCAP.
Arrival for Appointments
Students are expected to arrive on time for their appointments. If a student is more than 10 minutes late, the appointment will likely be given to another student.
Preparation for Appointments
Students should come prepared with specific questions or issues they want to discuss about their writing. They are expected to bring a printed copy of the document they wish to review if it wasn’t sent ahead of time. Students should come prepared ready to take notes on the feedback offered by the Writing Fellow since the fellow will not provide written feedback. Be prepared to do some work on your draft paper during the appointment, but also to work on it further after you leave.
Duration of Appointments
Appointments typically last 30 minutes. Please respect the time constraints to ensure that all students have equal access to writing fellows. At times a fellow may have availability to spend more time working with a student.
Respectful Communication
All interactions in the LWC should be conducted in a respectful and professional manner. Disrespectful or inappropriate behavior will not be tolerated and may result in a loss of LWC privileges.
Cancellation Policy
If a student needs to cancel an appointment, except in an emergency or unexpected illness they should do so at least 12 hours in advance through the online system. Repeated failure to cancel within this time frame may result in a temporary suspension of LWC privileges.
Confidentiality
All appointments are confidential. Writing fellows will not disclose the content of the consultation or the identity of the student without the student’s express consent.
However, students must obtain permission from their employer and redact any confidential information before sharing a legal writing sample from a prior job, internship, externship, or clinic. Please note that we are not available to review resumes or cover letters. Writing fellows are trained in legal writing skills and strategies, they are not trained in the mechanics of writing practice documents (i.e. motions, briefs, etc.).
Feedback Process
The feedback provided by the writing fellows is intended to be constructive, focusing on the strengths and weaknesses of the student’s work. Feedback is aimed at helping students understand the principles of legal writing and improving their ability to self-edit. You should come prepared to welcome constructive feedback and to collaborate with the fellow to help yourself grow as a professional writer.
Writing Fellows are not experts in substantive legal issues. Accordingly, they will be unable to comment on the accuracy of your paper’s substance. In addition, if a Writing Fellow’s advice contradicts instructions you have received from your professor, you are responsible for clarifying with your professor on how best to proceed. Writing Fellows are trained on the substantive issues of the yearly LCAP problem to help better evaluate your paper, but the student is still responsible for ensuring their rule statements are accurate.
Academic Integrity
Students are reminded to adhere to St. Mary’s University’s code of academic integrity. Writing fellows will not write or re-write any part of a student’s work.
If a student would like to discuss a writing assignment for a current class or supervised research, the student may need professor permission to do so. This includes papers for seminars, supervised research, supervised experiential study, clinic work, or any other piece of writing that will ultimately be submitted for a grade. Different professors have different policies regarding Writing Center assistance, and some may require notification or express permission, or may not allow the Writing Center to review work that has not yet been graded.
If you are unsure about your professor’s policy, you should ask your professor. Unless the project is for LCAP or your professor has expressly provided permission to use the Writing Center, your policy should be to verify permission with your professor before seeking assistance from the Writing Center. Failure to obtain permission could result in an Honor Code Violation.
Contact Us
Arturo Zapata
- azapata1@stmarytx.edu
- Telephone: 210-431-4340
- Email: legalwritingcenter@outlook.com
Policy Revision
These policies are subject to revision and modification as necessary to ensure the efficient and effective operation of the LWC.
Accessibility and Accommodation
The LWC is committed to providing accessible services to all students.
Feedback and Complaints
We value your feedback. If you have any suggestions, complaints, or comments about the services offered by the LWC, please contact the Law Success coordinator at azapata1@stmarytx.edu.