Student Societies

Local Chapters

• Western Michigan University Cooley Law School
• University of Illinois Chicago School of Law
• Texas Tech University School of Law

Student Society Toolkit

Session 1: Scribes History & Topic Selection

• Scribes After More Than 50 Years -A History
• Topic Selection Discussion
• Sample Preemption Checklist

Session 2: Outlining & The Parts of the Paper

• Outline for Scholarly Paper
• Parts of the Paper Discussion
• Traditional Structure of Seminar Paper

Session 3: Effective Legal Writing

Use the following articles to lead a discussion on effective legal writing:​

1. Pamela Samuelson, Good Legal Writing: of Orwell and Window Panes, 46 U. Pitt. L. Rev. 149 (1984).
2. Eugene Volokh & J. Alexander Tanford, How to Write Good Legal Stuff (2009).
3. Mark K. Osbeck, What is “Good Legal Writing” and Why Does it Matter? (2011).
4. Danielle Pineres, Ten Tips for Transitions to Legal Writing (2011).
5. Joseph Kimble, Tips for Better Writing in Law Reviews (and Other Journals), 30 T.M. Cooley L. Rev. 197 (2013).

Session 4: Basic Editing Tips

• Host a Write-In
• Basic Editing Tips Discussion

Session 5: The Art of Citation

• Bluebook Survival Skills